In 1968, the predecessor of the Juno’s named The Irish Rovers Canada’s, “Folk Group of the Year”, and the following year, they received a Grammy nomination for “Folk Performance of the Year”.
As hosts of three national television series in Canada and Ireland, through the 1970's and 80s, The Irish Rovers increased the popularity of Irish music by way of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, personally asked the band if they could “please become Canadian” so that they could officially represent Canada throughout the world. Since then, they have represented Canada at no less than five world Expos, and in recognition for a quarter century of contributions to the International music world, The Irish Rovers won the Performing Rights Organization's (PROCAN) 'Harold Moon Award'.
Although all members of the band hail from Ireland, a number of their biggest hits were often "non-Irish". Their own rousing, traditional Irish compositions, however, do comprise the bulk of their music.
By the 90’s, their songwriting was even more prolific than their early years, and production of albums wasn’t about to slow down. Since they desired the freedom that as a younger band, they could not afford, in ’93 The Irish Rovers established their own record company, Rover Records. Their songs tell the story of the Irish, whether it’s a lost love, a sailor on leave, or the simple good taste of a Guinness. Rover Records has put out their last eleven albums, including Celtic Collection, Come Fill Up Your Glasses, Down by the Lagan Side, Another Round, Still Rovin', a Christmas album, and their greatest hits, 40 Years A-Rovin'.
Founding member George Millar is from Ballymena, original member Wilcil McDowell is from Larne, John Reynolds from Belfast, Sean O'Driscoll from Cork, Ian Millar from Ballymena, and percussionist Fred Graham is also from Belfast.
Former members include founding member Jimmy Ferguson who passed away in 1997 and Joe Millar.
First Day On The Somme
The Irish Rovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never seen the beat of them
They went singing out to battle
With their throats bronze bare
They were fighting fit and mirth mad
There was music in the steppin'
Singing down a long white road all the afternoon
And it only seems like yesterday
Singing on to the battle as the sky grew black and black
Strangers in a strange land
Miles and miles and miles of them
Now, you just whistle Tipperary
And it all comes back
If you ever dirve the motorway
From Paris to Calais
And you're not in any rush to move along
Just take a little side trip through the green & the rolling hills
Out by Vimy, Pachendale and through the Somme
Stop your care and stand a while
And listen to the wind
And you just might hear it sing the soldier's song
Or the muffled marching feet
And a ghostly army singing this old song
Chorus:
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile
While you've a Lucifer to light your fag
Smile, boys, that's the style
What's the use of worrying, it never was worthwhile
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile
All the hills are peaceful now, but the graveyards tell the tale
And they stretch their silent crosses far and wide
It was 1916 in July when madness walked the land
Both friend and foe had God upon their side
And the young me of the Kaiser's, they were dug in well and deep
And the write that lay around them never fell
Silently they waited for the waves of men to come
That comtemptible little army bound for hell
The "Old Contemptibles", the British expeditionary force
Along 18 lines of trenches, waited for the word
And all week their own big guns roared above their heads
This will be a cakewalk boys, the German wire is down
We'll walk across the mud and count the Kaiser's dead
Chorus:
It's a long way to Tipperary
It's a long way to go
It's a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know
Goodbye, Picadilly
Farewell Leicester Square
It's a long, long way to Tipperary
but my heart lies here
It was sever in the morning & the whistles sounded shrill
Fix bayonets and take her nice and slow
There was silence for a moment as they started their advance
Two hundred thousand dead mean row on row
Then the chatter of machine guns and the screams of dying men
Will always liniger there behind the Somme
Now a few old men remember and they gather once a year
To drink their health and sing as these old songs
Repeat Both Choruses
The Irish Rovers' song "First Day On The Somme" reflects the horrors of the Battle of the Somme, which was fought during World War I. The lyrics praise the bravery of the soldiers who "went singing out to battle," with music in their hearts and a spring in their step. The song describes the soldiers as "fighting fit and mirth mad," and highlights the camaraderie and good cheer that they shared as they marched towards their uncertain fate. The lyrics also reflect on the tragedy of the battle, noting that so many of the soldiers who went to fight in the conflict were strangers in a strange land, far from their homes and loved ones. Despite the grim realities of the battlefield, the song suggests that the soldiers faced their challenges with bravery and courage, smiling through the hardships and difficulties that they encountered.
Line by Line Meaning
Weren't they the fine boys
A statement about how impressive and admirable the soldiers were
You never seen the beat of them
They were unrivaled in their bravery and enthusiasm for battle
They went singing out to battle
The soldiers were in high spirits and singing as they marched to battle
With their throats bronze bare
Their voices were strong and full of vitality
They were fighting fit and mirth mad
The soldiers were physically prepared and excited for the battle
There was music in the steppin'
Their footsteps were in sync and created a musical rhythm
Singing down a long white road all the afternoon
They sang as they marched along the long road, enjoying the sunlight
And it only seems like yesterday
The memories of their enthusiastic march still feel fresh
That great glad sight o'them
It was an awe-inspiring and joyous sight to see them marching off to war
Singing on to the battle as the sky grew black and black
Their enthusiasm didn't end even as darkness fell
Strangers in a strange land
The soldiers were in an unfamiliar place
Miles and miles and miles of them
There were a great number of soldiers marching off to battle
Now, you just whistle Tipperary
By simply whistling the tune of Tipperary, it brings back memories of the march
And it all comes back
The memories of the march and the soldiers come flooding back
If you ever dirve the motorway
Instructions for a driver on a motorway
From Paris to Calais
The route the driver should take
And you're not in any rush to move along
Instructions for the driver to take their time
Just take a little side trip through the green & the rolling hills
Suggestion to take a detour to see the sights
Out by Vimy, Pachendale and through the Somme
Listing of the places to visit on the detour
Stop your care and stand a while
Instructions to stop and take a moment to appreciate the surroundings
And listen to the wind
Suggestion to listen to the wind and the sounds of the surroundings
And you just might hear it sing the soldier's song
The sounds of the wind and the surroundings might remind you of the soldiers' song
Or the muffled marching feet
The sounds of marching feet might be heard faintly in the wind
And a ghostly army singing this old song
Imagery of a spectral army singing the soldier's song
All the hills are peaceful now, but the graveyards tell the tale
The battlegrounds are now peaceful, but the number of graves serve as a reminder of the past
And they stretch their silent crosses far and wide
The crosses of the fallen soldiers can be seen for miles around
It was 1916 in July when madness walked the land
A description of the time when the battle occurred
Both friend and foe had God upon their side
Both sides believed that they were fighting for the 'right' reasons
And the young me of the Kaiser's, they were dug in well and deep
The German soldiers were heavily fortified in their positions
And the write that lay around them never fell
The fighting was so intense that the dead bodies never dropped to the ground
Silently they waited for the waves of men to come
The German soldiers waited in silence for the approaching enemy soldiers
That comtemptible little army bound for hell
The soldiers who were marching to battle were seen as being doomed
The 'Old Contemptibles', the British expeditionary force
The British soldiers were known as the 'Old Contemptibles'
Along 18 lines of trenches, waited for the word
The British soldiers were positioned along 18 lines of trenches, waiting for the signal to attack
And all week their own big guns roared above their heads
The British soldiers heard the sound of their own artillery firing above them for a whole week
This will be a cakewalk boys, the German wire is down
The soldiers were told that the battle would be easy, as the barbed wire obstacles had been removed
We'll walk across the mud and count the Kaiser's dead
The soldiers were anticipating victory and looked forward to counting the number of enemy casualties
It's a long way to Tipperary
A reference to a popular song about being far away from home
It's a long way to go
Acknowledgement that the journey home would be long
It's a long way to Tipperary
Repetition of the previous line for emphasis
To the sweetest girl I know
The person singing is thinking of their love back home
Goodbye, Picadilly
A farewell to a famous street in London
Farewell Leicester Square
A farewell to another famous London location
It's a long, long way to Tipperary
Repetition of the previous verse for emphasis
but my heart lies here
Despite the distance, the singer's heart belongs to the place they are currently in
It was sever in the morning & the whistles sounded shrill
The battle began early in the morning and was signaled by the sound of whistles
Fix bayonets and take her nice and slow
Instructions given to the soldiers to attach bayonets to their weapons and advance slowly
There was silence for a moment as they started their advance
The soldiers began to move forward in silence, anticipating the upcoming battle
Two hundred thousand dead mean row on row
The number of dead soldiers was so great that they were lined up row on row
Then the chatter of machine guns and the screams of dying men
The sounds of machine gun fire mixed with the screams of the dying
Will always liniger there behind the Somme
The memories of the fierce battle will always remain present at the Somme
Now a few old men remember and they gather once a year
A reference to the annual gatherings of veterans to remember the events of the battle
To drink their health and sing as these old songs
The veterans gather to toast their comrades and sing old songs from their time in the war
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
A phrase encouraging people to let go of their worries and focus on the present
And smile, smile, smile
An invitation to smile and enjoy the moment
While you've a Lucifer to light your fag
A reference to having a match or lighter to light a cigarette
Smile, boys, that's the style
An encouragement to the soldiers to keep their spirits up and maintain a positive attitude
What's the use of worrying, it never was worthwhile
Worrying is pointless, and it's better to focus on the positive aspects of life
Contributed by Carson L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian Burt
on Bluenose
You have missed out a verse.