In April 1931, the Spanish people elected a republican legislature that replaced the monarchy that had ruled the country for centuries. This event led to a struggle for power between those that supported the Republic (Loyalists) and those that backed the monarchy (Royalists). The Loyalists were made up of the Spanish working class, who advanced liberal policies of building an egalitarian society by collectivizing land, industry, and public utilities, and closing down the conservative Catholic Church. The Royalists faction, which included the aristocracy, the army and the Catholic Church, were led by General Francisco Franco, a fascist along the lines of Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy. Eventually, in 1936, a full blown civil war erupted. (Denisoff, Great Day, pp. 60-64; Cantwell, pp. 101-05.)
The Spanish Civil War was a proxy war for the principal European antagonists. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini provided arms to the Franco forces, and the Soviet Union provided aid to the Loyalists. The U.S. government did not get involved. Instead, Roosevelt’s administration, along with France and Britain, imposed an arms embargo on the antagonists. (Rob Cohen, p. 155.) However, nearly 3,000 Americans, along with thousands of volunteers from “from all over the world” (Brand, p. 77), organized into military units to try to help the Loyalists. American volunteers organized the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and the International Brigade.
More than one million people lost their lives in the civil war. The most devastating battle occurred at Guernica on April 26, 1937, which was market day in the city. Thousands of non-combatants from surrounding villages were in the city to sell their goods. A squadron of German bombers engaged in a three-hour bombing assault to aid Franco’s Royalists, resulting in the “…tiny town’s gruesome slaughter at the hands of fascist barbarism.” (Jennings and Brewster, p. 198.) Nearly 1,600 people were killed and 800 were wounded. (Id.) This event inspired the famous painting by Picasso. Franco defeated the Loyalists in 1939 and imposed a fascist dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975. The fascist aggression opened the eyes of many American isolationists to the threat of European fascists.
The Spanish Civil War inspired a multitude of songs, most of which were favorable to the anti-fascist cause. A collection of such songs can be found in the album “Spain in my Heart – Songs of the Spanish Civil War,” Appleseed Records (2003). The album notes state: “The idealistic appeal of ‘fighting the good fight’ against the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco as he warred against Spain’s democratically elected government drew more than 45,000 volunteer soldiers from over 50 countries during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). This influx created a canon of war-related songs sung by the freedom fighters and revived during the American folk boom of the Fifties.”) Several of those songs, and others, are set out below.
“The Abraham Lincoln Brigade,” written and sung by John McCutcheon (2003); the phrase “No pasaran!” means “They shall not pass.“ It was a slogan used by the Brigade fighters and other Republican troops to express determination to defend the city of Madrid against Franco’s forces. (https://youtu.be/ht8qmL2oB1M)
From the farms, from the cities, from every land
Came the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
With a dream in their hearts and a gun in hands
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
‘No pasaran, no pasaran,’
so sang the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cross the years and the oceans,
we still sing the song
of the Abraham Lincoln BrigadeCries from the cities, shouts form the hill,
the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Fires in the hearts that is wrming us still
‘No pasaran!, no pasaran!’
so sang the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cross the years and the oceans,
we still sing the song
of the Abraham Lincoln BrigadeAll the teachers, the artists,
the workers who died
for the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Their stories still thrill me,
we work side by side
with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
‘No pasaran!, no pasaran!’
so sang the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cross the years and the oceans,
we still sing the song
of the Abraham Lincoln BrigadeSo raise glasses and voices,
Give them a toast
oh the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Those who died best who live most
like the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
‘No pasaran!, no pasaran!’
so sang the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cross the years and the oceans,
we still sing the song
of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
‘No pasaran!, no pasaran!’
so sang the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
Cross the years and the oceans,
we still sing the song
of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade
“Jamie Foyers,” written Ewan MacColl (1951), sung by Dick Gaughan. Utilizing a traditional Scottish tune, MacColl penned a memorial to those who joined the International Brigade to assist the Spanish Republic and fight Fascism during the Spanish Civil War. (https://youtu.be/zwilIKPV5UQ)
Faur distant, faur distant, lies Foyers the brave
Nae tombstone memorial shall hallow his grave
For his bones they lie scattered on the rude soil o Spain
An young Jamie Foyers in battle wis slainHe’s gane frae the shipyaird that stauns on the Clyde
His haimmer lies idle, his tools laid aside
Tae the wide Ebro river young Foyers has gane
Tae fight by the side o the people o SpainThair wisnae his equal at wark or at play
He wis strang in the Union till his dying day
He wis grand at the fitbaa, at the dance he wis braw
Young Jamie Foyers wis the flouer o thaim aaHe cam hame frae the shipyaird, took aff his warkin claes
O, A mind the time weill in the lang simmer’s days
He said, “Thinknae lang, lassie, A’ll come back again”
But young Jamie Foyers in battle was slainIn the fight for Belcite, he was aye tae the fore
An he focht at Gandesa till he couldnae fight more
For he lay owre his machine gun wi a bullet in his brain
An young Jamie Foyers in battle was slainFaur distant, faur distant, lies Foyers the brave
Nae tombstone memorial shall hallow his grave
For his bones they lie scattered on the rude soil o Spain
An young Jamie Foyers in battle was slain
“Viva La Quince Brigada,” traditional; sung by Pete Seeger and the Almanac Singers. The XV International Brigade was a mixed brigade made up of Spanish and International Brigade troops, defending Madrid on the west from invasion, and on the east protecting Madrid’s one route out, the road east to Valencia and the Mediterranean. (https://youtu.be/vnzwXVpZGrA)
Viva la Quince Brigada,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Viva la Quince Brigada,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
que nos cubrirá de gloria¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!
que se ha cubierto de gloria,
¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!Luchamos contra los moros,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Luchamos contra los moros,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
mercenarios y fascistas,¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!
mercenarios y fascistas,
¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!Solo es nuestro deseo,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Solo es nuestro deseo,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
acabar con el fascismo,¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!
acabar con el fascismo,
¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!En los frentes de Jarama,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
En los frentes de Jarama,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
no tenemos ni aviones, ni tanques ni cañones,¡Ay Carmela!
no tenemos ni aviones, ni tanques ni cañones,
¡Ay Carmela!Ya salimos de España,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Ya salimos de España,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
a luchar en otros frentes,¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!
a luchar en otros frentes,
¡Ay Carmela! ¡Ay Carmela!
English Translation
Hurray for the Fifteenth Brigade,
which has covered itself with glory.
We fight against the Moors, mercenaries, and fascists.
Our only desire
is to end fascism.
In the Jarama front [a small river near Madrid]
we don’t have airplanes, tanks, or cannon.
We’re leaving Spain
to fight in other fronts.
“Viva La Quinta Brigada,” is an alternative version to the above written by Christy Moore and sung by Aiofe Clancy and Shay Black, which focuses on the Irish who fought in the Spanish Civil War. (https://youtu.be/WD6gn5jQTkM)
Ten years before I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifth International BrigadeThey came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising fascist tide
Franco’s allies were the powerful and wealthy
Frank Ryan’s men came from the other sideEven the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on
Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the fascist clanChorus
Viva la Quinta Brigada
No pasaran, the pledge that made them fight
Adelante, is the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonightBob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor
From Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother
Side by side they fought and died in SpainTommy Woods age seventeen died in Cordoba
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he fought and died beneath the blazing sunChorus
Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O’Duffy to enlist his crewThe word came from Maynooth, “support the Nazis”
The men of cloth failed again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun
Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to SpainChorus
This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar
Though many died I can but name a fewDanny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls
Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O’NeillChorus
“Jarma Valley,” written by Lee Hayes, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, (1938) sung by Woody Guthrie is a narrative about one of the significant battles of The Spanish Civil War. (https://youtu.be/b6hBe-s40q4?list=PLF8F1B3506EC0CEAD) Here it is sung by Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie. (https://youtu.be/qI9XjWskM0w)
There’s a valley in Spain called Jarama
It’s a place that we all know so well
It was there that we fought against the fascists
We saw a peaceful valley turn to hellFrom this valley they say we are going
But don’t hasten to bid us adieu
Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
We’ll set this valley free before we’re throughWe were men of a the Laken Battalion
We’re proud of the fight that we made
We know that you people love the valley
We’re members of the Laken BrigadeFrom this valley they say we are going
But don’t hasten to bid us adieu
Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
We’ll set this valley free before we’re throughYou will never find peace with these fascists
You’ll never find friends such as we
So remember that valley of Jarama
And the people that’ll set that valley freeFrom this valley they say that we are going
Don’t hasten to bid us adieu
Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
We’ll set this valley free before we’re throughAll this world is like this valley called Jarama
So green and so bright and so fair
No fascists can dwell in our valley
Nor breathe in our new freedoms airFrom this valley they say we are going
Do not hasten to bid us adieu
Even though we lost the battle at Jarama
We’ll set this valley free before we’re through
“Spanish Civil War Song” (aka “Spanish Lament”) written and sung by Phil Ochs (1963). (https://youtu.be/MLTS63ocoCY) Ochs looks back from 25 years after the Spanish Civil War and wonders why the United States became friendly with Franco’s Spain after the civil war ended.
Oh, say do you remember 25 years ago,
They fought the fascist army, they fought the fascist foe?
Do you remember Franco, Hitler’s old ally?
He butchered Spain’s democracy, half a million free men died.Ai, ai, ai, ai–
Did you wonder why?
Did you ever pause and cry?And don’t forget the churches and the sad role that they played:
They crucified their people and worked the devil’s trade;
But now the wounds are healing with the passing of time,
So we send them planes and rifles and recognize their crime.Ai, ai, ai, ai–
Did you wonder why?
Did you ever pause and cry?So spend your tourist dollars and turn your heads away.
Forget about the slaughter, it’s the price we all must pay,
For now the world’s in struggle, to win we all must bend:
So dim the light in freedom’s soul: sleep well tonight, my friend.Ai, ai, ai, ai–
Did you wonder why?
Did you ever pause and cry?