Jarama Valley (song) - Original Four-verse Versions

Original Four-verse Versions

The earliest known version of the lyrics was written by Alex McDade, of the British Battalion, XV International Brigade and published in 1938 in The Book of the XV International Brigade by the Commissariat of War, Madrid, 1938. It is squarely a soldier's song; grumbling about the boredom, lack of leave and lack of female company. McDade was a labourer from Glasgow who became a political commissar in the XV International Brigade, responsible for the men's welfare. He was wounded at Jarama and died on 6 July 1937 at the Battle of Brunete. Perhaps McDade wrote the song to focus his comrades' minds on something other than the casualties, but "its humorous cynicism made it popular in all battalions". Although the provenance of the other early version is unknown it was probably written for (or evolved at) post-war veterans reunions. According to scholar Jim Jump, it was first published on 8 January 1939 in London in a booklet for a British Battalion reunion and "has continued to be sung at International Brigade commemorative events".

Early version

There’s a valley in Spain called Jarama,
That's a place that we all know so well,
for 'tis there that we wasted our manhood,
And most of our old age as well.

From this valley they tell us we're leaving
But don't hasten to bid us adieu
For e'en though we make our departure
We'll be back in an hour or two

Oh, we're proud of our British Battalion,
And the marathon record it's made,
Please do us this one little favour
And take this last word to Brigade:

"You will never be happy with strangers,
They would not understand you as we,
So remember the Jarama Valley
And the old men who wait patiently".

Reunion version

There’s a Valley in Spain called Jarama,
It’s a place that we all know so well,
It is there that we gave of our manhood,
And so many of our brave comrades fell.

We are proud of the British Battalion,
And the stand for Madrid that they made,
For they fought like true sons of the soil.
As part of the Fifteenth Brigade.

With the rest of the international column,
In the stand for the freedom of Spain
We swore in the valley of Jarama
That fascism never will reign.

Now we’ve left that dark valley of sorrow
And its memories of regret,
So before we continue this reunion
Let us stand to our glorious dead.

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