Banks Of The Nile
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Lyrics


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Oh hark, the drums do beat, my love, no longer can we stay
The bugle horns are sounding clear, and we must march away
We're ordered down to Portsmouth, and it's many's the weary mile
To join the British Army on the banks of the Nile

Oh Johnny, dearest Johnny, don't leave me here to mourn
Don't make me curse and rue the day that ever I was born
For the parting of our love would be like parting with my life
I'll go with you, dear Johnny, and I will be your wife

Oh my Nancy, dearest Nancy, that's a thing that can't be so
The colonel, he has ordered no woman there should go
We must forsake our own sweethearts, likewise our native soil
To fight the German soldiers on the banks of the Nile

But I'll cut off my yellow hair and go along with you
I'll dress myself in uniform and I'll see Egypt, too
I'll march beneath your banner while fortune, it do smile
And we'll comfort one another on the banks of the Nile

But your waist, it is too slender, love, your fingers, they
are too small
And the sultry suns of Egypt your rosy cheeks would spoil
Where the cannons, they do rattle, and the bullets, they do fly
And the silver trumpets sound so loud to hide the dismal cries

Oh cursed be those cruel wars that ever they began
For they have robbed old Ireland of many's the gallant man
They took from us our own sweethearts while their bodies,




they feed the lions
On the dry and sandy deserts which are the banks of the Nile

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Banks of the Nile" by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh tell the story of a couple, Johnny and Nancy, who are forced to part due to Johnny's enlistment in the British Army. The song opens with Nancy pleading with Johnny not to leave her, but he must go and fight in the war on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. Nancy, desperate to stay with him, offers to go with him and become his wife, but Johnny explains that the colonel has ordered that no women can join them. Determined to be with him, Nancy decides to dress in men's clothes and cut off her hair so she can join the army and be with Johnny on the banks of the Nile.


The song continues with Johnny expressing concern for Nancy's safety, as the weather and environment in Egypt will be tough on her. He points out her small fingers, delicate waist and rosy cheeks that he fears will be ruined by the harsh climate. But, Nancy insists on going, and they march off to fight in the war, leaving behind their home and loved ones.


The song also references the tragedy of war and how it robs Ireland of its "gallant men." The final verse mentions how soldiers who die in battle are left to be consumed by lions in the desert.


Overall, the song portrays the sacrifice and devotion of a couple willing to risk everything to be together, even if it means fighting in a war on the banks of the Nile.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh hark, the drums do beat, my love, no longer can we stay
The sound of the drums announces that it's time for us to leave and join the army, so we can't stay anymore.


The bugle horns are sounding clear, and we must march away
The bugle horns are signaling our departure, and we have to start marching towards our destination.


We're ordered down to Portsmouth, and it's many's the weary mile
We've been ordered to go to Portsmouth, which is a long and tiring journey.


To join the British Army on the banks of the Nile
Our destination is the Nile, where we'll join the British Army to fight in the war.


Oh Johnny, dearest Johnny, don't leave me here to mourn
Johnny, my beloved, please don't go and leave me alone to grieve.


Don't make me curse and rue the day that ever I was born
If you leave me, I'll regret the day I was born and curse my fate.


For the parting of our love would be like parting with my life
Our separation would be as painful as losing my life and everything I hold dear.


I'll go with you, dear Johnny, and I will be your wife
I'll follow you, Johnny, and become your wife, so we can stay together.


Oh my Nancy, dearest Nancy, that's a thing that can't be so
Nancy, my love, it's impossible for you to come with me to the war.


The colonel, he has ordered no woman there should go
The colonel has strictly prohibited women from joining the army and going to war.


We must forsake our own sweethearts, likewise our native soil
We have to leave behind our loved ones and our homeland to go to war.


To fight the German soldiers on the banks of the Nile
Our duty is to fight the German soldiers on the Nile's banks as part of the British Army.


But I'll cut off my yellow hair and go along with you
I'm willing to cut my hair and disguise myself as a man to join you at the army.


I'll dress myself in uniform and I'll see Egypt, too
I'll wear a uniform to blend in and see Egypt while staying close to you.


I'll march beneath your banner while fortune, it do smile
As long as we're together and fortunate, I'll proudly march with you under the same flag.


And we'll comfort one another on the banks of the Nile
We'll support and comfort each other through the hardships of the war while on the Nile's banks.


But your waist, it is too slender, love, your fingers, they are too small
I'm worried that your thin waist and small fingers won't be able to handle the harsh conditions of the war.


And the sultry suns of Egypt your rosy cheeks would spoil
The hot climate of Egypt might damage your beautiful complexion and cause skin problems.


Where the cannons, they do rattle, and the bullets, they do fly
On the battlefield, we'll hear the deafening sound of cannons and see bullets flying everywhere.


And the silver trumpets sound so loud to hide the dismal cries
The trumpets' sound might seem cheerful, but it's just a cover for the sad and desperate cries of the wounded and dying soldiers.


Oh cursed be those cruel wars that ever they began
I curse the wars that started and brought so much pain and suffering to people.


For they have robbed old Ireland of many's the gallant man
The wars have taken away many brave Irish men and deprived the country of their strength.


They took from us our own sweethearts while their bodies, they feed the lions
The wars have separated us from our loved ones, and their dead bodies nourish lions on the deserts that we're fighting on.


On the dry and sandy deserts which are the banks of the Nile
The war is fought on the Nile's sandy and arid shores, which are challenging and unforgiving environments.




Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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