Joan Baez - Johnny, I Hardly Knew Yeh (Lyrics) [HD]

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Description

Joan Baez sings 'Johnny, I Hardly Knew Yeh' from her 1993 Vanguard album 'Rare, Live & Classic'. The lyrics are in the video and below with comments about the song.

Note: For this American version of a traditional song about war it makes sense to relate it to the Civil War of the 1860s.

[CD/Lyrics/17-Images]

Johnny, I Hardly Knew Yeh (Singer: Joan Baez)

With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns
The enemy nearly slew you
My darling dear, you look so queer
Johnny, I hardly knew you

Where are your legs that use to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that use to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that use to run
Before you left to carry a gun
I fear your dancing days are done
Johnny, I hardly knew you

Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild
When my heart you did beguile
And why did you run from me and the child
Johnny, I hardly knew you

You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg
You're an eyeless, boneless, chickenless egg
And you'll have to be put with a bowl to beg
Johnny, I hardly knew you

They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again
But they won't take back our sons again
No they'll never take back our sons again
Johnny, I'm swearing to you

Songwriter: Traditional
[Lyrics from Musixmatch]

Wikipedia states:

"Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" (Roud 3137), also known as "Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye" or "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya", is a popular traditional song, sung to the same tune as "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". First published in London in 1867 and written by Joseph B. Geoghegan, a prolific English songwriter and successful music hall figure, it remained popular in Britain and Ireland and the United States into the early years of the 20th century. The song was recorded by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem on their eponymous album in 1961, leading to a renewal of its popularity.

Folk singer Joan Baez often included the song in her concert sets during the early to mid-1970s as a statement against the Vietnam War and all wars in general.