Come Out Ye Black and Tans
The Fighting Men From Crossmaglen Lyrics
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And the loving English feet they walked all over us,
And each and every night when me father'd come home tight.
He'd invite the neighbours outside with this Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man,
Show your wive how you won medals down in Flanders.
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra.
Come let me hear you tell
How you slammed the great Pernell,
When you fought them well and truly persecuted,
Where are the smears and jeers
That you loudly let us hear
When our heroes of sixteen were executed.
Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man,
Show your wive how you won medals down in Flanders.
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra
Come tell us how you slew
Those brave Arabs two by two
Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows,
How bravely you faced one
With your sixteen pounder gun
And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow.
Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man,
Show your wive how you won medals down in Flanders.
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra.
Now the time is coming fast
And I think the days are here,
When those English Johnnies heels all run before us,
And if there be a need,
Sure my kids wil sing, "Godspeed!"
With a verse or two of Singing this fine .
Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man,
Show your wive how you won medals down in Flanders.
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra.
The Fighting Men From Crossmaglen's song "Come Out Ye Black And Tans" was written to show resistance against British soldiers who were sent to Ireland to suppress the Irish. The first verse of the song speaks about the oppression felt in Dublin, where the British army would march and walk over the Irish people. The reference to the "loving English feet" highlights the sarcasm and criticism of British rule in Ireland.
The second and third verses taunt the Black and Tans, a group of British soldiers who were sent to Ireland during the Irish War of Independence. The lyrics mock their bravery and exaggerate their role in combat. The song challenges the Black and Tans to come and fight like real men, rather than persecuting the Irish people. There is also mention of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) causing the Black and Tans to flee from the town of Killashandra, another example of Irish resistance to British rule.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in a Dublin street where the Royal drums do beat.
I was born in a place where the sound of the Royal army's drums could be heard always.
And the loving English feet they walked all over us,
The English soldiers ruled us and treated us harshly.
And each and every night when me father'd come home tight.
My father would come home drunk every night.
He'd invite the neighbours outside with this Oh, come out you black and tans,
My father would invite his neighbors to join him in mocking the British soldiers with the phrase, 'Come out you black and tans'.
Come out and fight me like a man,
They challenged the British soldiers to fight fairly.
Show your wive how you won medals down in Flanders.
The soldiers were expected to prove their valor just like they did in Flanders.
Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,
The British soldiers had to reveal how they fled from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the war.
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra.
The battle that took place in Killashandra was mentioned.
Come let me hear you tell
The British soldiers were asked to tell their story.
How you slammed the great Pernell,
They were asked to explain how they managed to defeat eminent military leaders like Pernell.
When you fought them well and truly persecuted,
The soldiers also had to explain how well they fought against the enemies who were persecuted.
Where are the smears and jeers
The Irish soldiers questioned the British about their insults.
That you loudly let us hear
The British had to explain the insults they hurled loudly at the Irish soldiers.
When our heroes of sixteen were executed.
The British soldiers were also questioned about the execution of the Irish heroes who fought against them in 1916 Easter Rising.
Come tell us how you slew
The British soldiers were also questioned about their skills in killing.
Those brave Arabs two by two
The British were questioned about their courage while fighting against Arabs and winning against them.
Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows,
The British soldiers were compared to the Zulu warriors who also used primitive weapons, while they themselves had advanced weapons.
How bravely you faced one
The British were questioned on their bravery in facing only one enemy.
With your sixteen pounder gun
They were questioned about how they used their 16-pounder guns during the war.
And you frightened them poor natives to their marrow.
The British soldiers were also questioned about how they affected the civilians when they terrorized their land.
Now the time is coming fast
The Irish soldiers thought that their time for claiming victory was approaching.
And I think the days are here,
The hope of Irish soldiers was that the day had finally come.
When those English Johnnies heels all run before us,
The Irish soldiers were hopeful that the British would finally flee before them.
And if there be a need,
The Irish soldiers were confident they will fight for their cause.
Sure my kids wil sing, "Godspeed!"
The soldiers knew that their children would take their place and continue the fight with equal dedication.
With a verse or two of Singing this fine .
The Irish soldiers would sing songs about their victories and continue celebrating their conquest.
Writer(s): Wes Mcghee, Joe Giltrap
Contributed by Connor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.