1. |
Black Velvet Band
03:31
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Her eyes, they shone like the diamonds
You'd think she was Queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
In a neat little town they called Belfast
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
And many an hour of sweet happiness
I spent in that neat little town
Till bad misfortune came over me
And caused me to stray from the land
Far away from me friends and relations
And follow the black velvet band
Well I went out strolling' one evening
Not meaning to go very far
When I met with a fickle some damsel
She was plying her trade in a bar
When a watch she took from a customer
And slipped it right into me hand
And the law it came and arrested me
Bad luck to your black velvet band
This morning before judge and jury
A trial I had to appear
And the judge he says me young fellow
The case against you is quite clear
And seven long years is your sentence
You're going ta Van Damon's land
Far away from your friends and relations
And follow the black velvet band
So come all ye jolly young fellows
I'll have ya take warning from me
Whenever you're into the liquor me lads
Beware of the pretty Colleen's
For they'll fill ya with whiskey and porter
Till you are not able ta stand
And the very next thing that ya know me lads
You've landed in Van Damon's land
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2. |
Dirty Old Town
03:19
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I met my love, by the gas (yard) works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Springs a girl from the streets at night
Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town
I heard a siren from the dock
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty Old Town, Dirty Old Town
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3. |
The Ferryman
02:43
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The little boats are gone from the breast of Anna Liffey
The Ferryman is stranded on the quay
Sure the Dublin docks is dying', and the way of life is gone
But Molly, it was part of you and me
Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
You kissed away the worry from my brow
I love ya well today, and I'll love ya more tomorrow
If ya ever loved me Molly, love me now
Twas the only job I knew, it was hard but never lonely
The Liffey ferry made a man of me
And it's gone without a whisper, and forgotten even now
And sure it's over Molly can't ya see
Well now I'll tend the yard and I'll spend me days in talking
I'll hear them whisper, "Charlie's on the dole"
But Molly we're still living' and Darlin' we're still young
And that river never owned me heart and soul
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4. |
Fisher's Hornpipe
03:29
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5. |
The Rattlin' Bog
04:16
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Oh, Ro, the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-o
Oh, Ro, the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-o
And in that bog there was a tree, a rare tree, a rattlin' tree
With the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that tree there was a limb, a rare limb a rattlin' limb
With the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that limb there was a branch, a rare branch, a rattlin' branch
With the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on the branch there was a twig, a rare twig, a rattlin' twig
With the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that twig there was a nest, a rare nest, a rattlin' nest
With the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And in that nest there was an egg, a rare egg, a rattlin' egg
With the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And in that egg there was a bird, a rare bird, a rattlin' bird
With the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that bird there was a wing, a rare wing, a rattlin' wing
With the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that wing there was a feather, a rare feather, a rattlin' feather
With the feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that feather there was a flea, a rare flea, a rattlin' flea
With the flea on the feather, and the feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And on that flea there was a crowd, a rare crowd, a rattlin' crowd
With the crowd on the flea, and the flea on the feather, and the feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
And in that crowd there was some beer, some rare beer, some rattlin' beer
With the beer in the crowd, and the crowd on the flea, and the flea on the feather, and the feather on the wing, and the wing on the bird, and the bird in the egg, and the egg in the nest, and the nest on the twig, and the twig on the branch, and the branch on the limb, and the limb on the tree, and the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley-o
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6. |
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Tell me Ma, when I go home, the boys won't leave the girls alone
Pull my hair and they stole my comb, but that's alright till I go home
She is handsome, she is pretty, she is the Belle of Belfast city
She is a-courting, 1-2-3, please won't ya tell me who is she?
Albert Mooney says he loves her, all the boys are fightin' for her
Knock on the door and ring the bell, oh my true love are you well
Here she comes as white as snow, rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Old Johnny Morrisey says she'll die if she doesn't get a fella with a-rovin' eye
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high and the snow come a-tumblin' from the sky
She's as sweet as apple pie, she'll get her own lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own, she won't tell her ma when she comes home
Let them all come as they will, it's Albert Mooney she loves still
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7. |
Drunken Sailor
02:23
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What do ya do with a drunken sailor?
What do ya do with a drunken sailor?
What do ya do with a drunken sailor, early in the mornin'?
Way hey and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hey and up she rises, early in the mornin'
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor, early in the mornin'
Put him in a long boat until he's sober
Put him in a long boat until he's sober
Put him in a long boat until he's sober, early in the mornin'
Stick him in a barrel with a hosepipe on him
Stick him in a barrel with a hosepipe on him
Stick him in a barrel with a hosepipe on him, early in the mornin'
Put him in a bed with the captain's daughter
Put him in a bed with the captain's daughter
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter, early in the mornin'
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8. |
Galway Girl
03:26
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Well I took a stroll on the old long walk on a day-I-ay-I-ay
Met a little girl and we stopped to talk on a fine, soft day-I-ay
And I ask you friend, what's a fella to do?
Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I knew right then, I'd be takin' a whirl
Round the Salthill prom with a Galway girl
We were half way there when the rain came down on a day-I-ay-I-ay
She asked me up to her flat downtown on a fine soft day-I-ay
And I ask you friend, what's a fella to do?
Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl
And I lost my heart to a Galway girl
When I woke up I was all alone
With a broken heart and a ticket home
And I ask you now, tell me what would you do?
If her hair was black and her eyes were blue?
I've travelled around. I've been all over this world, boys
I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl
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9. |
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10. |
The Irish Rover
04:27
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On the fourth of July, 1806 we set sail for the sweet cove of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks, for the grand city hall in New York
Twas a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore and aft
And oh how the wild winds drove her
She stood several blasts, she had 27 masts
And they called her the Irish Rover
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides
We had four million barrels of bones
We had five million hogs, six million dogs, seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million barrels of old nanny goats tails in the hold of the Irish Rover
There was old Mickey Coot who played hard on the flute
While the ladies lined up for a set
He would tootle with skill for each sparkling quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bent
With his smart witty talk he was cock of the walk
As he rolled the dames under and over
They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance
That he sailed in The Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
And a man from Westmeath called Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
And fighting Bill Treacy from Dover
And your man, Mick MacCann from the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of The Irish Rover
For the sailor tis always a bother in life
It's so lonesome by night and by day
That he longs for the shore and a charming young whore
Who will melt all his troubles away
Oh, the noise and the rout swillin' poitin and stout
For him soon the torment's over
For the love of a maid, he is never afraid
An old salt from The Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
And the ship lost its way in the fog
And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two
Just meself and the Captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock
Oh Lord, what a shock
The bulkhead was turned right over
Turned nine times around
And the poor old dog was drowned
I'm the last of The Irish Rover
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11. |
Fields of Athenry
05:08
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By the lonely prison wall,
I heard a young girl calling
Michael they have taken you away,
For you stole Trevelyan's corn
So the young might see the morn,
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay
Low lie, The Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing,
It's so lonely round the Fields of Athenry
By the lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
'Nothing matters Mary, when you're free'
Against the famine and the crown,
I rebelled, they cut me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity
By the lonely harbour wall
She watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
For she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely round the Fields Of Athenry
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12. |
Molly Malone
02:34
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In Dublin's fair city
Where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
Alive, alive, oh
Alive, alive, oh
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh"
She was a fishmonger
And sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
She died of a fever
And no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
Now her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
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13. |
Sally MacLennane
02:57
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Well Jimmy played harmonica in the pub where I was born
He played it from the night time to the peaceful early morn
He soothed the souls of psychos and the men who had the horn
And they all looked very happy in the morning
Now Jimmy didn't like his place in this world of ours
Where the elephant man broke strong men's necks
When he'd had too many powers
So sad to see the grieving of the people he was leaving
And he took the road to God knows in the morning
We walked him to the station in the rain
We kissed him as we put him on the train
And we sang him a song of times long gone
Though we knew that we'd be seeing him again
I'm (We're) sad to say I must be on my (our) way
So buy me (us) beer and whiskey 'cause I'm (we're) going far away
I'd like to think I'll be returning when I can
To the greatest little boozer and to Sally MacLennane
The years passed by the times had changed I grew to be a man
I learned to love the virtues of sweet Sally MacLennane
I took the jeers and drank the beers and I crawled back home at dawn
And ended up a barman in the morning
I played the pump and took the hump and watered whiskey down
I talked of whores and horses to the men who drank the brown
I heard them say that Jimmy's making money far away
some people left for heaven without warning
When Jimmy came back home he was surprised that they were gone
He asked me all the details of the train that they went on
Some people they are scared to croak but Jimmy drank until he choked
And he took the road to heaven in the morning
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14. |
Ordinary Day
02:52
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I've got a smile on my face and I've got four walls around me
I've got the sun in the sky, all this water surrounds me, oh ya know
Yea, I'll win some but sometimes I'll lose
I've been battered but I'll never bruise
It's not so bad
And I say, way hey hey it's just an ordinary day
and it's all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you've just got to say "It's alright."
Janie sings on the corner, what keeps her from dying
Let 'em say what they want, she won't stop trying, oh ya know
She might stumble if they push her around
She might fall but she'll never lie down, it's not so bad
In this beautiful life there's always some sorrow
But it's a double edged knife, and there's always tomorrow, oh ya know
It's up to you now if you sink or swim
Just keep your faith that your ship will come in, it's not so bad
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Old Man Flanagan's Ghost Toronto, Ontario
Indie Toronto Band playing 'Music with a Celtic heart'.
Imagine the smell of the sea, cold
pints of beer, old shipwrecks, stories of love and loss, and boisterous friends sharing a laugh and a song. Now mix it with an instrumentation that takes you on a journey east, and a feeling of being welcomed into your neighbour’s home for a kitchen party, THAT is the essence of Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost.
... more
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