The Final War Songs

(I have deleted a republican poem which has always annoyed me. It's a feminist-republican poem, hence the paragraph below about that sort of thing.

I've done six more songs. They're all "Those Lyrics" (explained here). They're all based on stuff by Final War and five of them are republican (who would have guessed that songs by a band called "Final War" could so easily be made into republican songs? (I tried taking Skrewdriver songs and turning them into songs about fixing stuff and it didn't work so well : ))). Since Final War is American, the republican ones all have something anti-right, left-wing, or anti-bigot. For why that's important, see this. I'm actually going to do a very brief post on something very similar shortly.

With the exception of "Mairead Farrell" I'm fairly-very happy with them, although I'm not sure I'm going to bother memorizing any of them (there's about 10 songs I've posted before this that I have not memorized and probably won't). I like the idea of "Mairead Farrell," but the quality just doesn't seem that good. On the other hand, I'm going to take this opportunity to do part of something I keep saying I'll do, which is address the issue(s) of women in Ireland. They're two videos on YouTube. One is here (unfortunately, they deleted the audio, the music is "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy). The other one is here. There seems to be about 20 other YouTube videos that also celebrate the contribution made by women to Irish republicanism.

1. World Without the Right. A vision of a world without the political Right.
2. United Ireland. A vision of a United Ireland.
3. James Connolly. About the great Irish republican-socialist who practically led the 1916 Easter Rising.
4. Joe McCann's Song. About the Official IRA.
5. Ireland. Republican vision and struggle.

I think that's it. Below are the lyrics. The rest of the songs/poems can be found by clicking on the "lyrics" label (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page).

"World Without The Right" based on "Land of The White" by Final War, original lyrics here.

1. As far as I can tell, this requries ZERO notes.
**2. 36% of this version is me, 64% is the original.
3. UPDATE 4/23/09 I CANNOT believe I missed this. In general, although I'm happiest when I DO chnage about 50% and it's a great song, I change as little as possible. Somehow I forgot what the original meant when it referred to "guilt." I'll come up with a substitute or maybe significantly change that line very soon, because I don't think it works well for this.
I just changed it, the first two lines of the last verse ("constructed"). It's still not perfect, but I think it's better than before.
4. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.
5. The 4th line of the second verse/chorus was apparently me adding a new line where there wasn't one.
6. To be both realistic and idealistic, the fight referred to would probably be about 95% non- violent.
7. UPDATE 2/4/11 I'm not sure about the 2nd line of what I think is the 2nd verse (pride). I don't know much about this subject, especially since this is meant to be more or less global. Is there a deficit of working-class pride today? That line implies that there is (I barely changed that line from the original). I wouldn't mind some feed-back on this, and for the forseeable future I'll just leave it the way it is.

I see a world, a world so fair
With oceans so blue and so clean the air
I see people with no financial stress
I see our class having more, not accepting less

This is our world, this world I see
This is our world so democratic, socialist and free
This is our world when we've won the fight
This is our world, a world without the Right

No capitalists in power with money to bribe
I see our class once again having their pride
I see our youth no longer going off to war
I see the bigots' lies being taught no more

I see the unions filled with pride in the struggle we conducted
I see workers now running the world that we constructed
I see a world united standing hand in hand
I see that we've finally realized our demands

****

"United Ireland" based on "Land of the White" by Final War, original lyrics here.

1. There was a potato blight, and a famine, in Ireland, but the percentage of the population that died or emigrated to avoid starving to death was so high (20-30%) because of British imperialism. The Catholic population was largely disempowered and mired in poverty as a result of being totally disempowered just about a generation earlier (that lasetd for about 125 years and ended about a generation before the famine), and crucially, food was being shipped out of Ireland to Britain while people were starving to death. (it would be more accurate to say something like "something close to genocide" but that's too long, and genocide is pretty accurate).
2. I'm not sure how often this happens, but I can easily think of at least 16 deaths (probably about 75 more) since 1968 caused by the security forces where they said that the victims, who were innocent civilians (in some cases, rocks or petrol bombs might have been thrown, but that doesn't justify killing them and the British often accuse people of doing that when they weren't) were not innocent (I'm compromising and only estimating somewhere around half the times when their very first response was to smear and then they backed off a day later, with that in mind, the number is probably around 100).
3. The cessation of teaching Orange lies is about getting the Protestants to understand that sectarianism is wrong, that Catholics have been seriously mis-treated (a minority (possibly a small majority) of Protestants, to one degree or another, already understand that).
**4. 44% of this version is me, 56% is the original (this is AFTER the edit I did with the 2nd line, 2nd verse).
5. Considering the source of the original, I should explain what is probably obvious, that Irish pride in Northern Ireland is rarely comparable to white pride. (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
6. Basically from a republican perspective, but much of it would also be said by nationalists.
7. UPDATE 4/23/09 I CANNOT believe I missed this. In general, although I'm happiest when I DO chnage about 50% and it's a great song, I change as little as possible. Somehow I forgot what the original meant when it referred to "guilt." I'll come up with a substitute or maybe significantly change that line very soon, because I don't think it works well for this.
I just changed it, the first two lines of the last verse ("constructed"). It's still not perfect, but I think it's better than before.
8. UPDATE 4/29/09 I should have spent more time on this song. the line about accepting less seems to suggest that nationalists deserve more than unionists, in terms of jobs, etc. It's iffy if it does mean that and whether this update is worth it, and whether or not I'll change it (I hate changing lyrics after I publish), I might make a small change.
UPDATE 12/18/09 I'm still concerned that that line will be taken the wrong way, so I changed it (last line of the 1st verse).
9. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.
10. The 4th line of the second verse/chorus was apparently me adding a new line where there wasn't one.
11. UPDATE 2/4/11 There's a problem with the 2nd line of the what I think is the 2nd verse (pride). The problem is that as far as I can tell, there really isn't a problem with Irish pride being absent. I will change it soon.
UPDATE 3/3/11 I just changed that line. It now refers to the sectarian divide.
12. The original is American but this version involves a reference to multi-culturalism, which is important because of this.


I see a land, a land so fair
With oceans so blue and so clean the air
I see a land with socialist progress
I see the nationalists no longer being oppressed

This is our land, this land I see
This is our land so democratic, multi-cultural, and free
This is our land when we've won the fight
A land where genocide won't accompany the next blight

No Brits in power smearing those who have died
I see Irish people crossing the sectarian divide
I see our youth no longer volunteering for war
I see the Orange lies being taught no more

I see our people filled with pride in the struggle republicans conducted
I see workers now running the country that they constructed
I see Catholics and Protestants standing hand in hand
I see that we've finally taken back our land

*****

"James Connolly" based on "Tales of Honor" by Final War, original lyrics here.

1. James Connolly, Ireland's greatest Republican/Socialist, was the main leader of the 1916 Easter Rising.
2. He was Commandant of the Dublin forces, but it's been suggested that since some very large majority of the action took place in Dublin, he was by far the most senior military figure.
3. The ICA was the Irish Citizen Army, Connolly's trade-union based group, and the Volunteers were the moderate-conservative part.
4. If somehow the Rising had succeeded, Connolly's leadership might have resulted in Ireland becoming socialist.
5. "Tiocfaidh ar la" is a republican slogan coined by Bobby Sands, which means "our day will come."
6. Che refers to Che Guevara, Hani refers to Chris Hani, a leader of the African National Congress's military wing, Spear of the Nation.
7. Valhalla is part of Norse mythology, it's a place where warriors go after they die, although there seems to be some debate about exactly who gets in- only people who die in combat? Anyway, the fascists love it and have sort of taken over the concept, but a friend told me that he likes the idea of the left claiming it and specifically said that if such a place exists, Che and others like him are probably there. (Do I believe in Valhalla? You could say I’m sort of an agnostic on that question and am sort of solidly a Christian. The way I see it, this is pretty flexible, don't take it too seriously, and one way to think about it is that if you believe in Heaven and would rather these people went there instead of Valhalla, maybe they can do both, spend some time in Valhalla and some time in Heaven; but my friend and I do like the idea of reclaiming it from the fash)
8. UPDATE 5/11/12 I just replaced the word "Northern" with the word "orange," which makes  a lot more sense (it refers to the Orange Order, see this for what's wrong with them)
**9. 56% of this version is me, 44% is the original, and there were five lines that I had to delete since the subject of the original, Rudolf Hess, was imprisoned for decades, while Connolly was held for about 12 days.
10. I give this song/poem three out of five stars.
11. UPDATE 12/7/10 i just changed lie to reside, in the third line of the chorus.

He took to the streets in 1916
appointed Commandant of the forces of red and green
This is the story of James Connolly a brave and loyal man
he Gave his life for his beliefs because he loved his land
On that day of April, 24th in 1916
He led the Volunteers and the ICA, a united republican machine
Destination- Freedom and socialism, Ireland Red and unchained
But what was to unfold from this revolutionary campaign?

Chorus:
Tiocfaidh ar la- James Connolly, your legacy lives on
Your courage and your honour keeps us marching strong
Tiocfaidh ar la- James Connolly, with Che and Hani you reside
You live on in Valhalla, 'cause true heroes never die

Imprisoned, for his attempt at freedom
An attack on the British imperialist scum
Held as a prisoner for 12 days
Until May 12th when the priest asked him to pray
Connolly was guilty of fighting against the upper-classes
Sentenced to death for fighting for the Irish masses
Wounded and tied to a chair, the Brits shot this Irishman
His memory continues to haunt the Orange Ku Klux Klan

(Repeat Chorus)

Change:
You're gone but not forgotten,
You live in our hearts and minds
What you have done to free your people
Sends chills down my spine
Every year on the 12th we fly our flags up high
And salute in remembrance
A true martyr of that time

*****

"Joe McCann's Song" based on "Pride and Tradition" by Final War, original lyrics here.

1. This song is a rarity, there will probably never be another one like this again on this blog. As I was writing it, I got the idea that it would have to be about the Official IRA. I'm actually not so sure that's true- the debate is over how much of the Provisonal IRA (now known simply as the IRA) in the period 1970 until Jan. 1972 were involved in or at least supportive of the Civil Rights Movement. I've gotten the impression that during that period it was probably somewhere around half, whereas with the Official IRA, it was probably 100%, although the other part of this is what percentage of the OIRA were at least unenthusiastic about the cease-fire their leadership called in 1972 and how many looked to Seamus Costello as a leader. I think that might have been some sort of large majority for the former and some large minority for the latter. More of my thoughts on the Officials are found about half-way through this post (the paragraph starting "at this " and the one right below it) and my thoughts about Costello are here. This song is dedicated to those members of the OIRA who followed Seamus Costello in 1974 when he left to form the Republican Socialist Movement.
2. Joe McCann was a local leader in the Belfast OIRA. He was killed in 1972, before the cease-fire. When a plaque was unveiled in his memory in 1997, almost everyone from the republican family was there- Workers Party (Official Sinn Fein), Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, a splinter from the Offfical RM. He was very popular.
3. Squaddies are British soldiers, peelers are police.
4. Members of the OIRA during that period were probably all involved in the first half of the Civil Rights era, and probably continued marching for civil rights, but starting sometime in 1970 the OIRA were attacking the security forces a lot. There was a period starting roughly in June 1970 and lasting until late Jan. 1972 when there was a lot of armed struggle at the same time that the mass struggle of the Civil Rights Movement continued.
5. "Oglaigh na hEireann" is the formal name of the IRA, and translates to "Irish Volunteers." There will be some debate about the OIRA calling themselves that, but with the period I'm looking at, I think it was only towards the end that membership in the Provisional IRA was equal to or greater than that of the OIRA, so it's fairly reasonable to say, adjusting for the fact that during that period I would have leaned a bit towards the PIRA, it seems like they had a fairly equal claim (you could argue the OIRA had a better claim during that period, but I don't really care much, what matters is that the PIRA was, during that period, closer to being right overall than the OIRA was, and with the cease-fire of 1972 and their attack on the Republican Socialist Movement in 1975, the OIRA totally discredited themselves and the PIRA at that point deserved the title "Oglaigh na hEireann" much more than the OIRA (with their actions against the RSM in 1975, they didn't deserve that title at all, especially since what remained after Costello's followers left could barely be called republican)
6. Considering the source of the original, I should explain what is probably obvious, that Irish pride rarely is comparable to white pride. (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
7. The dictionary definition I found for "Tradition" wasn't quite what I thought and culture seems like it would be closer than tradition to including language. Also, some people will say that there's something wrong or even fash about restoring Gaelic culture. First, a large majority of republicans, and overwhelmingly Sinn Fein, make it clear that they believe in a multi-cultural Ireland and socially progressive politics (abortion is kind of an exception, but that's it). Especially when you consider that the British did try to end the Irish language, promoting it and Irish culture in general is a legitimate part of the anti-imperialist struggle.
8. I found something indicating that somewhere around 75% of republican paramilitaries are under 30 years of age.
9. The reference to saying good-bye means that the British should leave or they'll be attacked.
10. James Connolly was Ireland's greatest socialist/republican.
**11. 35% of this version is me, 65% is the original.
12. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.

We marched through the streets demanding our rights
Now we look for squaddies and peelers to fight
Respected members of the working class
We use armed struggle while the people march en masse
We're not doing this for profit or fame
We stand proud, Oglaigh na hEireann is our name
Fighting with honor is our number one task
Fighting for our future and restoring the past

Chorus:
Pride and Culture will see us through
Republican army the proud and the few
Pride and Culture will see us through
Rising above we're Ireland's youth

War is declared, no turning back
Like a pack of wolves we're on the attack
Our mission is clear, Our goals are set
Our enemies ain't seen nothin' yet
Dignity forever remained
Amongst the suffering and the pain
The new dawn is not far away
We follow Seamus Costello from Bray

Chorus

The fact is that we'll never die
A hand and hand culture and pride
A heritage so rich and proud
Brits out! We shout out loud
Stand against us or say good-bye
It's your choice, It's do or die
No holds barred, freedom is our goal
Connolly's vision we will uphold

****

"Ireland" based on "Race Land" by Final War, original lyrics are here.

1. White laces are worn by Nazi skinheads on their boots. It rhymed and although throughout Ireland there's probably no more than 35 Nazi skinheads, it's a good line.
2. The ten names are those of the men who died on hunger-strike in 1981.
3. This is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since the IRA cease-fire of 1997.
4. Considering the source of the original, I should explain what is probably obvious, that Irish pride in N. Ireland  rarely is comparable to white pride. (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
**5. 33% of this version is me, 67% is the original.
6. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.
7. Basically about the IRA although the first line and the entire chorus could come from unarmed republicans and from nationalists.
8. UPDATED 2/8/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.

I dream of a nation, socialist, proud and free
I dream of a revolution, destined to be
I'm hated by the Brits, but still my honour holds true
‘Cause my dream is of victory and I'll fight
...'Till the battle is through

I'll fight with honour, I'll fight with pride
I'll fight with victory on my side
I'll fight with courage, I have no fear
I'll fight for the people I hold so dear
I'll fight for our children, I'll fight for our land
Hold my ground and I'll make a stand
I'll fight 'till the last, I'll fight 'till the end
I'll make my pledge, for my people, I'll defend

Chorus:
I dream of a revolution and a land of all races
Free from oppression and free of white laces
A land in which our flag flies high
A world in which our revolution could never die...
...A world in which our revolution could never die

I'll fight with rifles, mortars and all my skill
A heart of steel and an iron will
For Sands, Hughes, McCreesh, O'Hara, Doherty
McDonnell, Hurson, Lynch, Devine, and McElwee
I declare warfare on the British
Ireland united, that is my wish
Never surrender, Never retreat
The British will soon...Be beat!


One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 75% me), I have a request, although I don't have strong feelings or expectations about this. First, I want credit for these songs. Second, I'd appreciate it if the notes follow the lyrics around the internet. If you modify the lyrics further, please either make some notes for the changes if you leave some of my changes, or just provide a link to this URL so people can see my version. Although I'm not sure how many people will like what I'm doing with the lyrics, to one degree or another (depending on how much I changed them) I'm proud of these songs- and at the risk of getting a little personal, if people like the songs, I could really use the extra boost of getting credit for them right now (or if you don't like them, they were all written by Sarah Palin- that fascist, what kind of sick person enjoys altering racist lyrics?).