The Foggy Dew
Derek Warfield & The Young Wolf Tones Lyrics
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There Armed lines of marching men in squadrons passed me by
No fife did hum nor battle drum did sound it's dread tatoo
But the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell rang out through the foggy dew
Right proudly high over Dublin Town they hung out the flag of war
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Sulva or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath strong men came hurrying through
'Twas Britannia bade our Wild Geese go that small nations might be free
But their lonely graves are by Sulva's waves or the shore of the Great North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side or fought with Cathal Brugha
Their names we will keep where the fenians sleep 'neath the shroud of the foggy dew
But the bravest fell, and the requiem bell rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide in the springing of the year
And the world did gaze, in deep amaze, at those fearless men, but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the foggy dew
Ah, back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more
But to and fro in my dreams I go and I'd kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, When you fell in the foggy dew.
The Foggy Dew is a political and patriotic lamentation of Ireland’s Easter Rising of 1916, a historic event in Ireland’s struggle for independence from British rule. The song opens with the singer’s account of his journey to a city fair on an Easter morning. He witnesses a parade of soldiers and marching men, all well-armed and ready for war. Instead of the usual sounds of a marching band, the church bell tolls, ushering in an eerie aura through the foggy morning. Dublin is under siege, and the opening verse resonates with the deep sense of foreboding and sadness that follows the inevitable confrontation.
The second verse reveals the deeper underlying themes of the song, where the courageous Irish Nationalists take up arms against the British Empire. Their bravery is exalted, and the flag of war is proudly flown over Dublin. The Irishmen know that death is an unavoidable possibility, and the verse reflects the critical choice they make – to fight for their homeland even though they know that they might die. The brave soldiers, including Cathal Brugha and Patrick Pearse, gave their lives in the hope of achieving Ireland’s liberation. The final two verses express the singer's deep mourning for the fallen heroes and the immense loss Ireland feels. He reflects on the sacrifices of the brave soldiers and swears to keep their memory alive.
Line by Line Meaning
As down the glen one Easter morn to a city fair rode I
I rode down a glen on Easter morning towards a city fair.
There Armed lines of marching men in squadrons passed me by
I saw armed men marching past me in groups.
No fife did hum nor battle drum did sound it's dread tatoo
However, I did not hear any musical instruments, such as a fife or drum.
But the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell rang out through the foggy dew
Instead, I heard the Angelus bell ringing over the Liffey River through the foggy dew.
Right proudly high over Dublin Town they hung out the flag of war
In Dublin Town, they proudly raised the flag of war.
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Sulva or Sud El Bar
It was better to die under the sky of Ireland than at Sulva or Sud El Bar.
And from the plains of Royal Meath strong men came hurrying through
Strong men from the plains of Royal Meath hurried to join the fight.
While Britannia's Huns, with their long range guns sailed in through the foggy dew
Meanwhile, Britannia's army, with their long-range guns, arrived by sea through the foggy dew.
'Twas Britannia bade our Wild Geese go that small nations might be free
Britannia sent our people away so that small countries could be free.
But their lonely graves are by Sulva's waves or the shore of the Great North Sea
Unfortunately, many of those people have died and are buried by the shores of Sulva or the Great North Sea.
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side or fought with Cathal Brugha
If only they had died fighting with Pearse or Cathal Brugha by their side.
Their names we will keep where the fenians sleep 'neath the shroud of the foggy dew
We will honor their names where the Fenians (Irish nationalist rebels) sleep under the foggy dew.
But the bravest fell, and the requiem bell rang mournfully and clear
The bravest fighters fell, and the bell for their requiem tolled mournfully and clearly.
For those who died that Eastertide in the springing of the year
It rang for those who died during Eastertide at the start of the year.
And the world did gaze, in deep amaze, at those fearless men, but few
The world looked on in amazement at the few fearless men who fought with bravery.
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the foggy dew
Those men fought so that the light of freedom could shine through the foggy dew.
Ah, back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore
I went back through the glen with a heavy heart full of grief.
For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more
I had to say goodbye to brave men who I will never see again.
But to and fro in my dreams I go and I'd kneel and pray for you,
In my dreams, I go back and forth and I kneel and pray for them.
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, When you fell in the foggy dew.
The glorious dead caused slavery to flee when they fell during the foggy dew.
Contributed by Caroline W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.