Lyrics and Chords

The Foggy Dew or ‘Down the Glen’

The lyrics to The Foggy Dew tell the story of the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916. The singer laments that the outcome of the failed rebellion could have been so different if Irish soldiers had joined the nationalist cause instead of fighting and dying for Britain in the First World War.

The Foggy Dew main page

Chord Converter
Our chord converter enables you to play this song in any key.

The chords are given here in the key of D Minor, the key used by The Wolfe Tones who recorded one of the most popular versions of The Foggy Dew.

The Foggy Dew Lyrics and chords

 

Dm 

As down the glen one  

C 

Easter 

 

morn,

 

To a  

F 

city 

 

 

Dm 

fair 

 

 

C 

rode 

 

 

Dm 

I.

 

There armed lines of  

C 

marching 

 

men

 

In  

F 

squadrons 

 

 

Dm 

passed 

 

 

C 

me 

 

 

Dm 

by,

 

No  

F 

pipes did hum, no  

C 

battle 

 

 

F 

drum,

 

Did sound its loud tat  

Dm 

too

 

But the Angelus bell o’er the  

C 

Liffey 

 

swell,

 

Rang  

F 

out in the  

Dm 

foggy 

 

dew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right proudly high in Dublin town,

They flung out the flag of war.

‘Twas better to die ‘neath an Irish sky

Than at Suvla or Sud El Bar

And from the plains of Royal Meath

Strong men came hurrying through

While Britannia’s huns with their long range guns

Sailed in through the foggy dew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, the night fell black and the rifles’ crack

Made ‘Perfidious Abion’ reel

‘Mid the leaden rail, seven tongues of flame

Did shine o’er the lines of steel

By each shining blade a prayer was said

That to Ireland her sons be true,

And when morning broke still the war flag shook

Out its fold in the foggy dew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Twas England bade our Wild Geese go

That small Nations might be free,

But their lonely graves are by Suvla’s waves

Or the fringe of the great North Sea.

O, had they died by Pearse’s side,

Or had fought with Cathal Brugha,

Their names we’d keep where the Fenians sleep,

‘Neath the shroud of the foggy dew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But the bravest fell and the requiem bell

Rang mournfully and clear

For those who died that watertide

In the springtime of the year,

While the world did gaze with deep amaze

At those fearless men, but few

Who bore the fight that Freedom’s light

Might shine through the foggy dew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah, back through the glen I rode again

And my heart with grief was sore,

For I parted then with valiant men

Whom I never shall see more.

But to and fro in my dreams I go

And I’d kneel and pray for you

For slavery fled, O glorious dead,

When you fell in the foggy dew.

Information on The Foggy Dew