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'Come Out Ye Black and Tans' (sometimes 'Black and Tan') is an Irish rebel song referring to the Black and Tans, the British paramilitary police auxiliary force in Ireland during the 1920s. The song was written by Dominic Behan as a tribute to his father Stephen, often authorship of the song is attributed to Stephen.
The lyrics are rich with references to the history of Irish nationalism and the activities of the British army throughout the world. While the title of the song refers to the Black and Tans of the War of Independence era, the specific context of the song is a dispute between Irish Republican and loyalist neighbours in inner city Dublin in the 1930s. The actual term "Black and Tan" originated from the lack of coordination of the British army with their uniforms. The troops stationed in Killeshandra wore a mix of black uniforms and tan (khaki) uniforms.
The song begins, "I was born in Dublin street, where the loyal drums did beat and the loving English feet they walked all over us". The narrator's father, coming home from the pub, "would invite the neighbours out" with this chorus;
''Come out ye Black and Tans''

''come out and fight me like a man''

''show your wife how you won medals out in Flanders''

''tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away''

''from the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra''.
The reference to Flanders alludes to the neighbour's service in the British Army in the First World War. Killeshandra is a town in West Cavan likely to have been the scene of a successful IRA operation during the War of Independence. The service of the British Army in colonial wars against the Arabs and Zulus is also mocked, as the "natives" had "spears and bow and arrows" while the British "bravely faced each one, with your 16 pounder gun". The reference to "Arabs" probably refers to the counter insurgency campaign fought by the British against Arab guerrillas in the contemporary British Mandate of Palestine. Many of the actual Black and Tans served in Palestine after their time in Ireland.
The song goes on to describe the neighbour's previous gloating at the defeats of Irish nationalism, "when you thought us well and truly persecuted", for instance, when they "slandered great Parnell". However alongside the bitterness evoked in such sentiments is a triumphalism, borne of the fact that loyalists are a small minority in post-independence Ireland. The narrator asks, "where are the sneers and jeers, that you loudly let us hear, when our leaders of '16 were executed?". The implication is that the neighbours, no longer backed by the British state, no longer have confidence to express such sentiments in public.
The song closes on a hopeful note, promising that the time is coming when, "all traitors will be cast aside before us". The narrator promises that his children will say "God Speed" [i.e. go home], with the same song that his father used to sing to his loyalist neighbours.

Contents

Full Lyrics (traditional)

External links

Full Lyrics (traditional)

I was born on a Dublin street where the Loyal drums did beat

And the loving English feet walked all over us,

And every single night when me father'd come home tight

He'd invite the neighbors outside with this chorus:

_(chorus)

Oh, come out you black and tans,

Come out and fight me like a man

Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders

Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away,

From the green and lovely lanes in Killeshandra.

Come tell us how you slew

Them ol' Arabs two by two

Like the Zulus they had spears and bows and arrows,

How you bravely faced each one

With your sixteen pounder gun

And you frightened them damn natives to their marrow.

[chorus]

Come let us hear you tell

How you slandered great Parnell,

When you thought him well and truly persecuted,

Where are the sneers and jeers

That you bravely let us hear

When our heroes of sixteen were executed.

[chorus]

The day is coming fast

And the time is here at last,

When each yeoman will be cast aside before us,

And if there be a need

Sure my kids wil sing, "Godspeed!"

With a bar or two of Stephen Behan's chorus

[chorus]

An alternate concluding verse is sometimes sung:
The day is coming fast

And it will soon be here at last

When North and South again belong to Erin

And when John Bull is gone,

We'll all join in this song,

And the trumpets of freedom will be blarin'

[chorus]

External links

★ http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/black-tans.html

★ Performance of the song on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORifieiZiP4