Songs of the Spanish Civil War
Songs of the Spanish Civil War were folk songs and anthems brought by fighters on both sides of the War. The songs were adapted into marching songs, or sung around campfires.
Traditional
Songs of the Republican side
- ¡Ay Carmela!, also known as El Paso del Ebro, - Republican song
- Eusko Gudariak ("Basque Soldiers") - anthem of the Basque Autonomous Army
- Los cuatro generales, also known as El Puente de los Franceses, based on Los cuatro muleros by Federico García Lorca with lyrics by Ernst Busch[1]
- El Himno de Riego - anthem of the Spanish Republic
- A Las Barricadas - Spanish anarchist anthem, an adaptation of Russian/Polish march "The Varsovian"
- Hijos del pueblo - Another anarchist anthem
- Si me quieres escribir, also known as El Frente de Gandesa - Republican song[2]
- The Internationale - Socialist anthem
- Jarama Valley - Republican song
- Spaniens Himmel - "Spain's heaven spreads its brightest stars ..."
- El quinto regimiento - Republican adaptation of two popular songs, "El Vito" and "Anda jaleo".
- Viva la FAI - Anarchist anthem
- En la Plaza de mi Pueblo -Republican adaptation of the popular song "El Café de Chinitas"
- Arroja la bomba - composed in 1932, by an Aragonese anarchist named Aznar, in response to the torture to which he was subjected by police in Barcelona.[3] A more moderate, non-violent version was also written, by the name "Luchemos obreros" ("Let's fight/struggle workers").[4]
Songs of the Nationalist side
- La Marcha Real - Anthem of Francoist Spain
- Cantos nacionales ("national songs") were accorded special honors.[5][6]
- Oriamendi - Carlist anthem
- Cara al Sol - Falangist anthem
- Cancion del Legionario - Song of the Spanish Legion
- Camisa Azul - Falangist Song
- Ya Hemos Pasao - Celia Gamez
- Falangista Soy - Falangist Song
- Cálzame las Alpargatas - Carlist Song
- Arriba España - Italian Song.[7]
Retrospective
- "Juanita" - Björn Afzelius
- "1936, The Spanish Revolution" - The Ex
- "Viva la Quinta Brigada" (later retitled "Viva la Quince Brigada") - Christy Moore's tribute to the fallen Irish
- "Civil War in Spain" - Joe Mulheron (Derry, Northern Ireland) later covered by Pòl Mac Adaim (Belfast) [8]
- "Spanish Bombs" - The Clash
- "Life During Wartime" - Talking Heads
- "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" - Manic Street Preachers
- Spain in My Heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War (Various artists) (2007) —with contributions by Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Joel Rafael and Aoife (Finnes) Clancy (from Cherish the Ladies).
- "On the Border" (Al Stewart) (1977) Year of the Cat album.[9]
- "Always the Cause" (Al Stewart) (1995) Between the Wars
- Flowers from Exile album by Rome
- "Guernica" by The Cinematics (2010)
See also
- Canciones de la Guerra Civil Española album
- Pete Seeger (section 'Spanish Civil War songs')
- Ernst Busch (actor)
- Music of the American Civil War
References
- ^ Los cuatro generales - Rolando Alárcon
- ^ Canciones republicanas
- ^ Llarch, Joan (1978). Cantos y poemas de la Guerra Civil de España. Barcelona: Producciones Editoriales. pp. 44–46. ISBN 84-365-1319-3. Retrieved 27 Aug 2025.
- ^ "Anonymous - Arroja la bomba". Antiwar Songs. 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ Franco, Francisco (28 February 1937). "Decreto número 226" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (131): 548–549. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ^ Franco, Francisco (21 July 1942). "DECRETO de 17 de julio de 1942 por el que se refunden las disposiciones vigentes en lo que respecta el Himno Nacional, Cantos Nacionales y Saludos" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado: 5346. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Crivel - Arriba España (con testo). YouTube.
- ^ "; lyrics
- ^ On the Border"; Al Stewart
External links
- Songbook of the International Brigades
- Songs of the Spanish Civil War
- 11 Songs of the Spanish Civil War
- Spain's heavens or the Thaelmann Brigade