Dubliners, The - Many Young Men Of Twenty Lyrics

"I knew I bore a living child of him."

Pardon my ignorance, which war or conflict is this song about?

It's not about war. It's about Irish immigration to England in the 1940's/ 50's. It's the theme song from John B Keane's play of the same name. I googled this to get me in the mood for a rehearsal next week.

The best group to come out off dublin

FOREVER our lovely Dubliners, genials singers.

such a great song which always makes me think of the world wars and how many young men and women where separated and/or lost to each other

I love Luke and Ronnie was amazing. Such riches in recordings they left for us to experience. Thanks, Dubliner85.

God bless them all

The great Ronnie Drew, my god what a singer he was !

please folk, tell me please what this is about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwjYxAAi7TM

Francesco Dandrea It's about emmigration from Ireland.

Many young man of twenty said goodbye
All that long day
From break of dawn until the sun was high
Many young man of twenty said goodbye

My boy Jimmy went that day
On the big ship sailed away
Sailed away and left me here to die
Many young man of twenty said goodbye

I met my love upon the mountain Rim
The day he left
I new I bore a living child of him
I new I bore a living child of him

And the child was born to me
Jimmy's gone across the sea
Jimmy's gone and here alone am I
Many young man of twenty said goodbye

My Jimmy said he'd sailed across the sea
He swore his oaths
He'd sail back home one day and marry me
He'd sail back home one day and marry me

But my Jimmy let me down
Now they mock me in the town
Oh my Jimmy please come back to me
Oh my Jimmy please come back to me

Many young man of twenty said goodbye
All that long day
From break of dawn until the sun was high
Many young man of twenty said goodbye

They left the mountains and the glens
The lasses and the fine young men
I saw the tears of every girl and boy
Many young man of twenty said goodbye

3 dicks are not men "for the thumbs down"

oh! santo cielo de los mejores ritmos y canciones que he escuchado, fantasticos, grandiosos, the dubliners los mejores, i like that songs wonderful, the dubliners the best.

How dare people press dislike, Ronnie Drew was a legend, a decent man

+Suki Tunes 2 def feckers

@James Grange Yep

+Suki Tunes and on such a classic tune that showcases Ronnie's voice so well.

Such a pity that the Dubliners as a band do not exist anymore, the very top of Irish music,  there are no equals nor will there be, r.i.p. Ronnie, Luke, Barney, Jim.

I love listening to this...

As I recall, versions of this song were popular on the folk scene in the late 60's/ early 70's.  I am more familiar with a version sung by Anne O'Neill, a norther singer but for a lyric that comes straight and poignantly from the female perspective, I am completely blown away by the pathos and empathy that Ronnie and the band get into this song!  Beautiful! 

good lyrics

Brilliant

irish people are the best!

Good man John B !

Brilliant

Tà buiochas na hEireann thar a bheith tuillte acu...

the dubliners...ahhhh the band of all Ireland. Its culture,of all strands, and its music. God bless Ronnie Drew!

I think the lyrics of this song were written by the late John B.Keane - when he went to England as a young man seeking work.

proudly brought up with all these ! . . . .beut !

LOVE DA DUBS!!!!!

Sorry that three of them five already passed away ... !

funny image: seeing ronnie drew pregnant!

Goosebumps.
hearing his voice again

excelent

excellent song. oh my what a powerful voice the great ronnie drew had !
RIP.

My pleasure:)

I love the Dubs.
I thank you deeply for posting all of your amazing videos of their touching music.

ronnie the legend.never be a voice like that again

We will agree to disagree as this conversation is going nowhere.
As someone who worked over the years with members of the Dubliners, Chieftains, Dublin City Ramblers, Wolfe Tones, Sharon Shannon Band etc I am proud of their contributions to reviving Irish music from the 1960s onwards. I hope that other musicians will continue to re-energise & popularise this music genre & update it with new themes, instruments and rhythms without losing its oftentimes political and social messages

Actually, the Dubliners did set a 'trend' as the definition of the word is "To extend, incline, or veer in a specified direction". They moved irish music in a certain direction, by re-establishing the folk ballad format in the popular mainstream. Your use of the wording "...they revived an ageing trend.." is incorrect. You don't revive a 'trend'. A trend is current not historical

I promote traditional music amongst young and old people. So I think that I know what I am talking about. The Dubliners were trendsetters in their era. The political and social themes that they sung and often about represented a certain era in Irish history that people of their time were familiar with. They did not sing about the Lisbon Treaty, the Internet, Smack, Climate Change.....

Actually your remark is astonishingly condescending. For not many young people today are familiar with the social mores and attitudes that prevailed in pre-EU Ireland.

Very emotive lyrics about Irish emigration. Such a female perspective was not heard too often in pre-1970s Ireland. I salute John B.Keane for his courage

ronnie drew is a wonderful man

gr8 song, my son starred in the play of the same name,by john b keane last nite in listowel,

love this and nobody sings it like ron