The Green
Fields of France
– 
by Eric Bogle

Well how do
you do, Private William MacBride
do you mind if I sit here by your graveside?
And I’ll rest for a while in the warm summer sun,
I’ve been walking all day and I’m nearly done.

I see by your gravestone that you were only 19
when you joined the dead heroes in 1915.
Well I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
or Willie MacBride was it slow and obscene?

Well the sun’s shining now on these green fields of
France,
a warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished under the plow
no gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now.

But here in this graveyard that is still No Man’s land
the countless white crosses in mute witness stand.
To man’s blind indifference to his fellow man
to a whole generation that was butchered and damned.

And I can’t help but wonder now Willie MacBride
do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe them that this war would end wars?

Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame –
the killing and dying – it was all done in vain.
Oh Willie MacBride, it’s all happened again
and again, and again, and again, and again.

And did you leave wife or a sweetheart behind,
in some faithful heart are you forever enshrined?
And though you died back in 1915
to some faithful heart are you forever 19?


Alternate Lyrics to Green Fields of France. 

This
version was sung in the “Three Irish Tenors”  (
Finbar Wright, Ronan Tynan and Anthony Kearns)
concert from Ellis Island,  shown on Tara TV,
New Year 2001/2.

Well,
how do you do Private William McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?
And rest for awhile neath the warm summer sun
I’ve been walking all day, and I’m nearly done

And I
see by your gravestone, you’re only nineteen
When you joined the great fallen in nineteen sixteen

Well I hope you died quickly, I hope you died clean
Or poor Willy Mcbride, was it slow and obscene?


Chorus:
Did they beat the drums slowly?
Did they play the pipes lowly?
Did they bugles carry you over as they lowered you
down?
And did the band play ‘The Last Post’ in chorus?
Did the pipes play ‘The Flowers Of The Forest’?

And
did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And though you died back in nineteen-sixteen
In that faithful heart are you always nineteen?

Or are
you a stranger without a name?
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane
In an old photograph, torn and tattered, and
stained.
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.


(Chorus)

Well
the sun’s shining down on these green fields of
France
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies
dance
The trenches have vanished long under the plow
There’s no gas, no barb wire, there’s no guns firing
now

But
here in this graveyard that’s still no-man’s land
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand
To man’s blind indifference to his fellow man
The whole generation was butchered and damned


(Chorus)

And I
can’t help but wonder young Willy McBride
Do those that lie here know why that they died?
And did they really believe you when you told them
the cause
Did they really believe that this war would end
wars?

Well
the suffering, and the sorrow, the glory of pain
The killing and dying they were all done in vain
For young Willy McBride it’s all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again…


(Chorus)