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Messines

by The John Byrne Band

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about

David O’Brien wrote the lyrics to Messines, retelling the story of two WW1 Irish Divisions including the 16th (Mainly Irish and Catholic/Nationalist) and the 36th (Mainly Ulster and Protestant/Unionist), people raised to be suspicious and even hateful of each other at home, but who fought and died side-by-side at the Battle of Messines.It's a story that for many years had been lost and buried as it didn't fit the narrative for either side. A unique story of comradery David wrote it to the tune of Lily of the West/Lakes of Pontchartrain and we recorded it so. I did some slight editing on the lyrics to fit them to our arrangement of the tune. "Always Faithful and Everywhere" is taken from the 16th Irish Division whose motto was "Everywhere and Always Faithful"

lyrics

Messines
T’was on a grim June morning the thunderous mines did blow

Praying to God with thoughts of home, together we faced the foe

I cursed all those who sent us here, to a war we dared to share

Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere.



Before that day we kicked a ball beneath the Flanders sun

Never knew that these Ulstermen could indeed be so much fun

Enemies strangers became as one, playing without a care

Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere



You’d be forgiven, to think as a foe, that we would change the name

But as comrades we guarded Derry’s Walls and you would have done the same

Yes Orange and Green, together was seen, together through laughter and tear

Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere.



Faugh a’ Ballagh for Ulster, for Ireland, a legacy was left to tell

T’was brave John Meeke of the Orders Loyal who held Redmond where he fell

North and South together his volley did fire in the misty morning fair

Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere.


We had our different visions of home, but as one we suffered and bled

This noble camaraderie, is a story seldom said

Back home in our trenches of us and them, at you others we’d coldly stare

Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere



Fair thee well to all my comrades bold, I’ll sing of your deeds no more

But I'll ner forget our brotherhood lost back home on our native shore

And I’ll raise a glass as the sun goes down, I’ll raise a glass with care

For Remember us as brothers we fought, always faithful and everywhere.

credits

released October 2, 2020
Lyrics by David O'Brien, music traditional arranged by The John Byrne Band
Phote from Stock WW1 Search

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The John Byrne Band Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

On his new record, A Shiver in the Sky (2019),Dublin native John Byrne and his band vibrantly execute ten new originals. Strings, horns and guitars escort Byrne’s vocals through a set of songs about living and pushing forward through negative times.
Critics have called his writing “powerful, deeply moving work that will stay with you long after you have heard it” (Sing Out)
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