lyrics for "The Cruel War"
Alan Gauld
Does anyone have the lyics to a song called The Cruel War.
They are about a woman trying to persuade her soldier lover to take her
with him to the war. he ininially refuses but finally(last verse) relents.
I have some of the verses but not all, I will try to post those that I know
later...
Also any background(Irish/English? Who wrote it, who has reecorded it etc.)
Thanks in anticipation :)
--
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A.J. Gauld EMail: aga...@gssec.bt.co.uk
BT, Glasgow Engineering Centre, Phone: +44 41 553 2140
229 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1BZ, UK. FAX: +44 41 553 1392
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Naomi Gayle Rivkis
>Hi,
>
>Does anyone have the lyics to a song called The Cruel War.
The cruel war is raging,
Johnny has to fight;
I want to be with him
From morning till night.
I want to be with him,
It grieves my heart so --
Won't you let me go with you?
"No, my love; no."
Tomorrow is Sunday,
Monday is the day
That your captain will call you
And you must obey.
Your captain will call you,
It grieves my heart so --
Won't you let me go with you?
"No, my love; no."
I'll tie back my hair;
Men's clothing I'll put on,
And I'll pass as your comrade
As we march along.
I'll pass as your comrade --
No one will ever know;
Won't you let me go with you?
"No, my love; no."
Oh Johnny, oh Johhny,
I fear you are unkind --
I love you far better
Than all of mankind.
I love you far better
Than words can e'er express --
Won't you let me go with you?
"Yes, my love; yes."
>Also any background(Irish/English? Who wrote it, who has reecorded it etc.)
The song is recorded on Peter, Paul & Mary's first album, and the
author is given as Peter Yarrow. Technical Difficulties also has
a nice version of it on the album "Please Stand By," that weaves
another lyric thread through the verses; the combined song is called
"Waiting For You/Cruel War".
Disclaimer -- I typed the lyrics above from memory and have the
uneasy feeling that I may have left a verse out, but am not sure.
-Naomi
--
"Do not try to save the world by loving thy neighbor; it will only make
him nervous. Save the world by respecting thy neighbor's rights under law
and insisting that he respect yours."
E. B. White
Gerry Myerson
ri...@ellis.uchicago.edu (Naomi Gayle Rivkis) wrote:
>
> The cruel war is raging,
> Johnny has to fight;
> I want to be with him
> From morning till night.
> I want to be with him,
> It grieves my heart so --
> Won't you let me go with you?
> "No, my love; no."
It always seemed to me that if the woman had had the sense to say
"My hair is in a mess" (instead of, "It grieves my heart so"), then
the rhyme scheme would have forced Johnny to say "Yes, my love, yes"
a whole lot sooner, and we'd have been spared all those other verses.
Insert smileys to taste.
Gerry Myerson
Newsfeed unreliable. If you post a follow-up to this article, please
send it to me by email, as well.
Wayne Mendryk
AG>Newsgroup: rec.music.folk
AG>Organization: BT Glasgow Engineering Centre, Scotland.
AG>Hi,
AG>Does anyone have the lyics to a song called The Cruel War.
A.J. here they are. I found the lyrics in "The Peter,Paul and Mary
Song Book.
Guitar Cords
G Em Am Bm C Am
The Cruel War is raging Johnny has to fight I want to be with him from
G Em Am Bm
morning till night. I want to be with him, it grieves my heart so,
B C Am G C G
"Won't you let me go with you? No, my love no.
Verse 2
Tomorrow is Sunday, Monday is the day That your captain will call you
and you must obey. Your captain will call you, it grieves my heart so,
Won't you let me go with you? No, my love no.
Verse 3
I'll tie back my hair, men's clothing I'll put on, I'll pass as your
comrade as we march along. I'll pass as your comrade no one will ever
no. Won't you let me go with you? No, my love no.
Verse 4
Johnny, oh Johnny, I fear you are unkind, I love you far better than all
of mankind, I love you far better than words can e'er express. Won't you
let me go with you? Yes, my love yes.
According to my songbook Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow are credited with
writing the words and music to this song, although I thought this was a
traditional song wrote by someone during the American Civil War.
Wayne Mendryk
Edmonton,Alberta, Canada
---
ş SLMR 2.1a ş It's only a hobby ... only a hobby ... only a
Abby Sale
(It's easier for me to comment when someone else does the hard work &
types out the actual song.)
>Does anyone have the lyics to a song called The Cruel War.
Usually "roach" back my hair.
NGR> I love you far better
NGR> Than words can e'er express --
NGR> Won't you let me go with you?
NGR> "Yes, my love; yes."
Amazingly little change in words for verses or chorus since Sharp's
Tennesee version of 1916. That one adds:
I'll go to your general,
Get down upon my knees, [Hmmmmmmmm :-)]
Five hundred bright guineas
I'll give for your release.
She has rings on her fingers [Can't imagine why the source stuck
And bells on her toes this one in here. Haven't heard it
And she carries music anywhere else. Maybe just while she
Wherever she goes. was "blanking" the last verse?]
When you're standing on the picket
Some cold winter day,
Them red rosy cheeks
They will all fade away.
Them red rosy cheeks,
That grieves my heart so.
Won't you let me go with you? [sic]
Oh Yes, my love, Yes. [sic]
The way the last verse is handled here sort of tells me that the
alternate last line (still "no") was a common joke even in 1916. Seems
so obvious that Johnny would as easily love her & leave her that the
very first singer must have thought of it.
S97...@umslvma.umsl.edu
wayne....@freddy.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Wayne Mendryk) writes:
>According to my songbook Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow are credited with
>writing the words and music to this song, although I thought this was a
>traditional song wrote by someone during the American Civil War.
>Wayne Mendryk
Peter or Noel (Paul's real first name, and he usually writes it with a small
"n" to boot) or Mary or Milt Okun or a combination thereof wrote some of these
songs, when they are obviously traditional. This is because they have the
copyright on THAT particular arrangement of it. I guess they took it for
granted then that we'd know that, since they were folk singers, this was a
folk song, and therefore traditional in its basis. I am sure no malice was
meant here. Nowadays they will specify on record jackets and such whether it is
the song itself or just the arrangement which they are copyrighting.
BTW, is that songbook the one with the maroon cover which says The Deluxe
Peter Paul and Mary Songbook, or am I missing one? More info, please! <G> I am
one of the biggest PP&M fans on the planet. :)
Speaking of which, I have their 1994 schedule, which Shelley Belusar posted on
Prodigy last week. (Shelley's their tour manager.) Anybody interested?
************************************************************************
This post is all the fault of:
Andrea Crain, aka "Andreamer" aka "Anj" aka "e". (go figure!)
Internet: s97...@Umslvma.umsl.edu. (So nice to know I'm not just a #)
Peace is possible. Have a nice day! :)
Wayne Mendryk
S9>Newsgroup: rec.music.folk
S9>Organization: UM-St. Louis
S9>In article <50.5373.23...@freddy.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca>
S9>wayne....@freddy.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Wayne Mendryk) writes:
S9>>According to my songbook Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow are credited with
S9>>writing the words and music to this song, although I thought this was a
S9>>traditional song wrote by someone during the American Civil War.
S9>>Wayne Mendryk
S9>Wayne, well, in the credits on most early PP&M efforts, it just says that
S9>Peter or Noel (Paul's real first name, and he usually writes it with a small
S9>"n" to boot) or Mary or Milt Okun or a combination thereof wrote some of the
S9>songs, when they are obviously traditional. This is because they have the
S9>copyright on THAT particular arrangement of it. I guess they took it for
S9>granted then that we'd know that, since they were folk singers, this was a
S9>folk song, and therefore traditional in its basis. I am sure no malice was
S9>meant here. Nowadays they will specify on record jackets and such whether it
S9>the song itself or just the arrangement which they are copyrighting.
Hi Andrea, nice to meet another person with as much taste as I have..
ie. taste for folk music, taste for friendships with "nice" persons,
(grin) .esp. Peter,Paul and Mary. Thanks for your explanation of
copyright regulations in the music industry. My older sister used to be
a professional musician here in Canada, and cut a record in British
Columbia (concerning the misguided attempts of the Provincial Government
of British Columbia to divert water from a lake (which would have
effectively destroyed all the life in the lake) in the interests of
"power" (as in electrical and maintaining their "political" power in
the province by "rationalizing" this "diversion" as being in the best
interests of the residents of British Columbia"; when in fact the only
interests the gov't had in mind were those of the corporate lobbyists
who could have benefitted from this diversion and their own political
survival).
What does this have to do with what you are talking about you must be
asking eh? Its just that my sister never explained this notion that a
"particular arrangement" of a "traditional" folksong could be copyright,
which is surprising because her ex-husband had done his own "particular"
arrangements of such memorable "folk" hits as "I'm going fishin' when
the sun goes down", etc. etc. I greatly appreciate the time you took
to respond to my message and enlighten me in the area of copyrighting.
S9>BTW, is that songbook the one with the maroon cover which says The Deluxe
S9>Peter Paul and Mary Songbook, or am I missing one? More info, please! <G> I
S9>one of the biggest PP&M fans on the planet. :)
Actually this is a different songbook than the one you mention. It is
titled "The Peter,Paul, and Mary Songbook". The distinguishing
feature of the front of the songbook is that Peter, Paul
and Mary are photographed standing at the top of what appears to be a
sand dune. This songbook was published by Pepamar Music Corporation,N.Y
N.Y. The content of the book is as follows. An introduction has
photographs of each individual in the top left corner of the page, then
in the bottom half of the page either Peter, Paul or Mary has written a
short autobiography. ie.
Under Peter we have the following:
"Conflict has shaped my life"
When I first graduated (from Cornell University) in Sept. 1959 I
intended to enter a school of design a year later and in the interim, to
try and earn money by singing"... ...my break came when I was asked to
perform on the television "Folk,Sound U.S.A in June,1960.Albert Grossman
introduced me to Mary, whom had already been singing with
Paul..we..began to believe we might have something to say together (NO
KIDDING!) It appears that I have partly resolved that conflict of which
I had spoke. I am glad these conflicts exist, for without the ability to
sense the world around me, without the desire to evaluate it for myself,
and without the capacity for caring about what I see, I would never be
able to sing folk songs".
Rather ironical don't you think Andrea? In that it was conflict which
kept Peter singing, yet in the end it was his interpersonal conflicts
(with Peter and Mary) which could not be resolved, that caused the
group to split up.
Paul states:
"Because of my father's work we travelled a lot in the car and the three
of us used to sing to pass the time. I wo an ad. contest for the
series...the prize was $467 worth of flash bulbs. I turned them into
the store for $60..bringing my grand savings to $500.. After 3 weeks I
was down to $26...on my way home I was hired as a salesman by an office
that made photo. chemicals.During that year I went down to the Village,
and played chess after works on Tuesday's. Then one night there was a
stage in place of the chess boards. I asked the manager if he was
looking for entertainers...I tried out...and began to play regularly
there. Prettey soon I was dragging into the office late all the time. I
knew I had to decide which it was going to be. I decided to entertain...
It was there that I met Mary...I moved to the Gaslight. Then Peter met
Mary, Mary introduced me to Peter, and we... started to work up
numbers...I couldn't believe that all this was leading some place.
...Musically, Peter and I have verssatility and quite a range, but what
really makes us different as a group is Mary....I thik she is the one
who has a future in show business...I'm not ashamed to say my goal is to
save the world. True communication of thought and emotion for all men!
Music is a way of achieving it.
Mary remarks: "In folk music I find a way I find a way of saying
everything I want to say" (WM:RIGHT ON MARY!! None of this
asemantic rock or rap garbage). I come from a long line of
non-conformists...my mother and father are both writers and were always
united in presenting to me a rugged distrust of "the establishment" I
was surrounded by people who did..or were trying to do things...people
who were intense about life and who wanted to affect the world they
lived in....through adolescence I unable to be like everybody else,I
was equally unable to be myself I am still learning. (WM: Andrea
don't you feel this "perception Mary had parallels that of Crosby,Nash
and Young in the song "Woodstock" ie. .."and I don't know who I am, but
life is for learning". (except of course "Woodstock" occurred near the
end of the Folk era)
Mary continues, " I met Paul,...then Al Grossman introduced me to
Peter...Soon the three of us were working numbers up together. I suppose
he and Peter and Paul expected something to come of it all. I didn't
...I went along for the friendship, the sense of belonging.. (WM: Again,
this is ironic in that that P,P, M's friendship went "sour" and they
split up") ...I can't write about Peter and Paul and what Al has done
for me-for us-without an intensity of feeling that stops the words
before they come. They have given me myself.They are, for me, what the
music is all about; integrity and love and the reality of feeling. If
this vision that we share with you in our music has proved to be
successful, it is not because I believe, because it is our vision, but
because it has been yours all along. WOW what a hopeful message. Too bad
we couldn't have a revival of Peter, Paul and Mary music (and other
artists with this vision of unity etc- the world needs it now more than
ever.
Andrea, to conclude I thought you would like to know that this
"songbook" contains the words and music to songs from all of the
following P,P& M albums: Peter,Paul and Mary W.B 1449; Peter, Paul and
Mary:Moving; Peter, Paul and Mary: In the Wind; Peter, Paul and Mary in
Concert; Peter, Paul and Mary:A Song will rise. By the way, "Moving",
"In the Wind", and "A Song Will Rise" are all available on CD (I know
this because I own one of each! So what other artists do you "LOVE" to
listen to? Do you play the guitar? By the way please explain the
semantical significance of "Andreamer aka Anj aka "e". (Excuse my
ignorance)
---
ş SLMR 2.1a ş "Met a friend I never knowed,walking down ..Rocky Road"
gillespi...@gmail.com
I'd like to know more about your thoughts on the gestation of the song "Cruel War".
Michael Gillespie.
kcjsto...@gmail.com
The cruel war is over.
Johnny has come home,
But his lover's not with him.
He came alone.
Tim Thomas
Did the Peter, Paul and Mary version contain that last verse?
During the American Revolution, wives sometimes went with their husbands to fight. See "Molly Pitcher." I associate this song with those times.
