Six new songs

I have six more songs. They're all "Those Lyrics," for an explanation see this. I might have a new source of non-offensive material for altering, but if not from now on it'll probably be something like 90% "Those Lyrics."
Also, two of these songs are SHARP/RASH songs, you might want to read the introductory portion of the first post I did with that sort of song/poem.

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).

The ones towards the top are okay, the ones towards the bottom are good.

1. We Fly the Starry Plough. Republican Socialists in Ireland.
2. The Hate Froze. The Eastern European part of WWII.
3. When Partition Falls. Partly about a vision for a United Ireland.
4. SHARP Skinheads. Anti-racist skinheads.
5. Slan Abhaile. N. Ireland.

“We fly the Starry Plough” based on “we fly the swastika” by No Remorse. Original lyrics are here.

1. The Starry Plough is the flag of republican socialism.
2. 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 in N. Ireland 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)
3. Volunteers are members of republican paramilitaries.
**4. 25% of this version is me, 75% is the original.
5. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
6. I'm not sure if I should have retained the bit about an era of darkness in my version. But "era of darkness" is basically in the right neighborhood- even today, with the economic situation and the continuation of British rule (albeit less so than before).
7. This poem is not meant as an endorsement of armed struggle since 1997.
8. No Remorse was supportive of the Unionist and British causes in N. Ireland.
9. This is about republican socialists, but only 1-2 lines are about those who use arms.

it’s a symbol of power, it’s a symbol of pride
in the hands of the Irish republican it evokes something deep inside

Chorus
we fly the starry plough, to London we won’t submit
we ain’t never going to take it down for no unionist or Brit

in this era of darkness, it’s a symbol of light
it’ll make a thousand strong Volunteers raise their fists and fight

Chorus

when you see our banners high, rally ‘round and cheer
only the crown forces have something to fear

Chorus

*****
There used to be  a poem here called "Real Skinhead." It might be back soon.

*****

“The Hate Froze” based on “The Snow Fell” by Skrewdriver, original lyrics are here.

1. The original is about, from a pro-Nazi perspective, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union which was dealt a fatal blow early on by the Russian Winter.
2. I skipped the first verse, which was about Stalin. I don’t like him, which is why I couldn’t flip it and I wasn’t going to leave it, so I’m ignoring it.
3. As the war went bad for the Nazis, there were more and more plots against Hitler.
4. The red flag in Berlin warms my heart because it represents the defeat of Nazi Germany.
**5. 15% of this version is me, 85% is the original.
6. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
7. I inspired someone on the Southern Poverty Law Center's blog to alter this song, and he did an even better job than I did. You can see his song in the comments.
UPDATE 11/27/10 8. I just realized that I'm pretty sure almost no one points to the Winter just outside Moscow as the moment when the defeat of the Nazis began. I might change that line.
8. UPDATE 12/24/10 I just added "there" to the 2nd line of the 2nd verse.
9. UPDATE 1/28/11 I am not a fan of the Soviet Union, but considering what they went through during the War, it's appropriate here and there to remember their contribution to the Allied victory.

They took the old roads that Napoleon had taken before.
They fought as a force of hate against the world in a fascist war.
One day they were looking around and the sun was shining on the cold flowers.
The next day they were freezing to death in the sleet and the ice cold showers.

(chorus)
And the snow fell
covering the hate of their ideals.
And the snow fell
freezing the blood and the wheels.
And the snow fell
it was the beginning of their defeat
And the snow fell
soon it would be complete

Then came the deadly roads back from the steppes of their retreat.
The cold racked their bodies but even better, there was the pain of defeat.
Many people who had hailed them once now turned and looked away.
These people now knew that Berlin’s defeat was on it's way.

(chorus)

they were finally pushed back to the borders of their fatherland.
Now assassins came heroes everywhere at hand.
Many Soviets had fought and died knowing that they had to win.
It still warms my heart to see the picture of the red flag in Berlin.

(chorus)

****

“When Partition Falls” based on “When The Hammer Falls” by Bound for Glory, original lyrics are here.


0. Partition is the division of Ireland.
1. The SDLP are the Social Democratic and Labour Party, Sinn Fein’s moderate rival in the nationalist community. I explain what’s wrong with them here.
2. Chinooks are UK military helicopters and are used here as a symbol of the British military.
3. The crooked cross is the swastika.
4. The red, white and blue are the colors of the British flag.
5. The ending of partition will strengthen various left, progressive, liberal and working-class movements in Ireland. I go into that more in the last 1/5 of this post.
6. There’s not a bad chance that when Ireland is united, a republican organization will be in a government with other parties of the Left.
7. There’s some large minority of republicans who support legalizing marijuana (dope is meant as a reference to marijuana, not drugs in general) (you could say this song is about that minority). (there's also a similar situation regarding abortion)
**7. 71% of this version is me, 29% is the original (a new record).
8. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
9. Since the original is American, I DID include some anti-hate stuff, see this for why that's important.
10. Initially this poem had some problems because it was kind of about Sinn Fein. I have now corrected that, and it is about a left-wing element of the republican family overall.
11. UPDATE 1/28/11 As far as I can tell, there's probably some small minority of republicans who are VERY Catholic, probably another small minority who are fairly Catholic, and probably a large minority who are atheist. And this poem is about the left-wingers, so it makes even more sense since there's probably not many republicans who are both very Catholic and left-wing.
12. UPDATE 1/28/11 Obviously republicans have been marching on the street for a long time, but more mass struggle will probably-definitely be part of republicans uniting Ireland and/or forming a republican-left government.
13 UPDATE 5/9/20 I deleted the last two "the" in the last line of the first verse.

SDLP fools and Unionist tools
We all live by London’s rules
Take a better look, up at the Chinooks
how many lives have they took?
Those of the crooked cross, in 1945 they lost
We’ll defeat them at any cost
we’re turning the screws, and we do refuse
to submit to the red, white and blue

Chorus:
From the visions that we saw, there will come new laws
When partition falls
With the power of pride, she’ll take a bride
When partition falls
for the women of Ireland, abortion on demand
When partition falls
For the working-class, justice at last
When partition falls

The future looks bleak, for those who think we are weak
the truth we will always speak
We have hope but no not from the Pope
We do support legalizing dope
we won’t Surrender, retreat, or cower in defeat
What will you do when we march on the streets?
We are what’s coming, our victory will be stunning
in a left coalition, the government we’ll be running

******

“SHARP Skinheads” based on “OC Skinhead” by Final War original lyrics are here.

1. Lincoln Brigade refers to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the group of American volunteers who fought fascism in Spain’s Civil War.
2. SHARP is SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice.
**3. 39% of this version is me, 61% is the original.
4. I give this song/poem four stars out of five.
5. The class I refer to is the working-class.
6. 10/31/10 I just replaced the word "march" with the word "live" in the 5th line of the first verse.

We were born for anti-fash crusades
to follow the steps of the Lincoln brigade
born to fight and born to win,
we are all anti-racist Skins
we are the ones who live on the streets
our voices loud and never discreet
it's our battle in a people’s war
we are stronger than before

SHARP....Skinheads

Steel capped boots, fisted hands
an anti-racist scene and anti-racist bands
carry our banners hold ‘em above,
we'll fight for the class that we all love
drink some beer and hit the town,
find some Nazis and beat them down
comrades united across the states
we fight together against the hate

SHARP...Skinheads

yeah, We were born for anti-fash crusades
we all remember the Lincoln brigade
we've said it before let the battle begin
victory is ours you know we'll win
Fists and boots and our brains
we’ll defeat those who want fascist reign
shaven heads and opposition to hate
nazis better fuck off before it's too late

SHARP ...Skinheads

****

“Slan Abhaile” based on “When the Boat comes in” by Skrewdriver, original lyrics are here.

1. The title is an Irish farewell to someone traveling home. There’s a republican mural that shows a British army soldier walking away towards (I think) the sunset (there's a sign saying that England is that way), with those words at the top. It’s sort of a friendlier spin on the slogan “Brits out.” My version of this song is a bit less friendly, but I like that republican mural and wanted to use that phrase.
2. Historically there’s been a left-wing analysis that British business operating in Ireland benefit from the way that partition (and in the North the sectarianism that goes with partition) weakens organized labor and the left.
3. This is set in the 1980s and 1990s when the republican strategy of the “Ballot and the armalite (rifle)” was being used.
4. Squaddie is a term for British Army soldier.
5. Special Branch is a part of the police in Britain and Ireland, sort of comparable to the FBI. The SB of the N. Ireland police during the conflict was involved in collusion with loyalist paramilitaries. I explain that more around 2/5 the way through this post.
6. The Red Hand is a loyalist symbol.
**7. 56% of this version is me and 44% is the original.
8. I give this song/poem three stars out of five.
9. Skrewdriver was supportive of the Unionist and British causes in N. Ireland.
10. Except for the last five lines, this could include nationalists and of course unarmed republicans, but those last 5 lines are about the IRA.

we won’t take shit, from the Brits, cause Ireland does rule
We will fight the tories, 'cos tories are all fools
Try to run our nation, and give it to fat cats
We won't take it anymore, we're taking our nation back

(Chorus)
Squaddie, Squaddie, get on that boat
Squaddie, Squaddie, row
Squaddie, Squaddie, get out of here
Squaddie, Squaddie, go, go, go...

They patrol the Irish streets, they're dividing our Irish land
And the bigots in Special Branch give aid to the Red Hand
Give them guns, give them info, ignore our human rights
We won't stand and watch our people be slaughtered without a fight

Chorus

We've got to love this land of ours, and fight to make it free
One day we’ll win just like our comrades in the ANC
And if we have to we will fight all the way to the end
between the ballot and the armalite we’ll make them comprehand

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?).