War & anti-war songs

The most common themes in these songs are independence from the English crown and the commemoration of its battles, nationalism, anti-British sentiment and the memory of the rebel leaders deeds and martyrs of the homeland.

And then the shining gems: protest songs gushing from the mothers’ tears, wife and sweethearts of the men who went to war.

IRELAND

In Ireland, music has always been a vent and an instrument for denouncing social and political problems, so these songs embrace a very long time frame.
Recurring is the identification of Ireland with a woman, a device used to hide patriotic sentiment before the usurper.

A particular thread in Irish songs is that of the aisling songs: the aisling songs are usually a slow air of a sweetness mixed with infinite sadness and are mostly composed in Irish Gaelic to claim cultural independence from English and their Celtic roots!

I temi più ricorrenti in tali canzoni sono l’indipendenza dalla corona inglese e la commemorazione delle relative battaglie, il nazionalismo, il sentimento anti-britannico e il ricordo delle gesta dei capi ribelli e dei martiri della patria. E poi brillano come gemme le canzoni di protesta sgorgate dalle lacrime delle madri, moglie e fidanzate degli uomini andati  in guerra..

IRLANDA

In Irlanda la musica è stata da sempre, sfogo e strumento di denuncia dei problemi sociali e politici, così queste canzoni abbracciano un arco temporale molto vasto. Ricorrente è l’identificazione dell’Irlanda con una donna, espediente utilizzato per nascondere il sentimento patriottico davanti all’usurpatore.

Un filone particolare nei canti irlandesi è quello delle aisling songs:  in genere delle slow air di una dolcezza mista a tristezza infinita e per lo più sono composte in gaelico irlandese per rivendicare l’indipendenza culturale dall’inglese e le proprie radici celtiche!

SCOTLAND

Also in Scotland there is no lack of anti-British songs, Jacobite or autonomy aspirations, battle songs in which the proverbial indomitable Scottish pride, which hit the lost battles in victory, as long as they are fought with value.
See Jacobite question special

SCOZIA

Anche in Terra scozzese non mancano le canzoni anti-britanniche, le aspirazioni giacobite o di autonomia, i canti di battaglia in cui si esalta la proverbiale indomita fierezza scozzese, che tramuta in vittorie le battaglie perse, purchè combattute con valore.
Alla questione giacobita è riservata una pagina speciale https://terreceltiche.altervista.org/war-songs-anti-war-songs/you-jacobites-by-name/

BRETAGNA

ALARC’H (tradizionale bretone)

IRLANDA

• A NATION ONCE AGAIN  (Thomas Davis)
• ARTHUR MCBRIDE (canzone di protesta)
• AULD TRIANGLE
• AVONDALE
  
• BACK HOME IN DERRY
• BANKS OF THE NILE
• BANTRY GIRL’S LAMENT
• BARD OF ARMAGH
• BELLS OVER BELFAST
• BLACKBIRD OF SWEET AVONDALE
• BOLD FENIAN MEN (Peadar Kearney)
• BONNY BUNCH OF ROSES
• BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN
• BOOLAVOGUE  (Patrick Joseph Mccall)
• BOYS OF MULLAGHBAWN
• BRAES O’ KILLIECRANKIE
• BRENNAN ON THE MOOR
  
• Caitilín Ní Uallacháin 
• CROPPY BOY
  
• DANNY BOY
• DARK HORSE ON THE WIND
• DOWN BY THE GLENSIDE (THE BOLD FENIAN MEN)
  
• ERIN GO BRAGH
  
• FAREWELL NANCY
• FOGGY DEW  (Charles O’Neil)
• FOLLOW ME UP TO CARLOW  (Patrick Joseph McCall)
  
• GALLIPOLI
• GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME
• GREEN LINNET
  
• HER MANTEL SO GREEN
• HIGH GERMANY
  
• JOHN CONDON
• JOHNNY HAS GONE FOR A SOLDIER
• JOHNNY I HARDLY KNEW YE (canzone di protesta)
• JOIN THE BRITISH ARMY
  
• KELLY OF KILLANNE  (Patrick Joseph McCall)
• KERRY RECRUIT (canzone di protesta)
  
• LILLIBURLERO
• LOWLANDS OF HOLLAND (canzone di protesta)
  
• MERRY PLOUGHBOY (Off to Dublin in the Green)
• MINSTREL BOY  (Thomas Moore)
• MISE ÉIRE (Pádraig Pearse)
• MNÁ NA HÉIREANN (Women of Ireland)
• MO GHILE MEAR  (Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill)
• MRS MCGRATH (canzone di protesta)
• MY SON JOHN (canzone di protesta)
  
• NED OF THE HILL
• NELL FLAHERTY’S DRAKE
  
• ONLY OUR RIVERS RUN FREE
• ORÓ, SÉ DO BEATHA ‘BHAÍLE (GRANUAILE)
• PADDY’S LAMENTATION
• PATRIOT GAME
  
• RAMBLING SOLDIER
• RISING OF THE MOON
• ROISIN DUBH
  
• SAILING IN THE LOWLANDS LOW  (Patrick Joseph McCall)
• SALONIKA
• SEA AROUND US
• SIUIL A RUIN
• SPAILPIN FANACH (canzone di protesta)
• SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY
• TOWN I LOVED SO WELL
  
• WARS Of GERMANY
• WEARING OF THE GREEN
• WEST’S ASLEEP (Thomas Davis)
  WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY  (Robert Dwyer Joyce)
  
• ZOMBIE

SCOZIA

• BANKS OF THE NILE
• BATTLE OF OTTERBURN
• BONNIE DUNDEE
• BONNY BANKS O’ LOCH LOMOND
• BONNY LASS OF FYVIE
• BOTH SIDES THE TWEED
• BRAES O’ KILLIECRANKIE
  
• CAM YE O’ER FRAE FRANCE
• CAPTAIN’S LADY (Robert Burns)
• CHARLIE, HE IS MY DARLING  (Robert Burns)
• COCK UP YOUR BEAVER
  
• DEIL’S AWA WI’ THE EXCISEMAN  (Robert Burns)
  
• (An) Eala Bhàn
• EDOM O GORDON
  
• FLOWER OF SCOTLAND
• FREEDOM COME ALL YE
  
• HENRY MARTIN
• HIGH GERMANY
  
• JAMIE COME TRY ME  (Robert Burns)
• JOHNIE COPE
  
• LOWLANDS OF HOLLAND (canzone di protesta)
  
• MAN’S A MAN FOR ALL THAT  (Robert Burns)
• MO GHILE MEAR  (Seán Clárach MacDomhnaill)
  
• PRESSERS (canzone di protesta)
• RAMBLING SOLDIER
• ROAD TO THE ISLES
  
• SCOTS CALLAN’ O’ BONNIE DUNDEE (Robert Burns)
• SCOTS WHA HAE  (Robert Burns)
• SHERIFFMUIR (Robert Burns)
• SKYE BOAT SONG
• SOLDIER’S RETURN
• SUCH A PARCEL OF ROGUES IN A NATION  (Robert Burns)
  
• TRANENT MUIR
• TWA RECRUITIN’ SERGEANTS
  
• WARS Of GERMANY
• WHITE COCKADE (Robert Burns)
• WILL YE GO TO FLANDERS
• WILL YE NO’ COME BACK AGAIN
  
• YE JACOBITES BY NAME  (Robert Burns)

MISCELLANEA

• (The) Band Played Waltzing Matilda
• BONEY WAS A WARRIOR
• GALLANT HUSSAR
• GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE (Eric Bogle)
• LOVELY ON THE WATER
• PLAINS OF WATERLOO
• POLLY ON THE SHORE

Piemonte

• CASTELLO DI VERRUA (Nigra #135)
• QUAND A NA SÌE LÀ SU ‘N SAVOIA
• RAGAZZA GUERRIERA (Nigra #48)
• RE GILARDIN (Re Arduin) (Nigra #21)
• SPOSA MORTA (Nigra #17)
• POVRA MI