Title:
Our Own Little Isle
Additional Title:
Irish War Music (Fenian Echoes) for National Songs & Choruses of Ireland
First Line:
Oh! Irishmen! never forget 'tis a foreigners farm, your own little isle;
First Line of Chorus:
Yes! yes! we've a dear little spot of it,
Additional Names:
Publication Date:
1866
Instrumentation:
Piano
Voice
Subject:
Fenian Rising
WIMA Collections:
Irish Fest Collection
ID:
IF SL 01-126
Publisher:
John J. Daly - Publisher
Publication Place:
New York, NY
Historical Notes
“Our Own Little Isle” is typical of Irish rebel music where past grievances with the British are notated, then on to promote the idea that now is the time to rebel. This piece takes a further dig at the Irish with the lines “Ho! Pat! who made such a lamb of you? Life to your soul, boy, and strength to your blade!” …all in the effort to get the Irish to fight lest they be called cowards.
From
A Musical and Artistic Glimpse Inside the Fenians…150 Years Later blog post.
Lyrics
Oh! Irishmen! never forget,
'tis a foreigners farm, your own little isle;
Oh! Irishman! when will you get,
Some life in your hearts for your poor little isle?
Yes! yes! we've a dear little spot of it,
Oh! Yes! a sweet little isle!
Yes! yes! if Irishmen thought of it,
'Twould be a dear little, sweet little isle!
Then, come on and rise ev'ry man of you
Now is the time for a stir to be made;
Ho! Pat! who made such a lamb of you?
Life to your soul, boy, and strength to your blade!
Yes! yes! a dear little spot of it,
Oh! Yes! a sweet little isle,
Yes! yes! if Irishman thought of it,
Erin once more is our own little isle!
Rise! heartly! Shoulder to shoulder
We'll show 'em our strength with good humor galore
Rise! rise! show each foreign beholder,
We've not lost our love to thee Erin asthore,
For Oh! yes! tis a dear little spot of it,
Yes! yes! a sweet little isle,
Yes! yes! the Irish have thought of it,
Erin forever our own little isle.
Never forget what your forefathers fought for, O!
When with "O'Neill" or "O'Donnell Abu",
Sassenaghs ev'ry where stuck in the slaughter, O!
Vengeance for insult, dear Erin, to you
For Oh! yes! tis a dear little spot of it,
Yes! yes! a sweet little isle,
Yes! yes! if Irishmen thought of it,
Erin once more is our own little isle!
Yes! we have strength to make Irishmen free again,
Only unite, and we'll conquer our foe,
And never on earth, will our foreigner see again
Erin a province, though lately so low
For Oh! yes! we've a dear little spot of it,
Yes! yes! a sweet little isle,
Yes! yes! the Irish have thought of it,
Erin forever, our own little isle!