Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

• The repeating chorus line "With your drums and guns and drums and guns" is sometimes sung as "With your drums and guns and guns and drums", or "We had guns and drums and drums and guns", as in the Dropkick Murphys version. • "Why did ye run from me and the child?" sometimes replaces "Why did ye skedaddle from me and the child?" • "Where are the legs with which you run?" sometimes replaces "Where are the legs that used to run?", often also accompanied by a change from "When you went to carry a gun" to "When first you went to carry a gun", such as in the version performed by The Clancy Brothers. • In some versions, the final lines are sung as: • Steeleye Span recorded an adaptation of the song, called "Fighting For Strangers", on their 1976 album Rocket Cottage. Their version is substantially different, but bears the refrain "Johnny, what've they done to you" or "Johnny what'll happen to you". The other similarity is in the last verse: • The song "English Civil War" from The Clash's 1978 album ''Give 'Em Enough Rope'' incorporates melody and lyrics from the original. • The rugby song "I Met a Whore in the Park" goes to the tune of the song. • PJ Harvey's 2011 song "Let England Shake" modifies and incorporates the line, "Indeed your dancing days are done". • The villains in the 2001 film The Luck of the Irish sang the song during a victory feast. • The song "Hip Hurray" on the Fiddler's Green's 1995 album King Shepherd retains some of the lyrics while using a different melody and additional lyrics to create a reflection on the original song. • Marc Gunn and Jamie Haeuser recorded it on their album How America Saved Irish Music (2014). ==Reusage of the title==

• Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye: A book by Kenneth O'Donnell and David Powers about the truncated presidency of John F. Kennedy published in 1972. • Daddy, We Hardly Knew You: Germaine Greer, London, 1989 • Johnny, I Hardly Knew You: Edna O'Brien, London, 1977 ==Select recordings==

You can help by expanding this section • 1959 – Tommy Makem – The Newport Folk Festival, Vol. 1 • 1960 – Bud & Travis – ...In Concert • 1961 – The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem • 1961 – The Chad Mitchell Trio (blended with "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again") • 1961 – Maureen O'Hara • 1963 – Anita Carter • 1965 – The Leprechauns... "14 Irish Folk Songs" • 1969 – Frida Boccara – Un jour, un enfant • 1972 – Unknown – To Lord Byron • 1977 – Ryan's Fancy – Brand New Songs • 1982 – Susan Dunn – Recital with Pianoforte • 1986 – Benjamin Luxon (vocals) and Bill Crofut (Banjo) on "Folksongs at Tanglewood" – Omega Records OCD3003 • 1986 – Easterhouse – Contenders – "Johnny I Hardly Knew You" • 1989 – Hamish Imlach – Portrait LP – "Johhny, I Hardly Knew Ye" • 1991 – Guns N' Roses – Civil War Axl Rose whistles a part of the melody on the beginning of the song. • 1994 – Vlad Tepes – "Wladimir's March" instrumental intro track, a version of this song • 1993 – Joan Baez – Rare, Live & Classic • 1994 – The Cranberries, in "Zombie", sing "With their tanks and their bombs, and their bombs, and their guns" – a reference to the chorus of this song. • 2001 – The Tossers – Communication & Conviction: Last Seven Years • 2002 – Isla St Clair – on the album Amazing Grace – anthems to inspire • 2002 – Faye Ringel – on the album Hot Chestnuts • 2002 – Glenn Yarbrough – on the album Here We Go Baby! • 2003 – The Irish Rovers – on the album Live in Concert • 2006 – The tune of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" can be heard in the 5th episode of 18th season in "The Simpsons" • 2007 – Dropkick Murphys – The Meanest of Times • 2008 – Karan Casey – Ships in the Forest • 2008 – Tracy Smith – Taverns and Tall Ships • 2009 – Janis Ian – Essential Janis Ian (recorded earlier) • 2009 – Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg – Saints & Tzadiks – "Prayer for the Dead" • 2011 – duYun – Shark in You • 2012 – Foreign Feathers perform a version on It Could Be Worse. • 2012 – Vintage Wine – Drums and Guns • 2013 – Patty Duke – Patty Duke Sings Folk Songs – Time to Move On • 2013 – Santiano – Mit Den Gezeiten • 2013 – Marisa Anderson – Traditional and Public Domain Songs • 2014 – Gormacha – Libation • 2016 – The McMiners – Country Cross • 2017 – Ferocious Dog – The Red Album • 2017 – Teufelstanz – Camera Obscura • 2019 – The Bolokos – The Bolokos (hidden track) • 2024 – Flatline Rockers – Six Feet Down – published a faster psychobilly version of this traditional song ==See also==