Salonika

This piece originated in Cork during the First World War. Its author is unknown, and the earliest text record of it appears in Tomas o'Canainn's *Down Erin's Lovely Lee* (1978). The song gradually fell into obscurity in the aftermath of World War II before being rediscovered and popularized in the 1970s by Irish folk singer Jimmy Crowley. Crowley learned it from Stoker's Lodge bandmate Mick Murphy's grandmother, Helena Ronayne.

In April 2020, The Longest Johns released a video of their version of the song in collaboration with Dutch banjo player Sjoerd Van Ravenzwaaij.

### Factoids

According to Crowley, the song represents two female perspectives on the war: that of the "separas" — women who received separation pay from the British government while their husbands were away at war — and that of the wives of "**slackers**", a pejorative term for men who refused to enlist for nationalist reasons.

**Salonika** is a former name of Thessaloniki, a port city in Greece that during World War I was home to an Allied military base. The base was central to the Allies' establishment of the Macedonian front (also called the Salonika front) against Bulgaria.

**Foxy head** refers to red hair.

**Dicky Glue** was the name of a well-known Cork pawnbroker.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams.

>
> Oh, me husband's in Salonika
>
> I wonder if he's dead
>
> I wonder if he knows he's got
>
> A kid with a foxy head
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
> So right away
>
> So right away
>
> So right away, Salonika
>
> Right away, me soldier boy
>
>
>
> And when the war is over
>
> What will the soldiers do?
>
> They'll be hobblin' around with a leg and a half
>
> And the slackers, they will have two
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Well, they takes us up the Phoeno
>
> And lays us on the grass
>
> Puts us in the family way
>
> And then leaves us on our ass
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Well, there's lino in the parlor
>
> And in the kitchen, too
>
> A glass-back chiffonier
>
> That we got from Dicky Glue
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> And when the war is over
>
> What will the slackers do?
>
> They'll be hanging around the soldiers
>
> For the loan of a bob or two
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Well, now first they taxed the sugar
>
> And then they taxed the tea
>
> And then they brought conscript-i-on
>
> And took me man away
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Well, they taxed the pound of butter
>
> And they taxed the ha'penny buns
>
> You'd think with all the taxes
>
> They could beat the bleedin' Huns!
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Well, now don't you marry a copper
>
> A soldier or a marine
>
> Politician, banker —
>
> Ladies, keep your conscience clean!
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> And when the war is over
>
> What will the soldiers do?
>
> For every kid in America
>
> In Dublin there'll be two
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> [Dave, falsetto:] Oh, me husband's in Salonika
>
> [JD, bass:] I wonder if he's dead
>
> [Andy:] I wonder if he knows he's got
>
> [All:] A kid with a foxy head
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Youtube Videos

* The Longest Johns & Friends feat. Sjoerd Van Ravenzwaaij

#### Gig Videos

* XXXIX Międzynarodowy Festiwal Piosenki Żeglarskiej (28 Feb 2020)

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns and Friends, February Edition (New donation system) (27 Feb 2019)
* The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
* It's hot! Stream was a bad choice... Or was it? (24 Jun 2020)
* We Built This Stream(y) on Shant and Folk (11 Nov 2020)
* Stream America (15 Mar 2022)
* Streamage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3 May 2022)
* Streamworks (18 Jan 2023)

1. ↑ https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30910762.html
2. ↑ http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/s/salonika.html
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian\_front
4. ↑ https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30910762.html