Eric Bogle - The Green Fields of France video free download

L. Mary Lawson

OH MY GOODNESS! How heart felt are these words. Make me realize the wages of wars. Thank you Eric Bogle for sharing your great talents ,

John Carter

Love this song.

hplexmark1

The song does pay tribute to all those, of both sides, who really believed they were fighting for something noble. Many didn't make it, and many of those who did lived with the horror of what they had seen for the rest of their lives.

Paul Delaney

Beautifully done. Thanks to Eric for writing such a great tribute to the fallen. Listen to Finbar Furey for another great version of this song.

Accendereunfuoco Epoisparire

Remembering WWI

bugler75

The photo at 5.50 is from the funeral of a young medic from Northern Ireland, Cpl Channing Day, killed in action in Afghanistan. I had the sorry privilege of "sounding the Last Post and chorus" at her burial. This song reminds of my fallen comrades and brings a tear to my eye each time I hear it. Rest in peace Channing and L/Cpl Mervyn Johnston.

Francesca Van der Geld

*This Is To Mark The Anniversary Of Gallipoli And All Who Fell In The First World War.*The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign, the Battle of Gallipoli or the Battle of Çanakkale was a campaign of World War I that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu in modern Turkey) in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916. The peninsula forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles, a strait that provided a sea route to the Russian Empire, one of the Allied powers during the war. Intending to secure it, Russia's allies Britain and France launched a naval attack followed by an amphibious landing on the peninsula, with the aim of capturing the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (modern Istanbul). The naval attack was repelled and after eight months' fighting, with many casualties on both sides, the land campaign was abandoned and the invasion force was withdrawn to Egypt.*Green Fields of France ‘written to tackle anti-Irish prejudice’**Author Eric Bogle says the song was ‘subtle reminder’ of Irish war dead*Singer-songwriter Eric Bogle said he wrote The Green Fields of France as a response to the anti-Irish sentiment in Britain during the IRA bombing campaign of the 1970s.Bogle revealed he chose the name “Willie McBride” for the 19-year-old who features in the song because of its “Irish connotations”.The song is part of a trilogy of enduring classic first World War songs written by Bogle - the other two being The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and All the Fine Young Men. All three songs have been covered dozens of time.LyricsWell, how do you do, young Willie McBride?Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside? And rest for a while in the warm summer sun, I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done. I see by your gravestone you were only 19 When you joined the great fallen in 1916, I hope you died well and I hope you died clean Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene? Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? And did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? Did you leave 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 the glass frame, In an old photograph, torn, battered and stained, And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame? Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? And did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? 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 cloudsThere'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 sandTo man's blind indifference to his fellow man. To a whole generation that were butchered and damned. Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? And did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? Ah young Willie McBride, I can't help wonder why, Do those that lie here know why did they die?And did they believe when they answered the cause, Did they really believe that this war would end wars? Well the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain,The killing and dying, were all done in vain.For Willie McBride, it all happened again, And again, and again, and again, and again.Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? And did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down? Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? And did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? 

Ronald Neves

RonaldThe best version, for me, is by June Tabor.

DCPorter71

This is a beautiful song. Sad but moving. 

Soo Line

How does this have 21 dislikes? My Great-great-great-grandfather lost his life in the Argonne. I hope he has a shady spot amongst the trees.

Thomas Nisser

My grandmother has lost '42 to '44 4 sons in the war. 4...

Toranaboy634

This is one of the outstanding songs of the 20th century. The man who wrote it is a genius. I salute a son of Glasgow (Peebles), Eric Bogle.

Norma Kalchgruber

So terribly sad...but so beautifully sung!

pat gc

Have just discovered Eric Bogle after hearing Joss Stone murder his song at the UK Rememberance Service. His words and his voice and just so beautiful. Some of his songs reduce me to tears each tie I hear them. Wish he still toured UK, would have love to see him live.

Pat Diamond

Eric captures the futility of war perfectly in this song, it brought a tear to even my my hardened eye.

william williams

its what goverments do while they hid in bunkers and let the young do there fighting still doing it RIP

Judith Ann Libby

Take a look at Jodie Harris sings Green Fields Of France.....Beautiful as it should be

Grant O'Neil

My final observation regarding Joss Stone's rendition - heard Bib Geldof quoted yesterday regarding the new "BandAid" for Ebola, saying something to the effect "even if you don't like the song or the artists, buy it anyway to support the cause." I guess the same can apply to the idea of Joss's version encouraging people to buy poppies. 

Rob McRob

Well I prefer the Eric Bogle version where the words speak for themselves but Joss Stone is a massive talent who got involved to promote the poppy appeal. She doesn't deserve all the hate!

Peter Wason

Apologies if somebody has already posted this , although a wonderful rendition by the great Eric Bogle i think the best version is by the Furey's , the superb voice of Finbar Furey does this tune justice.

Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys - The Green Fields of France