No Man's Land (Eric Bogle song)
Encyclopedia
"No Man's Land" is a song written in 1976 by Scottish
-Australia
n singer-songwriter Eric Bogle
, reflecting on the grave of a young man who died in World War I
. Its chorus refers to two famous pieces of military music, "The Last Post" and "The Flowers of the Forest". Its melody, its refrain ("did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the pipe lowly"), and elements of its subject matter (a young man cut down in his prime) are similar to those of "Streets of Laredo"
, a North America
n cowboy
ballad whose origins can be traced back to an 18th century British ballad
called "The Unfortunate Rake" and the Irish Ballad Lock Hospital
. In 2009 Eric told an audience in Weymouth that he'd read about a girl who had been presented with a copy of the song by then prime minister Tony Blair
, who called it "his favourite anti-war poem". According to Eric, the framed copy of the poem was credited to him, but stated that he had been killed in World War I
.
, there were eight soldiers named "William McBride", and a further six listed as "W. McBride", who died in France
or Belgium
during World War I but none matches the soldier in the song. Two "William McBrides" and one "W. McBride" died in 1916 but one is commemorated in the Thiepval Memorial and has no gravestone. The other two are buried in the Authuille Military Cemetery but one was aged 21 and the age of the other is unknown. All three were from Irish regiments.
Piet Chielens, coordinator of the In Flanders Fields War Museum in Ypres, Belgium, and organizer of yearly peace concerts in Flanders, once checked all 1,700,000 names that are registered with the Commonwealth War Commission. He found no fewer than ten Privates William McBride. Three of these William McBrides fell in 1916; two were members of an Irish
Regiment, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
, and died more or less in the same spot during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. One was 21, the other 19 years old. The 19-year-old Private William McBride is buried in Authuille British Cemetery, near Albert and Beaumont-Hamel, where the Inniskilling Fusilliers were deployed as part of the 29th Division..
and Davey Arthur
in the 1980s in Ireland and beyond. The melody and words vary somewhat from the Eric Bogle original. It was also recorded by Dropkick Murphys
, who changed the lyrics only slightly. Eric Bogle has repeatedly stated that his own favourite recording of the song is by John McDermott
.
Film maker Pete Robertson used the Dropkick Murphys
version in his 2008 short film The Green Fields of France.
Cover versions include:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer-songwriter Eric Bogle
Eric Bogle
Eric Bogle is a folk singer-songwriter. He emigrated to Australia in 1969 and currently resides near Adelaide, South Australia.-Career:...
, reflecting on the grave of a young man who died in World War I
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...
. Its chorus refers to two famous pieces of military music, "The Last Post" and "The Flowers of the Forest". Its melody, its refrain ("did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the pipe lowly"), and elements of its subject matter (a young man cut down in his prime) are similar to those of "Streets of Laredo"
Streets of Laredo (song)
"Streets of Laredo" , also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to a living one. Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad", it has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted...
, a North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
ballad whose origins can be traced back to an 18th century British ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
called "The Unfortunate Rake" and the Irish Ballad Lock Hospital
Lock hospital
A Lock Hospital was a hospital that specialised in treating venereal diseases. They operated in Britain and its colonies and territories from the 18th century to the 20th. The military had a close association with a number of the hospitals. By the mid 19th century most of the larger army bases in...
. In 2009 Eric told an audience in Weymouth that he'd read about a girl who had been presented with a copy of the song by then prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, who called it "his favourite anti-war poem". According to Eric, the framed copy of the poem was credited to him, but stated that he had been killed in World War I
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...
.
Who was "Willie McBride?"
According to the song, the gravestone of the soldier, Willie McBride, says he was 19 years old when he died in 1916. According to the Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
, there were eight soldiers named "William McBride", and a further six listed as "W. McBride", who died in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
during World War I but none matches the soldier in the song. Two "William McBrides" and one "W. McBride" died in 1916 but one is commemorated in the Thiepval Memorial and has no gravestone. The other two are buried in the Authuille Military Cemetery but one was aged 21 and the age of the other is unknown. All three were from Irish regiments.
Piet Chielens, coordinator of the In Flanders Fields War Museum in Ypres, Belgium, and organizer of yearly peace concerts in Flanders, once checked all 1,700,000 names that are registered with the Commonwealth War Commission. He found no fewer than ten Privates William McBride. Three of these William McBrides fell in 1916; two were members of an Irish
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...
Regiment, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
, and died more or less in the same spot during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. One was 21, the other 19 years old. The 19-year-old Private William McBride is buried in Authuille British Cemetery, near Albert and Beaumont-Hamel, where the Inniskilling Fusilliers were deployed as part of the 29th Division..
Cover versions and recordings
The song (as "The Green Fields of France") was a huge success for The Furey BrothersThe Fureys
The Fureys are an Irish male folk band of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers....
and Davey Arthur
Davey Arthur
- Biography :Arthur moved to Scotland at the age of two. He started to play music at the age of eight, and at 18 he returned to Ireland, where he started to compose his own music. He became world famous after he joined The Fureys, when they had their most successful hits...
in the 1980s in Ireland and beyond. The melody and words vary somewhat from the Eric Bogle original. It was also recorded by Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
, who changed the lyrics only slightly. Eric Bogle has repeatedly stated that his own favourite recording of the song is by John McDermott
John McDermott (singer)
John Charles McDermott is a Scottish-Canadian tenor best known for his rendering of the song "Danny Boy". Born in Glasgow, Scotland, John moved with his family to Willowdale, Ontario, Canada in 1965. Growing up in a musical family, his only formal musical training was at St...
.
Film maker Pete Robertson used the Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
version in his 2008 short film The Green Fields of France.
Cover versions include:
- Alaskan song writer 907Britt (2010), as "William McBride"
- Alex BeatonAlex BeatonAlex Beaton is a Scottish, guitar-playing folksinger who makes more than 20 concert appearances annually at various events across the United States . Beaton appears annually at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina, and the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Atlanta, Georgia,...
(1995), on the album The Water Is Wide - Angelic UpstartsAngelic UpstartsAngelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
(1986), on the album Power Of The Press - AsonanceAsonance-Biography:Asonance was founded on Jan Neruda's grammar school in late 1976. Former members of the group were Jan and Pavel Lašťovička, Milan Štěrba and František Korecký. They started with folk and country songs.1977...
(2000), in a Czech version "Zelené francouzské pláně" ("The Green Fields of France"), on the album Alison Gross - Attila the StockbrokerAttila the StockbrokerAttila the Stockbroker is a punk poet, and a folk punk musician and songwriter. He performs solo and as the leader of the band Barnstormer...
(1987) - Chris A Butler (English Singer/Songwriter) as "The Green Fields of France"
- Bok, Muir & Trickett (1978)
- Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
- Clare BowditchClare BowditchClare Bowditch is an Australian musician from Melbourne, Victoria. She released her fourth album Modern Day Addiction via Island Records on 13 August 2010. It became both 3RRR Album of the Week and ABC Radio National's Album of the Week. MDA is the first of Bowditch's album's to enter the Top Ten...
, Tim RogersTim RogersTim Rogers is the frontman of Australian rock band You Am I. He is also a solo artist, as well as having fronted and released albums with bands The Twin Set and The Temperance Union.-History:...
and GotyeGotyeWouter "Wally" De Backer , also known professionally by his stage name Gotye , is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter. He has released three studio albums independently and one remix album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums...
(2007) - Jake BurnsJake BurnsJake Burns is a singer and guitarist, and is best known as the frontman of Stiff Little Fingers.-Career:...
, on his album Drinkin' Again - Celtic TenorsCeltic TenorsThe Celtic Tenors began life as the Three Irish Tenors on RTE's Theatre Nights on October 1995. The group at that time consisted of James Nelson, Niall Morris and Paul Hennessey....
(2002), on the album So Strong - Celtic ThunderCeltic ThunderCeltic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland...
(2009), as "The Green Fields of France", on the album Take Me Home - The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
- The Clancy BrothersThe Clancy BrothersThe Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
- Liam ClancyLiam ClancyWilliam "Liam" Clancy was an Irish folk singer and actor from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest and last surviving member of performing group The Clancy Brothers. The group were regarded as Ireland's first pop stars...
- Cobbers (Australian folk band), (1979) live on the album "Bushland Dreaming"
- The CorriesThe CorriesThe Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
- Damh the Bard (2009), as "The Green Fields of France", on the album Tales from the Crow Man
- DonovanDonovanDonovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
(1980), on the album NeutronicaNeutronicaNeutronica is the fifteenth studio album, and seventeenth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in West Germany in August 1980 and France in 1980.-History:... - Dramtreeo (1992), as a duet on the album Dramtreeo
- Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
(2005), as "The Green Fields of France", on the album The Warrior's CodeThe Warrior's CodeThe Warrior's Code is the fifth studio album by the Irish-American Celtic punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. Released in June 2005, it is also their bestselling. It features a dedication to Lowell's own "Irish" Micky Ward... - The DublinersThe DublinersThe Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
- Eric FishEric FishEric Fish , singer of Subway to Sally and solo artist.-History:Eric's first musical merit was that of reaching the finale of a DDR singer/songwriter competition in 1988. The same year he founded Catriona, a folk band based in Königs Wusterhausen, together with Jan Klemm and Marek Kalbus...
, in the German version by Hannes WaderHannes WaderHannes Wader is a German singer-songwriter . He was an important figure in German leftist circles from the 1970s on, with his songs covering such themes as socialist and communist resistance to oppression in Europe and other places like Latin America... - The Fenians (1999), on their album Band Of Rogues
- The FureysThe FureysThe Fureys are an Irish male folk band of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers....
- Fist Of Steel, as "Green Fields Of France"
- Priscilla HerdmanPriscilla HerdmanPriscilla Herdman is an American folk singer. Although she has written songs, sheis notable chiefly for her interpretations of other artists' work....
(1982), on the album Forgotten Dreams - The High KingsThe High KingsThe High Kings are an Irish ballad group. They were formed on Carick on Suir by Fibarr Clancy and Martin Furey.Brian Dunphy , and Broadway/pop/country singer Darren Holden were later recruited having wowed the world with their own solo careers on broadway in musical reviews, such as Riverdance...
(2010) on the album "Memory Lane" as "Green Fields of France" - The Irish Tenors on "Ellis Island" as "The Green Fields of France"
- Iain MacKintoshIain MacKintoshIain MacKintosh was a Scottish singer and songwriter. His father was from the Outer Hebrides, a watchmaker and goldsmith who owned a pawnshop in Glasgow, his mother came from Northern Ireland. At the age of seven he started learning the Highland pipes and played in a pipe band in his youth...
(1976), on the album Live in Glasgow - Kevin McKrell (1989), as "Greenfields of France", on the album Bound For Boston
- The Men They Couldn't HangThe Men They Couldn't HangThe Men They Couldn't Hang are a British folk punk group. The original group consisted of Stefan Cush , Paul Simmonds , Philip "Swill" Odgers , Jon Odgers and Shanne Bradley .- Controversy and success:Their first single, "The Green Fields...
(1984), as "The Green Fields of France" - MokeMoke (Amsterdam band)Moke is a Dutch band from Amsterdam, which was founded in 2005. They published their debut album Shorland in 2007. Their music is often referred to as Britpop. The band is most popular in the Netherlands, where they became commonly known after a performance in the daily television show 'De Wereld...
(2011), on the album Till death do us part theatre tour - Off KilterOff KilterOff Kilter is a Celtic-rock band. Off Kilter was formed in 1997, and has been performing regularly at Epcot ever since. Their first album, Off Kilter included some traditional songs like "Dirty Old Town" and "Fields of Athenry" as well as covers of popular rock songs generally from Canadian artists...
(2005), on the album Kick It! - Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
(1990), as "No Man's Land", on the album Flowers and Stones - Prussian BluePrussian Blue (duo)Prussian Blue was a white nationalist pop pre-teen duo formed in early 2003 by the mother of Lynx Vaughan Gaede and Lamb Lennon Gaede, sororal twin girls born on June 30, 1992, in Bakersfield, California...
(2005), as "Green Fields Of France", on the album The Path We ChoseThe Path We ChoseThe Path We Chose is the second and final album recorded by white nationalist twin sisters Lamb and Lynx Gaede, also known as Prussian Blue... - Plethyn in a Welsh translation: "Gwaed ar eu Dwylo" (Blood on their Hands)
- French singer RenaudRenaudRenaud, born Renaud Séchan, is a French singer, songwriter and actor.Renaud may also refer to:* Renaud , a male French given name* Renaud , a 1783 opera by Antonio Sacchini* Renaud, Quebec, part of Laval, Quebec...
(2009), in a French version "Willie McBride", on the album Molly Malone - The Band, Bugles, Pipes & Drums of the Royal Irish Regiment (2001), as "Green Fields of France," on the album Last of the Great Whales
- Robert Marr (2011) as "No Man's Land", on the album "Celticism"
- SagaSaga (singer)Saga is a Swedish white nationalist singer-songwriter. She started as the vocalist for Symphony of Sorrow, but has since become known for her tribute CDs to the white power skinhead band Skrewdriver, and for her softer physical representation of the white power message...
- John Schumann and the Vagabond CrewJohn Schumann and the Vagabond CrewJohn Schumann and the Vagabond Crew is an Australian folk group formed in Adelaide in 2005. The band's name is taken from a line in Henry Lawson's poem "Knocking Around". Since it was founded a number of Australian musicians have been involved...
(2008), on the album Behind the LinesBehind the Lines (John Schumann album)Behind the Lines is the second album by John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew.It consists almost entirely of cover songs and musical renditions of poems... - Shilelagh Law, on the album Good Intentions
- SkrewdriverSkrewdriverSkrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
(1988), as "Green Fields of France" - Sons of MaxwellSons of MaxwellSons of Maxwell is a Canadian music duo who perform both traditional Celtic folk music and original compositions with a pop-folk sound. The duo consists of brothers Don and Dave Carroll, originally from Timmins, Ontario, now living in Halifax, Nova Scotia...
(1996), as "The Green Fields of France" - Stage Bottles, as "Green Fields Of France"
- Stiff Little FingersStiff Little FingersStiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
- Stockton's WingStockton's WingStockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians - Paul Roche flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon fiddle, Tommy Hayes bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan banjo/mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guitar and vocals.-Name:...
(1978), as "No Man's Land" on the album Stockton's WingStockton's WingStockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians - Paul Roche flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon fiddle, Tommy Hayes bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan banjo/mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guitar and vocals.-Name:... - June TaborJune TaborJune Tabor is an English folk singer.- Early years :June Tabor was inspired to sing by hearing Anne Briggs' EP Hazards of Love in 1965. "I went and locked myself in the bathroom for a fortnight and drove my mother mad. I learned the songs on that EP note for note, twiddle for twiddle. That's how I...
(1977), as 'No Mans Land', on the album Ashes and Diamonds and on Folk Anthology - Hannes WaderHannes WaderHannes Wader is a German singer-songwriter . He was an important figure in German leftist circles from the 1970s on, with his songs covering such themes as socialist and communist resistance to oppression in Europe and other places like Latin America...
(1980), in a German version "Es ist an der Zeit" (1980) - Charlie ZahmCharlie ZahmCharlie Zahm is an American singer and player of Celtic, maritime and traditional American music. Zahm sings baritone, and plays guitar, tin whistle, and the bodhran, among other instruments.-Personal Life:...
(1997), on the album Festival Favorites
The Folk Process
The song "Willie McBride's Reply" by Stephn L Suffet was written in the same meter as "No Man's Land" and purports to be from the viewpoint of the dead soldier. Unlike "No Man's Land," all the lyrics of the "Reply" are specifically political in nature, and were written to rebut Eric Bogle's antiwar sentiments. It is not clear that the melody has ever been commercially recorded with the new lyrics, but the "Reply" stands as an example of the folk process at work.See also
- And The Band Played Waltzing MatildaAnd The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is a song written by Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle in 1971. The song describes war as futile and gruesome, while criticising those who seek to glorify it...
- Streets of LaredoStreets of Laredo (song)"Streets of Laredo" , also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to a living one. Derived from the English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad", it has become a folk music standard, and as such has been performed, recorded and adapted...
Further reading
- Lyrics to No Man's Land at Eric Bogle's official website (PDF only)
- Lyrics to No Man's Land (The Green Fields of France) in the Scots Independent
- Lyrics to No Man's Land (The Green Fields of France) with translations in 5 languages at the Antiwar Songs Website.
- Lyrics guitar chords and video to 'The Green Fields Of France' http://unitedireland.tripod.com/id169.html