Bruce Springsteen - Mrs McGrath
"Mrs McGrath" - легендарная антивоенная ирландская песня о молодом парне, которого британцы забрили в рекруты для войны с Наполеоном. Через семь лет искалеченного солдата возвращают домой... В " Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" - тот же сюжет, но в этом случае мисс Макграт дает жару и восклицает, что две ноги ее сына Теда куда важнее и прекрасней, чем задницы испанского и португальского королей (которые, собственно, и защищали в ту пору англичане от гвардейцев французского императора).
Общемировую известность песня получила там же, где и " Chanson de Craonne" - в траншеях Первой мировой войны. Тогда же появились множество ее вариантов. Редакция Брюса Спрингстин на альбоме 2006-го года по всей видимости также не будет последней. Он осовременил финал: "проклинаю все заграничные войны, сосущие кровь и боль матерей; я не променяла бы жизнь моего сына на величие короля Америки и весь его флот".
Bruce Springsteen - Mrs McGrath
The Dubliners - Mrs McGrath
"Mrs. McGrath," the sergeant said,
"Would you like a soldier
of your son, Ted?
With a scarlet cloak and a fine cocked hat,
Mrs. McGrath wouldn't you like that?"
Mrs. McGrath lived on the shore
And after seven years or more
she spied a ship come into the bay
with her son from far away
"Oh, Captain dear, where have you been.
Have you been out sailin' on the Mediteren'.
Have you any news of my son Ted.
Is he livin' or is he dead?"
Now came Ted without any legs
And in their place two wooden pegs
She kissed him a dozen times or two
Saying "My God Ted is it you?"
"Now were you drunk or were you blind
When you left your two fine legs behind?
Or was it walking upon the sea
That wore your two fine legs away?"
"No I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind
When I left my two fine legs behind.
a cannon ball on the fifth of May
Tore my two fine legs away."
"Now Teddy boy," the widow cried
"Your two fine legs was your mother's pride
Them stumps of a tree won't do at all
Why didn't you run from the cannon ball?"
All foreign wars, I do proclaim
Live on blood and a mother's pain
I'd rather have my son as he used to be
than the king of America and his whole navy
Общемировую известность песня получила там же, где и " Chanson de Craonne" - в траншеях Первой мировой войны. Тогда же появились множество ее вариантов. Редакция Брюса Спрингстин на альбоме 2006-го года по всей видимости также не будет последней. Он осовременил финал: "проклинаю все заграничные войны, сосущие кровь и боль матерей; я не променяла бы жизнь моего сына на величие короля Америки и весь его флот".
Bruce Springsteen - Mrs McGrath
Click to viewThe Dubliners - Mrs McGrath
"Mrs. McGrath," the sergeant said,
"Would you like a soldier
of your son, Ted?
With a scarlet cloak and a fine cocked hat,
Mrs. McGrath wouldn't you like that?"
Mrs. McGrath lived on the shore
And after seven years or more
she spied a ship come into the bay
with her son from far away
"Oh, Captain dear, where have you been.
Have you been out sailin' on the Mediteren'.
Have you any news of my son Ted.
Is he livin' or is he dead?"
Now came Ted without any legs
And in their place two wooden pegs
She kissed him a dozen times or two
Saying "My God Ted is it you?"
"Now were you drunk or were you blind
When you left your two fine legs behind?
Or was it walking upon the sea
That wore your two fine legs away?"
"No I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind
When I left my two fine legs behind.
a cannon ball on the fifth of May
Tore my two fine legs away."
"Now Teddy boy," the widow cried
"Your two fine legs was your mother's pride
Them stumps of a tree won't do at all
Why didn't you run from the cannon ball?"
All foreign wars, I do proclaim
Live on blood and a mother's pain
I'd rather have my son as he used to be
than the king of America and his whole navy