squirrel Posted 17 June , 2008 Share Posted 17 June , 2008 Skipman, the Furey's sang about......"the last post and chorus" but the last post doesn't have a chorus although a number of bugles together will play "in chorus" as Bogle's own version has.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petroc Posted 17 June , 2008 Share Posted 17 June , 2008 the version recorded by the band The Men They Couldn't Hang.. I've tried to source an audio or video clip but there's only a few grainy stuff about..but if this link works it's at least gratifying that rock groups can still inspire an audience with Great War material And another great Irish-British band recorded their own unique version of 'Waltzing Matilda'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 17 June , 2008 Share Posted 17 June , 2008 An absolutely beautiful (and very sad) song, particularly the Steeleye version sung by Tim Hart. For anyone not familiar with this song here are the lyrics… .. .. .. The author is quoted about this song in 'The Cruel Wars' (a fantastic book for anyone interested in military related folk songs)… "Many of the old ladies who swell the lists of Country Dance Societies are 1914/18 war widows, or ladies who had lost fiancés and lovers. Country dancing kept the memory of their young men alive…" He goes on to say… "When [singer's name] started singing the piece the impact was disturbing, for many people in audiences identified with it. Tears were frequent…" Thanks for posting the lyrics to this lovely song Wesley - I must agree it usually has my eye moistening whenever I listen to it. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 Willie McBride BBC News Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 Very interesting Mike - thanks for posting. Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 Very interesting Mike - thanks for posting. Anne You're welcome. Great to put a face to the name. I much prefer this song to the Gallipoli song? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 You're welcome. Great to put a face to the name. I much prefer this song to the Gallipoli song? Mike Mike, this song I love - it brings a lump to my throat each time I hear it and I remember a documentary from a long time ago where Eric Bogle stood beside the grave and explained why it had inspired him to write the song. Yes, it is great to put a face to the name. Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 The Dubliners' version of the Band Played Waltzing Matilda is, I think, the definitive version Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysie Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 (edited) Which one of these was the Willie McBride mentioned in the Green Fields Of France The song says he was 19 in 1916 and here are the only two possibles from the CWGC. McBRIDE, W Private 21406 10/02/1916 Unknown Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers United Kingdom A. 36. AUTHUILE MILITARY CEMETERY McBRIDE, WILLIAM JOHN Rifleman 1442 02/07/1916 Unknown Royal Irish Rifles United Kingdom Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL Edited 1 January , 2015 by mysie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 I asked Eric Bogle personally a few years ago whether he had visited the grave in Authuile Cemetery and he said not, he chose the name as it fitted the song. How then does the BBC and Mr Geary arrive at their assertion ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 I really don't know Peter. MaybeI'll ask them? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 Anyway, is it not Authuille? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 I asked Eric Bogle personally a few years ago whether he had visited the grave in Authuile Cemetery and he said not, he chose the name as it fitted the song. How then does the BBC and Mr Geary arrive at their assertion ?? I also understood that he never derived the inspiration from an actual grave. Interesting to hear him confirm this to you personally. Sounds like a bit of retrofitting of a story to a brilliant song to me. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 1 January , 2015 Share Posted 1 January , 2015 The Dubliners' version of the Band Played Waltzing Matilda is, I think, the definitive version Dave Absolutely Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 2 January , 2015 Share Posted 2 January , 2015 I asked Eric Bogle personally a few years ago whether he had visited the grave in Authuile Cemetery and he said not, he chose the name as it fitted the song. How then does the BBC and Mr Geary arrive at their assertion ?? My thoughts also. I recall reading an interview where Eric said he chose the name for the song, and that it was not after anyone in particular. Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 2 January , 2015 Share Posted 2 January , 2015 Eric's website has an e-mail contact address, I will send a link to the BBC article and hopefully he or his team will reply. http://ericbogle.net/ He does comment on Joss Stone murdering the song ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 2 January , 2015 Share Posted 2 January , 2015 Anyway, is it not Authuille? Mike CWGC spelling. http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/66101/AUTHUILE%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY Location InformationAuthuile (now Authuille), is a village 5 Kms north of Albert. Authuile Military Cemetery is on the south side of the village. The Cemetery is signposted on the main road (D159) through the village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bennett Posted 2 January , 2015 Share Posted 2 January , 2015 I also understood that he never derived the inspiration from an actual grave. Interesting to hear him confirm this to you personally. Sounds like a bit of retrofitting of a story to a brilliant song to me. Dave He was appearing at the Cleckheaton Folk Festival on his final UK tour and did a Q&A session in a local pub, there were lots of good questions put forward and he answered them with his Scots/Aussie laconic humour. Great to shake his hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 2 January , 2015 Share Posted 2 January , 2015 BBC Newsline (probably on the iplayer) has just broadcast an interview with someone who said Eric had personally confirmed that he had walked to the far end of the crescent-shaped cemetery and sat by the Willie McBride grave mentioned in Skipman's post. Curiouser and curiouser. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 3 January , 2015 Share Posted 3 January , 2015 As recently as August 2014 Eric Bogle stated the song was not named for any real William McBride. Interview here: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/the-history-show/programmes/2014/0824/637837-the-history-show-sunday-24-august-2014/?clipid=1653565 Activate the pop up player and skip to 28.25 for discussion on the song. RTE Interviewer: Eric, there's obviously a huge debate on the internet, about Willie McBride, And some some people speculating, it must be this Willie McBride or that Willie McBride, because a number of Willie McBrides, or William McBrides, died in world war one. Eric: Yeah. RTE Interviwer: But you didn't actually sit down beside the grave of a Willie McBride, did you? Eric Bogle: No, i sat down beside a few graves, but none of them were called Willie McBride. I wrote it as a tribute to all the boys, the German boys as well, who are lying across there in Flanders and France. A lot of your listeners will have been to that part of the country and know what i mean. You can't go there without being really involved emotionally, and you walk about in circles saying "why, why, why?". That is why the song itself asks questions "why, why?", even after all these years and the hindsight of history, it's still hard to understand why it all happened. [edited to include more interview] Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 3 January , 2015 Share Posted 3 January , 2015 Thank you Derek. Nice find. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Wright Posted 3 January , 2015 Share Posted 3 January , 2015 The book " A Wheen of Medals"written by Bill Canning tells the story of the 9th Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers published in 2006, states on page 255 that the writer contacted Eric Bogle and he confirmed that it was the grave of Willie McBride of the 9th Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers he sat beside on that warm summers day Wesley Wright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 3 January , 2015 Share Posted 3 January , 2015 Why does it matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 4 January , 2015 Share Posted 4 January , 2015 Personally it never mattered to me until someone linked a renovated Irish cottage to a soldier in a famous song. The song's writer holds the key as to whether that linkage is correct or not. Now I think it matters. If the subject of the song is a real person, let him be acknowledged. If not, Well... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 4 January , 2015 Share Posted 4 January , 2015 Same here Dave. When people start making stuff up, on purpose or through a misunderstanding, the truth should be established. MBrockway, why do you think it shouldn't be a subject of discussion, or matter as you put, to people on a WW1 forum? Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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