# "Stone wine" -- When Johnny come Marching Home **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [February 10, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-wine-when-johnny-come-marching-home/228456 "2004-02-10T15:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 4
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-wine-when-johnny-come-marching-home/228456/4 "2004-02-11T03:12:36Z")
Actually, it’s not clear that the Civil War version is the original lyrics. There’s a good argument that the song was originally an Irish song from the turn of the 19th century: [Johnny, I Hardly Knew You](http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/master/johnnyihardly2.html). The Irish lyrics are also about a soldier’s homecoming too, but the tone of the song is completely different: While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye, A doleful damsel I heard cry, Johnny I hardly knew ye. With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your drums and guns and drums and guns, The enemy nearly slew ye Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye. Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo Where are your eyes that were so mild, When my heart you so beguiled Why did ye run from me and the child Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo Where are your legs that used to run, When you went for to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo I’m happy for to see ye home, All from the island of Saloam; So low in flesh, so high in bone Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, Ye’re an armless, boneless, chickenless egg Ye’ll have to put with a bowl out to beg Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo They’re rolling out the guns again, But they never will take our sons again No they never will take our sons again Johnny I’m swearing to ye. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stone-wine-when-johnny-come-marching-home/228456)._