Thursday, December 8, 2016

Rare 1972 Leonard Cohen Salute To Irish Hero "Kevin Barry"

You can stream or download it here:


                        KEVIN BARRY (1902 - 1920) 

Executed, Age 18, by British authorities.

Fighting for Ireland's freedom, he refused to inform on his friends.

A song commemorating Kevin Barry has been sung by artists such as Lonnie Donegan and Paul Robeson.

Leonard Cohen also sang this song, and a rare recording of him singing it in Israel on his 1972 tour recently surfaced online.

Here it is:




In Mountjoy jail one Monday morning 
High upon the gallows tree 
Kevin Barry gave his young life 
For the cause of liberty 

Just a lad of eighteen summers 
Yet there's no one can deny 
As he walked to death that morning 
He proudly held his head on high 

Just before he faced the hangman 
In his dreary prison cell 
British soldiers tortured Barry 
Just because he would not tell 

The names of his brave comrades 
And other things they wished to know 
"Turn informer or we'll kill you" 
Kevin Barry answered "No" 

Another martyr for old Ireland 
Another murder for the crown 
Whose brutal laws may kill the Irish 
But can't keep their spirits down 

Lads like Barry are no cowards 
From the foe they will not fly 
Lads like Barry will free Ireland 
For her sake they'll live and die

Shoot me like an Irish soldier
Do not hang me like a dog
For I fought for Ireland's freedom
On that dark September morn

All around the little bakery
We fought them hand to hand
Shoot me like an Irish soldier
For I died for Ireland

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Wikipedia article on Kevin Barry

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