Come out Ye Black and Tans
Encyclopedia
"Come Out, Ye Black and Tans" (sometimes "Black and Tan") is an Irish rebel song
referring to the Black and Tans
, the British
paramilitary police
auxiliary force in Ireland
during the 1920s. The song was written by Dominic Behan
as a tribute to his father Stephen
; often authorship of the song is attributed to Stephen. The melody was adapted from an old air, also used for the loyalist song "Boyne Water", as well as several other songs in English and Irish.
and the activities of the British Army
throughout the world. The song ties Irish nationalism to the struggles of other peoples against the British Empire across the world.
While the title of the song refers to the Black and Tans of the War of Independence era, the specific context of the song is a dispute between Irish republican
and loyalist
neighbours in inner-city Dublin in the 1920s. For centuries, Dublin was the centre of The Pale
, an area fully under control of the Crown, even when England had little control of the rest of Ireland. It was only with the arrival of Protestant settlers in Ulster
in the Plantation of Ulster
of the 17th century that the north of Ireland became an alternative centre of loyalism to Britain. Dublin continued to elect unionist
politicians and voluntary service in the British Army was a popular career choice amongst working-class Dubliners, both Catholic and Protestant. This tradition continued long after Irish independence. The relative loyalty of Dublin is emphasised by its policing. The rest of Ireland was policed by the militarily organised Royal Irish Constabulary
, a form of gendarmerie
, whereas Dublin had its own police force, the Dublin Metropolitan Police
, which was a civilian force similar to that found in any large British city.
Supporting this tradition was the existence of a relatively large, and now generally forgotten and disappeared, Dublin Protestant working class. It is this Loyalist working class of both religions who the composer is confronting in the song. One of the few representations of this cultural group is Bessie Burgess in the Sean O'Casey
play The Plough and the Stars.
Therefore the song is not only an indication of the bitterness which the Behans felt for the way they were treated by the Free State
after freedom was attained but an indication that the bitternesses caused by the Irish War of Independence
endured in Dublin for many years, just as those of the Irish Civil War
endured in the countryside.
football matches, the Irish Independent said: "Then there's the stereotypical image of the Celtic supporters wearing T-shirts of 'undefeated army' and having their phones ringing to the sound of 'Come out ye black and tans'."
The reference to Flanders alludes to the fact that some Black and Tans were unemployed British Army veterans from the First World War
. Killeshandra
is a town in West Cavan that may have been the location of one of the many successful I.R.A operations during the War of Independence, though this has never been proven. The service of the British Army in colonial wars against the Arabs and Zulus is also mocked, as the "natives" had "spears and bow and arrows" while the British "bravely faced each one, with your 16-pounder gun". The Anglo-Zulu War
was in 1879. The line about "Arabs" refers to the Iraqi revolt against the British
in 1920.
The song goes on to describe the neighbour's previous gloating at the defeats of Irish nationalism, "when you thought us well and truly persecuted", for instance, when they "slandered great Parnell
" - the Behans in fact lived very close to the Mountjoy Square home of Robert Anderson
who was partly responsible for the Piggott forgeries (see Charles Stewart Parnell#The Piggott forgeries). However, alongside the bitterness evoked in such sentiments is a triumphalism, borne of the fact that loyalists are a small minority in post-independence Ireland. The narrator asks, "where are the sneers and jeers, that you loudly let us hear, when our leaders of '16
were executed". The implication is that the neighbours, no longer backed by the British state, no longer have confidence to express such sentiments in public.
The song closes on a hopeful note, promising that the time is coming when "all traitors will be cast aside before us". The narrator promises that his children will say "God Speed" (i.e., go home), with the same song that his father used to sing to his loyalist neighbours.
[Chorus:]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
Irish rebel music
Irish rebel music is a subgenre of Irish folk music, with much the same instrumentation, but with lyrics predominantly concerned with Irish republicanism.-History:...
referring to the Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
paramilitary police
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
auxiliary force in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during the 1920s. The song was written by Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
as a tribute to his father Stephen
Stephen Behan
Stephen Behan was an Irish republican who was father of writers Brendan, Brian and Dominic Behan.Behan lived in a house in Russell Street on the Northside of Dublin which belonged to his mother Christine English, who owned a number of properties in the area...
; often authorship of the song is attributed to Stephen. The melody was adapted from an old air, also used for the loyalist song "Boyne Water", as well as several other songs in English and Irish.
Background and context
The lyrics are rich with references to the history of Irish nationalismIrish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
and the activities of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
throughout the world. The song ties Irish nationalism to the struggles of other peoples against the British Empire across the world.
While the title of the song refers to the Black and Tans of the War of Independence era, the specific context of the song is a dispute between Irish republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
neighbours in inner-city Dublin in the 1920s. For centuries, Dublin was the centre of The Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...
, an area fully under control of the Crown, even when England had little control of the rest of Ireland. It was only with the arrival of Protestant settlers in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
in the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
of the 17th century that the north of Ireland became an alternative centre of loyalism to Britain. Dublin continued to elect unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
politicians and voluntary service in the British Army was a popular career choice amongst working-class Dubliners, both Catholic and Protestant. This tradition continued long after Irish independence. The relative loyalty of Dublin is emphasised by its policing. The rest of Ireland was policed by the militarily organised Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
, a form of gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
, whereas Dublin had its own police force, the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.-19th century:...
, which was a civilian force similar to that found in any large British city.
Supporting this tradition was the existence of a relatively large, and now generally forgotten and disappeared, Dublin Protestant working class. It is this Loyalist working class of both religions who the composer is confronting in the song. One of the few representations of this cultural group is Bessie Burgess in the Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
play The Plough and the Stars.
Therefore the song is not only an indication of the bitterness which the Behans felt for the way they were treated by the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
after freedom was attained but an indication that the bitternesses caused by the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
endured in Dublin for many years, just as those of the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
endured in the countryside.
"Black and Tans"
The actual term "Black and Tan" originated from the uniforms worn by the troops temporarily sent to pacify the growing Rebellion in Ireland. Although often ex-British soldiers, the Black and Tans were not a part of the military, but rather an auxiliary unit to the police force. They were created and sent to Ireland as the British administration deemed the Irish Rebellion as a civil, internal matter, to be handled by the police, and to use the military would give the impression that they accepted it was in fact a war of independence. As the force was hastily put together they often ended up wearing a mixture of police, auxiliary police and military police uniforms. This odd uniform led to them being called the 'Black and Tans' after the Scarteen Black and Tans, a well known hunt.Celtic FC
In an article about the violence and bigotry surrounding Old FirmOld Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
football matches, the Irish Independent said: "Then there's the stereotypical image of the Celtic supporters wearing T-shirts of 'undefeated army' and having their phones ringing to the sound of 'Come out ye black and tans'."
Meaning
The song begins, "I was born in Dublin street, where the royal drums did beat and the loving English feet they walked all over us". The narrator's father, coming home from the pub, "would invite the neighbours out" with this chorus:- Come out, ye Black and Tans;
- Come out and fight me like a man;
- Show your wife how you won medals out in FlandersWestern Front (World War I)Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
- Tell her how the I.R.A.Irish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
made you run like hell away - From the green and lovely lanes in KilleshandraKilleshandraKilleshandra or Killashandra is a village in County Cavan, Ireland, located 20 km northwest of Cavan town and is central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, set in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland...
.
The reference to Flanders alludes to the fact that some Black and Tans were unemployed British Army veterans from the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Killeshandra
Killeshandra
Killeshandra or Killashandra is a village in County Cavan, Ireland, located 20 km northwest of Cavan town and is central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, set in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland...
is a town in West Cavan that may have been the location of one of the many successful I.R.A operations during the War of Independence, though this has never been proven. The service of the British Army in colonial wars against the Arabs and Zulus is also mocked, as the "natives" had "spears and bow and arrows" while the British "bravely faced each one, with your 16-pounder gun". The Anglo-Zulu War
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
was in 1879. The line about "Arabs" refers to the Iraqi revolt against the British
Iraqi revolt against the British
The Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
in 1920.
The song goes on to describe the neighbour's previous gloating at the defeats of Irish nationalism, "when you thought us well and truly persecuted", for instance, when they "slandered great Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
" - the Behans in fact lived very close to the Mountjoy Square home of Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson
-Arts and entertainment:*Robert Anderson , Scottish literary scholar and editor*Robert Rowand Anderson , Scottish architect*Robert Alexander Anderson , American composer...
who was partly responsible for the Piggott forgeries (see Charles Stewart Parnell#The Piggott forgeries). However, alongside the bitterness evoked in such sentiments is a triumphalism, borne of the fact that loyalists are a small minority in post-independence Ireland. The narrator asks, "where are the sneers and jeers, that you loudly let us hear, when our leaders of '16
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
were executed". The implication is that the neighbours, no longer backed by the British state, no longer have confidence to express such sentiments in public.
The song closes on a hopeful note, promising that the time is coming when "all traitors will be cast aside before us". The narrator promises that his children will say "God Speed" (i.e., go home), with the same song that his father used to sing to his loyalist neighbours.
Traditional lyrics
- I was born on a Dublin street where the Royal drums did beat,
- And the loving English feet walked all over us;
- And every single night, when me Da would come home tight,
- He'd invite the neighbours outside with this chorus:
[Chorus:]
- Oh, come out you Black and Tans;
- Come out and fight me like a man;
- Show your wife how you won medals down in FlandersWestern Front (World War I)Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
; - Tell her how the I.R.A.Irish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
made you run like hell away - From the green and lovely lanes in KilleshandraKilleshandraKilleshandra or Killashandra is a village in County Cavan, Ireland, located 20 km northwest of Cavan town and is central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, set in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland...
.
- Come, tell us how you slew
- Them ol' ArabsIraqi revolt against the BritishThe Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
two by two; - Like the ZulusAnglo-Zulu WarThe Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
, they had spears and bows and arrows; - How you bravely faced each one,
- With your sixteen pounder gun,
- And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow.
[Chorus]
- Come, let us hear you tell
- How you slandered great ParnellCharles Stewart ParnellCharles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
, - When you thought him well and truly persecuted,
- Where are the sneers and jeers
- That you bravely let us hear,
- When our heroes of sixteenEaster RisingThe Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
were executed.
[Chorus]
- The day is coming fast
- And the time is here at last,
- When each shoneen will be cast aside before us;
- And, if there be a need,
- Sure my kids will sing "Godspeed!",
- With a bar or two of Stephen Behan's chorus.
[Chorus]
Alternate final verses
- Version 1:
- The day is coming fast
- And it will soon be here at last,
- When NorthNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and SouthSouthern IrelandSouthern Ireland was a short-lived autonomous region of the United Kingdom established on 3 May 1921 and dissolved on 6 December 1922.Southern Ireland was established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 together with its sister region, Northern Ireland...
again belong to ErinIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
; - And, when John BullJohn BullJohn Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...
is gone, - We'll all join in this song,
- And the trumpets of freedom will be blarin'.
[Chorus]
- Version 2:
- Ah, the time is coming fast
- And I think them days are near,
- When each English shod in heel will run before us;
- And, if there be a need,
- Then our kids will say "Godspeed!",
- With a verse or two of singing this fine chorus.
- Version 3:
- Ah, the time is coming fast
- And I think them days are near,
- When each toutToutIn British English, a tout is any person who solicits business or employment in a persistent and annoying manner...
and traitor, they will run before us; - And, if there be a need,
- Then our kids will say "Godspeed!",
- With a bar or two of Stephen BehanStephen BehanStephen Behan was an Irish republican who was father of writers Brendan, Brian and Dominic Behan.Behan lived in a house in Russell Street on the Northside of Dublin which belonged to his mother Christine English, who owned a number of properties in the area...
's chorus.
- Version 4, an alternate verse that was often sung during the TroublesThe TroublesThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, in reference to Bloody SundayBloody Sunday (1972)Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
(occasionally replacing one of the choruses);
- Oh, come out ye English Huns;
- Come out and fight without yer guns;
- Show yer wife how you won medals up in DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
. - Ye murdered free young men,
- And you'll do the same again,
- So get out and take yer bloody army with ye.
External links
- http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/black-tans.html
- Performance of the song on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORifieiZiP4