We all hardly know Johnny but we know shit goes down when he comes marching.

Just to clarify the tune was likely written in the early 1700s it was called Johnny fill up the bowl which was a drinking song. It wasn't until 1862 that a man rewrote it for his sister who's fiance was a soldier.

War is a terrible business.....You can feel the regret, anguish from being dragged off to war and coming back like a broken man. My grandfather who was a Scottish war veteran used to sing this song whenever he mourned his friends during the war. He told me an Irish friend of his taught him this song on the battlefield. Good thing they both came back alive.

An anti war song about an Irish lad who fought in the Kandyan Wars in Ceylon ( Sri Lanka) for the British in the early 1800's. Arrives home sans arms, legs and an eye. Unrecognisable to his old sweetheart. Fact - the 83rd ( County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot fought in Ceylon from 1817 -1821 during the 1817/18 Uva rebellion. A somewhat brutal period of Sri Lankan colonial history - the male population over 18 was massacred in the province of Uva.

Expectations: When Johnny comes marchin' home again... Reality: Johnny I hardly knew ya... Truly wonderful realization.

Poor Johnny, He'll never leave her, He'll never come marching home, tis a shame, I hardly knew him.

I get goosebumps every time he says:"...the enemy NEVER slew ye..".I don't know why :p It's amazing

I just came across a wikipedia article that mentioned this song. Never knew there was such a famous song about an Irish soldier's experience during British colonial wars in Sri Lanka (Island of sulloon = Ceylon = Sivhela = Sri Lanka). The Irish people too have faced so much Hardship because of British imperialism always wish them the best.

Im an old. 67 vet & tear up every time i hear this i think bout all vets but also my brothers & sisters who served in vietnam bless all rip those gave all ✌

아련한 멜로디다. 고난의 세월, 지난한 삶, 전쟁, 기아, 죽음, 절망, 사랑 등의 애환을 살아가는 인간이 부르는 노래다. 가사를 몰라도 음률에 다 전해져 온다

Damn my country has amazing music

This might sound weird but this song really helps me sleep

Normal wolves: _"Awooooo"_ Irish wolves: _"Hurroo"_

Back in late summer 2021 at our dacha in northern Ukraine my grandad and I listened to a playlist of The Irish Rovers during the sweltering summer days whilst we dug for our potato harvest. That was the last thing we did together. I went to the UK later than year and couldn't return home ever since the start of the war. My grandad passed since and our dacha and field is no more. Every time I listen to these songs I remember the last time I saw grandad and the happy summer days at the end of the pandemic. Not only for brave fighters who defend their motherland, but for all ordinary folk war is a terrible tragedy.

The virgin Johnny Comes Marching Home vs The Chad Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

“So low in flesh, so high in bone” Jesus Christ this is HAUNTING

Irish songs are the best songs :D greeting from France, I hope to see you guys here one day :)

This is such a sad song behind such a merry tune. That contrast gives me unexplainable goosebumps every time I listen

I spent my childhood up to 10 in Ireland in the 50's and as a primary school boy, this song shook me to the core. It turned the excitement of war into a horror I wasn't ready to imagine. My culture glorified the fight for freedom from the British and all my heroes were young men who had been executed by the British. To give your life for Ireland was as high as you could imagine achieving in this life. The stark reality of these terrible lyrics brought home the horror of 19 year olds being put up against a wall and shot dead. These times have passed and I now live in an England I cherish and call home. Children shouldn't have to imagine life's horrors with such clarity. Yet, somewhere in the world, it is always a reality for some poor child. I can only think of them singly.

man what a dark song .

I love you irish rebels, love from sweden

The highly anticipated sequel to When Johnny comes marching home.

You just made me and boys have leaky eyes. We won't ever forget you, we won't ever let you down.

This reminds me of a song my grandma used to sing me.. “the ants go marching one by one harah harah, the ants do marching one by one harah harah! (Verse I can’t remember) The little one stops to tie his shoe and they all go marching down and around the town (repeat)”

Love Ireland! From Michigan, USA

This is more superior than When Jonny come marching home hurrah obviously

"So low in flesh, so high in bone" is a brutal way to say that someone died

1500's people: Anybody still listening? 2021: YES

Nothing quite like rediscovering music you knew as a child. I’ve been humming this song for as long as I can remember. I had no idea where it came from, I still don’t know where i heard it, I’m only part Irish and I’m not very familiar with that side of my family as my father died when i was young. i didn’t even know it was a real song... but it somehow feels like I was supposed to know this.

First heard this as a child…upset me greatly.

One day the whole Ireland will be reunited!! 🇮🇪💚 Love and hope to our Irish brothers from Spain🇪🇸

I'm Finnish and have absolutely 0% connection to Ireland yet i love irish music and culture! This is an incredible song.

I always wondered where Ants Marching Up the Hill came from. I really like this

I don't know where I heard it but I swear I heard an extra verse of this song go: They're rolling out the guns again huroo huroo They're rolling out the guns again huroo huroo They're rolling out the guns again looking for young strong Irish men But they never will take our sons again Johnny, I swear it to ya.

I love Ireland 🇮🇪 from Turkey 🇹🇷

"Go ahead, call the British. What are they gonna do, unbomb the car?"

Now I found the epic and cool music for my Bard in DnD😊

So sad and beautiful a song.

Since this song is from the Kandyan wars, I have a particular connection to it. My dad's Sinhalese, and hes from Sri Lankan (Ceylon/Sulloon) and my mother is Irish, from, well, Ireland. I was born in Kandy myself, but now live in Ireland. The Kandyan Kingdom had fought many bitter wars with the Europeans for centuries up until that stage which this song is set. First it was the Portuguese, then it was the Dutch, and finally came the British, which happened to be the ones who finally conquered the region fully. The Kandyan Sinhalese had no standing army, aside from the King's personal guard and his generals, and thus, during war time, they would raise an army from the local populace, not unlike the famous Fyrds the Anglo-Saxons raised in their time. While quite literally outgunned in many situations, the Kandyans opted for fierce Guerilla war tactics, in order to gain the upper hand on the invaders, often setting traps, ambushes or merely just using the environment to their advantages. Part of what they did also related to the violent mutilation of Foreign soldiers. You see, if they just killed the enemy, in theory, the leaders would only have to pay a small enough amount in order to compensate the bereaved families. However if they were mutilated, they would have to be compensated more. Also in theory, if people saw their mutilated countrymen, they would be less inclined to enlist. So as a result, many of the British soldiers that survived desperate battles, or were captured alive, were mutilated and often times crippled. But despite this, many soldiers still came, vying for the military pay that came with their service. A lot of them came from poorer parts of the Empire, including the desperately poor regions of Ireland. The folk song this video shares, stems from the multiated irish soldiers who fought on behalf of Britain, who left a lasting impact on their communities. I know for definite that my ancestors on my sri lankan side, fought in the war, due to them being part of a noble warrior caste, but for my Irish side, anything goes Although, they would have been far less inclined to help the british in any capacity, due to personal family bereavements from King Henry's and Cromwell's time. But maybe, just maybe, my ancestors on opposite sides of the war, met and clashed but ultimately didnt kill each other, so that their descendants would eventually meet and then create the disappointment that's currently speaking to you all, today.

I LOVE THE IRISH

"Drums and guns" love it

I don't know how happy it is for whoever reads this, but Happy Armistice Day and Happy Veteran's Day. Memorial Day is for the heroes. Veteran's Day is for the ones who are still here.

Everybody gangsta until Johnny comes marching home

Irish Rovers rule 😊

私は日本人ですが、この曲は世界を代表する曲だと思う。

americans: hurrah irish: hurroo edit: thanks for 560 like I love how this is what people watch in quarantine, lol

Johnny comes marching home is a chad, but this is a lad

Today I sang this song to an Irish man (client) while at work here in Spain, his face of happiness was unmatched, he even followed up along with me lol Much love to the Irish💚😂

This song made me remember the irish independancy war quite vividly. Im Italian/German.

I remember singing this in a middle school concert. I wish it had sounded near this good.

Happy St. Paddys day!🍀🍀

Chanson simple et magnifique! Merci Messieurs les Irlandais!

I've been knowing this song since I was a baby and I never knew the title or lyrics. So this made me happier than I thought possible

This song was played a lot when I was a kid, haven't listened to it in years, just randomly remembered it lol

So much of our culture is Irish in origin.

Was just napping like an old man... Wearing headphones and Pandora, this song just penetrated my soul

Greetings from Brazil

Just as I was sippin' my beer, I played this. Made the sparkle shoot up to my wits and right down to my heart. Merci beaucoup Messieurs les Irlandais, now the beer I've been sippin' for a wee bit of a little while is tasting a lot more savoury.

You hardly knew Johnny? Oh, I’ll introduce you. He should be marching home any minute now...

_Amazing feelings rise from deep inside_

Only one word can describe this song: EPIC!!!

Красивее традиционной Ирландской культуры ничего НЕТ !!!🦄🦄🦄🥜🥜🥜🍞🥖🍺🍻🍺🪢🪢🪢

And we'll all drink stone wine when johnny come marching home 🍷

Though I’m American I still love some of these Irish songs there quite great.

Only listened to this song like 5 times and somehow know most of the lyrics I just love it SO MUCH

Rest in piece those who fought.

WOW!!! YOUR BEST YET. DIDN'T KNOW YOU SANG AS WELL. WOW!!!

I'm from England but I'm sure we used to sing this song in assembly in primary school it sounds familiar but either way it's a beautiful song Irish songs are the best to listen to!

Beautiful song, it's already on my Irish playlist

Is.... beautiful the voice and music is so amazing I give 10 note I like the part of "with your drums and gun and guns and drums" amazing

Oh I am American with Irish and Scottish ancestry and this song just....🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

During games we always sing a supporting song on the tune of this song for our football team (Cercle Brugge from Belgium). Finally I found the song from which we use the melody.

Irish and Greek are of the same culture!!! Such a beautiful song !!!

I really like the Irish culture, partly because they're fucking amazing and they remind me of the dwarves from Lord Of The Rings which is also fucking amazing.

Nice song

“The enemy nearly slew ya” talking about missing an arm and both legs and going out in the streets to beg, this song definitely reminds me of The Cruel Wars by the Dreadnaughts.

took me ages to find this art piece. thank you.

Awesome song

"When Johnny comes marching home again Hurrah! Tra-la! He's coming by bus or underground Hurrah! Tra-la! The woman's eyes will shed a tear To see a face so beaten in fear Just around the corner from the ENGLISH CIVIL WAR" The Clash (aka the ONLY band that matters!) '78

2:42 Island of Sulloon (Ceylon), modern day Sri Lanka, Johny had injured in the Kandyan War. War against the last Kingdom of Ceylon, the Kandyan Kingdom.

my brother listened to the lyrics and now we think that its a song about all the soldiers who died in the war

Thanks for your work, its amazing, hello from Ukraine 🇺🇦🇮🇪🇨🇦❤️

Excellent

Im very gratefull that i have discovered this band and his musics today

Every man that goes to war comes home wounded, shot or not.

This reminds me a bit of moonshadow by cat stevens. They both mention having lost parts of themselves, but still seeing some good in the world. In Moonshadow's case its just seeing the silver lining in each injury, in this its a woman that will still accept her lover even after he was crippled badly in the war. They're both really sweet.

Great song and great performance! Goes to my favourites

The best version ♥ For a second you think that when they listen to this song and learn the lyrics there should be no war on earth. Thank you for that second ♥

I was taught wrong I was taught The animals went in one by one hurrah hurrah.

My little sister: sing the ants go marching Me: TIME TO SAY BYE BYE TO CHILDHOOD

As a point of fact, it is not Sulloon. They are referring to the isle of Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka).

ワイはこの音楽をエエ感じやと感じます。 この音楽はワイの心を動かしています。

Omg I remember this when I was younger! My mam used to sing this to me when I was a whee baby

Such pain suffered while inflicting pain on an innocent other. All by the command of the British 'masters' The ones who maimed Johnny or the ones Johnny killed in Ceylon had no quarrel with him.

Ay, I remember that from my childhood. Haven't heard it in thirty years or so. I missed it and didn't know ir. Thank you.

Sometimes I believe that I must be more Irish than English and these kinds of songs prove it

When goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo When goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo When goin' the road to sweet Athy A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye A doleful damsel I heard cry Johnny I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy nearly slew ye Oh darling dear, ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are the eyes that looked so mild When my poor heart you first beguiled Why did ye run from me and the child Johnny, I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy nearly slew ye Oh darling dear, ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo Where are the legs with which you run When first you went to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Johnny, I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy nearly slew ye Oh darling dear, ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg Ye're an eyeless, boneless, chickenless egg Ye'll have to be left with a bowl to beg Johnny I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy nearly slew ye Oh my darling dear, ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye And I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo Yes I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo Oh I'm happy for to see ye home All from the island of Ceylon So low in the flesh, so high in the bone Johnny I hardly knew ye With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and guns and drums The enemy never slew ye Oh darling dear, ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye

God save Ireland!

Magnificent song.... 🍀

This song has the same feeling of sorrow and pain as Pink Floyd's "Brothers in Arms" and Paul Simon's "The Side of a Hill"...