{"id":406,"date":"2017-12-14T07:44:52","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T07:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/?page_id=406"},"modified":"2019-07-08T10:27:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T10:27:51","slug":"lir-songbook","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/regimental-history\/lir-songbook\/","title":{"rendered":"LIR Songbook"},"content":{"rendered":"

We shall start adding here the songs that have proved famous through the long and illustrious history of the London Irish Rifles. We welcome receiving your additions to this song sheet.<\/p>\n

\n

THE GARRY OWEN.<\/h3>\n

The Regimental marching song was played by the Irish Brigade Pipes and Drums at the victory marches at Tunis in May 1943, and in Austria in July 1945, and at the Vatican in June and July 1944.<\/p>\n

Let Bacchus’ sons be not dismayed
\nBut join with me, each jovial blade
\nCome, drink and sing and lend your aid
\nTo help me with the chorus:
\nChorus:
\nInstead of spa, we’ll drink brown ale
\nAnd pay the reckoning on the nail;
\nNo man for debt shall go to jail
\nFrom Garryowen in glory.<\/h4>\n

We are the boys who take delight,
\nIn smashing Limerick lamps at night,
\nAnd through the street like sportsters fight,
\nTearing all before all.
\nChorus:
\nInstead of spa, we’ll drink brown ale
\nAnd pay the reckoning on the nail;
\nNo man for debt shall go to jail
\nFrom Garryowen in glory.<\/h4>\n

We’ll break the windows, we’ll break down doors,
\nThe watch knock down by threes and fours,
\nAnd let the doctors work their cures,
\nAnd tinker up our bruised.
\nChorus:
\nInstead of spa, we’ll drink brown ale
\nAnd pay the reckoning on the nail;
\nNo man for debt shall go to jail
\nFrom Garryowen in glory.<\/h4>\n

We’ll beat the bailiffs out of fun,
\nWe’ll make the mayor and sheriffs run
\nWe are the boys no man dares dun
\nIf he regards a whole skin.
\nChorus:
\nInstead of spa, we’ll drink brown ale
\nAnd pay the reckoning on the nail;
\nNo man for debt shall go to jail
\nFrom Garryowen in glory.<\/h4>\n

Our hearts so stout have got no fame
\nFor soon ’tis known from whence we came
\nWhere’er we go they fear the name
\nOf Garryowen in glory.
\nChorus:
\nInstead of spa, we’ll drink brown ale
\nAnd pay the reckoning on the nail;
\nNo man for debt shall go to jail
\nFrom Garryowen in glory.<\/h4>\n
\n

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE.<\/h3>\n

Sung by the 2nd Battalion as they went into action for the first time on January 11th 1943 near to Bou Arada.<\/p>\n

You are my sunshine my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey
\nYou’ll never know dear how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away
\nThe other night dear as I laid sleeping, I dreamed I held you by my side
\nWhen I awoke dear, I was mistaken and I hung my head and cry
\nYou are my sunshine…<\/h4>\n

You told me once dear, you really loved me and no one else could come between
\nBut now you’ve left me and you love another and you have shattered all my dreams
\nYou are my sunshine…
\nI’ll always love you and make you happy, if you will only say the same
\nBut if you leave me to love another
\nYou’ll regret it all some day
\nYou are my sunshine…
\nPlease don’t take my sunshine away.<\/h4>\n
\n

THE ROSE OF TRALEE.<\/h3>\n

Sung by Rifleman (later CQMS\/RQMS) Edmund O’Sullivan, who served with the 2nd Battalion from October 1939 to March 1946 and on which basis his Regimental nickname ‘Rosie’ originated.<\/p>\n

The pale moon was rising above the green mountains,
\nThe sun was declining beneath the blue sea;
\nWhen I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain,
\nThat stands in the beautiful Vale of Tralee.<\/h4>\n

She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
\nYet ’twas not her beauty alone that won me;
\nOh no, ’twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
\nthat made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.<\/h4>\n

The cool shades of evening their mantle were spreading,
\nAnd Mary all smiling was listening to me;
\nThe moon through the valley her pale rays was shedding,
\nWhen I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.<\/h4>\n

Though lovely and fair as the Rose of the summer,
\nYet ’twas not her beauty alone that won me;
\nOh no, ’twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
\nthat made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.<\/h4>\n

In the far fields of India, ‘mid wars dreadful thunders,
\nHer voice was a solace and comfort to me,
\nBut the chill hand of death has now rent us asunder,
\nI’m lonely tonight for the Rose of Tralee.<\/h4>\n

She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
\nYet ’twas not her beauty alone that won me;
\nOh no, ’twas the truth in her eyes ever dawning,
\nthat made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.<\/h4>\n
\n

D DAY DODGERS.<\/h3>\n

Sung (to the tune of ‘Lili Marlene’) by the 8th Army in Italy… this is one of many versions.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re the D-Day Dodgers, out in Italy!
\nAlways on the vino, always on the spree!
\nEighth Army skivers and the Yanks
\nWe go to war, in ties like swanks
\nWe are the D-Day Dodgers, in sunny Italy<\/h4>\n

We landed at Salerno, a holiday with pay
\nJerry brought his bands out, to cheer us on our way
\nShowed us all the sights and gave us tea
\nWe all sang songs and the beer was free
\nWe are the D-Day Dodgers, the lads that D-Day dodged<\/h4>\n

Salerno and Cassino were taken in our stride
\nWe did not go to fight there, we just went for the ride
\nAnzio and Sangro are just names
\nWe only went to look for dames
\nWe are the D-Day Dodgers, in sunny Italy<\/h4>\n

On our way to Florence, we had a lovely time
\nWe ran a bus to Rimini through the Gothic Line
\nOn to Bologna we did go
\nThen went bathing in the Po
\nFor we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy<\/h4>\n

Looking round the hillsides, through the mist and rain
\nSee the scattered crosses, some that bear no name
\nHeartbreak and toil and suffering gone
\nThe boys beneath, they slumber on
\nWe are the D-Day Dodgers, who\u2019ll stay in Italy<\/h4>\n

So listen all you people, over land and foam
\nEven though we\u2019ve parted, our hearts are close to home
\nWhen we return we hope you\u2019ll say
\n\u201cYou did your little bit, though far away
\nAll of the D-Day Dodgers, way out there in Italy\u201d<\/h4>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We shall start adding here the songs that have proved famous through the long and illustrious history of the London Irish Rifles. We welcome receiving your additions to this song sheet. THE GARRY OWEN. The Regimental marching song was played by the Irish Brigade Pipes and Drums at the victory marches at Tunis in May […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":145,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-406","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4821,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/406\/revisions\/4821"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonirishrifles.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}