Fetch that Armalite (Lyrics)

Four more songs. They're all "Those Lyrics," see this for an explanation.

For the rest of the poems click on the "lyrics" label at the bottom (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page).

I start with the ones that are okay and end with the ones that are good.

“Declaration Of War” based on “Let the Battle Begin” by Celtic Warrior. I can’t find the original lyrics on the internet, but I found a karoke-style Youtube video with the lyrics, here or you can email me and I’ll send them to you.

1. Since Celtic Warrior is Welsh and possibly sympathetic to republicanism or Irish nationalism, I included some elements that are hostile to fascism.
2. The AK-47 is a rifle, the RPG is the Rocket Propelled Grenade.
3. This is set at the beggining of the Troubles, in the early 1970s.
4. The plough is the Starry Plough, the flag of republican socialism.
5. The line about changing the world is a reference to the internationalism of republicans, for example in supporting the Palestinians.
**6. 16% of this version is me, 84% is the original.
7. I give this song three stars out of five.
8. 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)
9. Considering the original, I should say that Irish pride is very different from white pride (most of the time). (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)
10. This is overwhelmingly about the IRA, although it would make sense to say that the second half of the last line is more about their fellow republicans in SF.
UPDATE 1/28/11 11. When I say they're anti-fascist soldiers, I am not saying that their enemy is fascist, although a minority of them are. Even though they are not battling fascism, they are both soldiers and anti-fascist, so it makes sense.
UPDATE 3/18/15 12. I added "and mothers."
13.  UPDATED 2/5/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.

Chorus:
let the battle begin, there’s no time to spare
let the battle begin, war has been declared

in the distance i see the smoke the flames and darkened sky
as we march forward to victory can you hear the battle cry

with AK and RPG we lead the fight our fathers and mothers did before
we’re anti-fascist soldiers, proud to be Irish, we’re fighting a liberation war

Chorus

thunder roars, lightening strikes the bells in hell start to chime
we’ll slay the beast, even the score yeah drive them out this time

blood is spilt, victory is ours, we will never face defeat
but if i die fighting for my people, in valhalla save my seat

Chorus

united we’re strong, united we stand, standing for our nation’s sake
Irish men and women together as one, calling out for Ireland to awake

our destiny awaits, the white flame burns, we march on with the plough unfurled
we take back what’s our’s, reclaim our land and we’re gonna help change the world

Chorus

****

“We are the threat that is red” based on “Red Threat” by Ian Stuart and Stigger, original lyrics are here.

1. Ian Stuart was the leader of Skrewdriver and was a big supporter of the British and Unionist causes in N. Ireland.
2. This takes place in the mid-1990s. At that point N. Ireland was slightly less orange than it had been about 5 years earlier (the UDA, a loyalist paramilitary, was first banned from the airwaves and then banned completely) and much less orange than it had been 30 years earlier, and the re-dawning would mean going backwards to some degree.
3. The RUC were the police in N. Ireland until late 2001.
4. Although my experience reading the BBC web-site and comparing what’s there with what’s reported in Irish/Irish-nationalist/Irish-republican news sources makes me think that the BBC, at least since the late 1990s, has been okay (not good) covering the North there’s still a lot of room for improvement and republicans have often criticized the BBC.
5. When this takes place, probably some small majority of republicans would have called themselves marxists (I'm not sure what I would say about Marxists in the ANC in the mid-1990s, it was probably something similar (this is not the best line I've done, but at the time it seemed like it was the best option I could think of at the time). UPDATE 1/28/11 I just deleted the word Marxist. It says instead, "fighting for freedom."
6. Republicans are generally in favor of religious and racial “mixing” and believe that it is good for society.
7. Bread is a symbol of economic justice.
8. The Dail is the Irish parliament and it has pretty much never shown as much concern about partition as it should.
9. Orange is the color of anti-Catholic bigotry in the Irish-British context.
10. Considering the source of the original, I feel like I have to point out what is probably obvious: as long as it doesn't cross a certain line (and I imagine it rarely does) Irish pride is very different from 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)
**11. 31% of this version is me, 69% is the original.
12. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
13. This is about the IRA although the BBC part could apply to unarmed republicans and to nationalists.

This is a warning, against an Orange day re-dawning
With the RUC trying to bash you in your head
Take on the BBC, we’re fighting for freedom like the ANC
Come on all you Irish, we are the threat that is Red

We encourage people mixing, to us it is so fixing
We fight for freedom, for democracy and for bread
Just for one occasion, let the Dail think of our divided nation
Come on all you Irish, we are the threat that is Red

We'll fight in the cities, we'll fight in the country
And we'll fight, the Orange peril, our pride we'll not shed
For the strength of the Irish nation, will be our salvation
Come on all you Irish, we are the threat that is Red

****

“Fetch That Armalite” based on “Fetch The Rope” by The Klansmen original lyrics are here.

1. The Klansmen was a side project of Ian Stuart Donaldson of Skrewdriver. Ian Stuart was a big supporter of the British and unionist causes in N. Ireland, so this is twisting the original.
2. Volunteers are members of republican paramilitaries.
3. Although James Connolly (Ireland’s greatest socialist and greatest republican) was killed about 6 years before Ireland was divided, he predicted that the result of partition would be a ”carnival of reaction” which has basically happened, especially in the North.
4. A good description of what kind of state the Catholics were in is here. A longer and better source is the book “Northern Ireland: The Orange State” by Michael Farrell.
5. Armalites are rifles often used by the IRA.
6. Squaddies are British soldiers.
7. Orange is the color of anti-Catholic bigotry in the Irish-British context.
8. Also, the first line is a reference to how the IRA never or almost never retaliated against civilian people.
9. The line about justice and peace dying is a reference to the early 1970s when Bloody Sunday saw the civil rights movement shot off the streets by the British Army.
**10. 80% of this version is me, 20% is the original (80% is a new record, one I probably won’t break)
11. I give this song three stars out of five.
12. This song is NOT meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
13. This is about the IRA.
14.  UPDATED 2/5/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.

Them good old Volunteers they held their fire despite the rising hate
Black masks, automatic rifles, they took on the British state
When the nation was cut in two, Connolly had predicted what did ensue
The Catholics were left in a one party state, no democracy, lots of hate

don't give up the fight
your cause is so right
don't give up the fight
Fetch that armalite

Squaddies from across the sea said they were there to keep the peace
But they turned out just as bad as the sectarian police
When justice and peace really died, the volunteers didn't hesitate
They were determined to smash the orange six-county state

*****

“Eamonn Joined The IRA” based on “Johnny Joined The Klan” by The Klansmen original lyrics are here.

1. The Klansmen was a side project of Ian Stuart Donaldson of Skrewdriver. Ian Stuart was a big supporter of the British and unionist causes in N. Ireland, so this is twisting the original.
2. Derry is the second largest city in N. Ireland. The West Bank is a new way of referring to what used to be called “cityside.” The area is on the west bank of the River Foyle, and using that term is an expression of solidarity with the Palestinians. The West Bank is almost 100% Nationalist. and had some large nationalist majority during the conflict when this song is set.
3. Eamonn Wright is a made up name for IRA snipers- “Aiming Right.” (I'm not sure who first thought that up, as far as I can tell two song-writers have used it, and that's where I got it from)
4. That’s a reference to sectarian murder of Catholics.
5. I’ve heard that, unsurprisingly, there was a problem with British soldiers harrassing Nationalist women sexually (there was already a reference to going after men who "victimized" “girls” in the original (I put victimized in quotes because Ian Stuart is talking about Black men who he just assumes have done something wrong))
6. Belfast is the largest city in N. Ireland.
7. The hope is that at some point there will be a serious decrease in how widespread sectarianism is among Protestants. Also, that they’ll understand that they have nothing to fear from a United Ireland.
**8. 76% of this version is me, 24% is the original.
9. I give this version three stars out of five.
10. This is about the IRA, although, I think almost by definition, all nationalists rejected the Crown.
11.  UPDATED 2/5/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death.


Way up North in Derry town
in the West Bank where they reject the Crown
There was a neighborhood where the republican flame burned bright
Where lived an Irish boy named Eamonn Wright
Didn't like Brits patrolling night and day
So, Eamonn went and joined the IRA

Chorus
Go, go Eamonn go go
Go Eamonn go go
Go Eamonn go go
Go Eamonn go go
Well Eamonn joined the IRA

He would hide his rifle in the front garden
with every sectarian murder his committment would harden
Aiming for the Brits who harrassed the girls
Eamonn fired his rifle with Irish Flag unfurled
A dozen died at Eamonn’s hand
Eamonn took them out to free his land

Chorus

His mother told him one day we will be free
just like South Africa liberated by the ANC
he was known all over, from Cork to Belfast town
He was feared by those who fought for the Crown
One day the Brits will leave Ireland
And the Protestants will all understand

One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 80% 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?).