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Green Fields Of France  Misc. Traditional



          [G]Well how do you [Em]do young [C]Willie [Am]McBride,
          Do you [D]mind if I [D7]sit here down [C]by your grave[G]side,
          And rest for a [Em]while neath the [C]warm summer [Am]sun,
          I've been [D]working all [D7]day and [C]I'm nearly [G]done.
          [G]I see by your [Em]gravestone you were [C]only [Am]19,
          When you [D]joined the great [C]fallen in [G]19[D7]16,
          I [G]hope you died [Em]well and I [Am]hope you died clean,
          Or young [D]Willie Mc[D7]Bride was it [C]slow and [G]obscene.
(CHORUS:)
          [G]Did they [D]beat the drum [D7]slowly, did they [C]play the fife [G]lowly,
          Did they [D]sound the dead [D7]march, as they [C]lowered you [D]down,
          Did the [C]band play the last post and [G]chor[Em]us,
          Did the [G]pipes play the [C]Flowers of the [D7]Fores[G]t.
Did you leave ere a wife or a sweetheart behind,
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined,
Although you died back in 1916,
In that faithful heart are you forever 19.
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Enclosed in forever behind a glass frame,
In an old photograph all torn battered and stained,
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.
CHO:
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France,
There's a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance,
And look how the sun shines from under the trees,
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it's still "No Man's Land",
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man,
To a whole generation that were butchered and damned.
CHO:
Ah, young Willie McBride I can't help wonder why,
Do all those who lie here know why did they die,
And did they believe when they answered the call,
Did they really believe that this war would end wars.
Well, the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain,
The killing and dieing were all done in vain,
For young Willie McBride it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

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Am C D D7 Em G

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Griff123 (report)

This is a pretty close transcription and the phrasing of the words and chords used by 'The Corries', Davey Arthur and The Fureys (and many others) who have covered this song. Eric Bogle's is actually quite different. Nice job with this one. Eric Bogle himself explains a couple of nice things here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqVGshDc-CM

The Jimmy (report)

The line from the first verse: "I hope you died well and I hope you died clean" Should read "I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean"

jimmythejinx (report)

Not actually a traditional song. Was written by Eric Bogle, who also wrote "And the band played Waltzing Matilda"
Cheers.

chico the man (report)

V3 continued
but here in this graveyard it's still no man's land
the countless white crosses in mute witness stand
to man's blind indifference to his fellow man
and a whole generation who were butcherd and damed

chico the man (report)

V3 should read
the sun shining down on these green fields of france.
the warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
the trenches have vanished long under the plough
no gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now