Karan Casey - Ships lyrics

Karan cover

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1. Love Is Pleasing

2. Dunlavin Green

3. Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

4. Black is the Colour

5. Town of Athlone

6. Maidin Luan Chincíse

7. The Fiddle and the Drum

8. Erin's Lovely Home

9. Ae Fond Kiss

10. I Once Loved a Lass

LOVE IS PLEASING

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey/Caoimhín Vallely)
I never thought that my love would leave me
Until that morning when he stepped in
He sat down and I sat beside him
And then our troubles they did begin

Oh love is pleasing and love is teasing
And love is a pleasure when first it's new
But love grows older and grows quite colder
And it fades away like the morning dew

There is an alehouse in yon town
And there my love goes and he sits down
He takes a strange girl upon his knee
And tells her what he once told me

I wish my father had never whistled
I wish my mother had never sung
I wish the cradle had never rocked me
I wish I'd died, love, when I was young

DUNLAVIN GREEN

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey/Caoimhín Vallely/Donald Shaw)

In the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight
A sorrowful tale the truth unto you I'll relate
Of thirty-six heroes to the world were left to be seen
By a false information were shot on Dunlavin Green

Bad luck to you Saunders, for you did their lives betray
You said a parade would be held on that very day
Our drums they did rattle - our fifes they did sweetly play
Surrounded we were and privately marched away

Quite easy they led us like prisoners through the town
To be shot on the plain, we first were forced to kneel down
Such grief and such sorrow were never before there seen
When the blood ran in streams down the dykes of Dunlavin Green

There is young Matty Farrell who has plenty of cause to complain
Likewise the two Duffys who were also shot down upon the plain
And young Andy Ryan, his mother distracted will run
For the loss of her darling, her only beloved son

Bad luck to you, Saunders, may bad luck never you shun!
That the widow's curse may melt you like the snow in the sun
The cries of the orphans their murmurs you cannot screen
For the murder of their fathers on Dunlavin Green

Some of our boys to the hills they are going away
Some of them are shot and some of them going to sea
Mickey Dwyer in the mountains to Saunders he owes a spleen
For loss of his brothers who were shot on Dunlavin Green

In the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight
A sorrowful tale the truth unto you I'll relate
Of thirty-six heroes to the world were left to be seen
By a false information were shot on Dunlavin Green

JOHNNY I HARDLY KNEW YE

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey/Donald Shaw/Niall Vallely)

While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy,
A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye,
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ye.

With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns,
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.

Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild,
When my heart you so beguiled
Why did ye run from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye

Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run,
When you went for to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye

Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg,
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye'll have to put with a bowl out to beg
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye

I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home,
All from the island of Sulloon;
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye

With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns,
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.

BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVE'S HAIR

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey & Caoimhín Vallely)

Black is the colour of my true love's hair
His face is soft and wondrous fair
He has the purest eyes and the gentlest hands
I love the ground whereon he stands
I love the ground whereon he stands

Black is the color of my true love's hair
Of my true love's hair
Of my true love's hair

I love my lover and well he knows
I love the ground whereon he goes
And still I hope that the time will come
When he and I will be as one
When he and I will be as one

Black is the color of my true love's hair
Of my true love's hair
Of my true love's hair

TOWN OF ATHLONE

(Written by Martin Furey)

In the town of Athlone there’s a young woman walking
And wrapped ‘round her baby a shawl as she speaks
Of the passing of rings to the uniformed soldiers
The price of a ribbon their fortune to speak

Ah their fortune she speaks and she speaks of a river
Whose silvery barrows and moorlands beneath
Where a gun battle raged and the hero for Ireland
Soon would lie down dead, dead at her feet

At the feet of the virgin in the grotto of Annah
She sings to her baby in old styles bequeath
As she lilts and laments and enchants all in hearing
With songs of her people and melodies sweet

Chorus
Sweet silvery Nore river is rolling
Over an Irish soldier’s grave
And the vestry bells are tolling
Over the ashes of his grave

In the freeborn land of the traveling people
Lies Nioclas Mullins the pride of Cullbawn
Yet unmarked beside him the bride of his union
Who carried our music in a black gypsy shawl

Chorus
Sweet silvery Nore river is rolling
Over an Irish soldier’s grave
And the vestry bells are tolling
Over the ashes of his grave

MAIDIN LUAN CHINCÍSE

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey)

Maidin Luan Chincíse labhar an síofra sa ngleann
Do bhailíodar na cága chun ábhacht a dheanamh ann
Do chruinníomar ina dtimpeall is do lasamar ár dtinte
Is do thógamar ceo draíochta go haoibheann ós a gceann

Is mó baile margaidh is cathair aoibhinn cheoil
Agus cúirt agus na Sasanaigh chun seasamh ann ‘n ár gcomhar
Beir scéala cruinn abhaile uainn Dé ∂omhnaigh go dtí an Aifreann
Gur chun sléibhe a chuireadh chun reatha sinn ‘n ár seasamh ins an gleo

Do tháinig aniar ó Chonnacht chughainn céad is mile laoch
An oiread céanna ó Ulaidh chughainn I bhfoirm cheart ‘is i bhfaobhar
Suaimhneas lae níor tugadh dóibh gur bhuaileamar bualadh ‘is fiche orthu
Mo lean mar sileadh fuil ‘is coirp ár bhfear i ndeireadh lae

Beir scéala suas chun Mumhan uainn a run ghil ‘s a stór
Agus inis an scéal faoi chumha dhóibh go bhfuil an sciúirse ‘nár gcomhar
Is mó leanbh fireann fionn geal agus ainnir mhilis mhúinte
Is ógfhear cliste lúfar san úir uainn ag feo

Mo lean ar an Mumhain nár éirigh nuair d’adhnamar an gleo
Faoi airm ghreanta ghreadhnmhar i bhfagairt acu ‘nár gcomhar
D’fhágadar go tréith sinn is neart ár namhad ‘nár dtimpeall
Ach grá mo chroí na Laighnigh b’iad d’adhain an tine leo

THE FIDDLE AND THE DRUM

(Joni Mitchell, Siquomb Publishing Company)

And so once again
My dear Johnny my dear friend
And so once again you are fightin' us all
And when I ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry, and I fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say I have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But I can remember
All the good things you are
And so I ask you please
Can I help you find the peace and the star
Oh, my friend
What time is this
To trade the handshake for the fist

And so once again
Oh, America my friend
And so once again
You are fighting us all
And when we ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry and we fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say we have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But we can remember
All the good things you are
And so we ask you please
Can we help you find the peace and the star
Oh my friend
We have all come
To fear the beating of your drum

ERIN'S LOVELY HOME

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey & Kris Drever)

Come all you sons of Paddy’s land and listen onto me
Till I relate of the hardships great a crossing over the sea
For the want of bed ten thousands fled so far across the foam
And left the land where they were born called Erin’s lovely home.

Black forty seven I’ll never forget when the fever it stalked the land
And the famine without mercy it stretched forth it’s dreadful hand
There’s many the child in cold death lay their parents they did mourn
While the landlord’s agents pulled down our roofs in Erin’s lovely home.

My father, was a farming man reared to industry
He had two sons, they were men strong, and lovely daughters three
Our farm was too small to feed us all so some of us had to roam
With sisters two I bid adieu to Erin’s lovely home

My father sold the second cow and he borrowed twenty pounds
And in the merry month of May we sailed from Sligo town
There were thousands more left upon the shore all anxious for to roam
And leave the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home

We were scarcely seven days at sea when the fever it plagued our crew
They were falling like the autumn leaves bidding friends and life adieu
Now the raging waves sweep o’er their graves, amidst the ocean foam
Our friends may mourn for we'll never return to Erin's lovely home

My loving sisters they both took ill and their lives they were taken away
And oh it grieved my heart full sore for to cast them in the sea
Down in the deep now they do sleep they never more will roam
But in heaven I’ll meet with my sisters sweet from Erin’s lovely home

Now I’m in the land of liberty where plenty it does abound
Where the labouring man gets full reward for the tilling of his ground
There’s naught I can see that can comfort me as an exile I must roam
And end my days far far away from Erin’s lovely home

AE FOND KISS
(Words: Robert Burns/Music: Trad. Arr. Karan Casey/Caoimhín Vallely/Kate Ellis)

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, and then forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Who’s say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, no cheerful twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy:
Nothing could resist my Nancy!
But to see her was to love her
Love but her, and love forever.

Had we never loved so kindly,
Had we never loved so blindly,
Never met - or never parted -
We’d ne'er been so broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-well, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-well, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, alas, forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

I ONCE LOVED A LASS

(Trad. Arr., Karan Casey/Caoimhín Vallely)

I once loved a lass and I loved her so well,
I hated all others who spoke of her ill,
But now she's rewarded me well for my love,
For she's gone to be wed to another.

I watched as my love did to the church go,
With bride and bride-maidens she made a fine show,
And I followed her on with a heart full of woe,
To see my love be wed to another
To see my love be wed to another

I watched as my love did sit down to dine,
I sat down beside her and poured out the wine,
And I drank to the wee lass that should have been mine,
For now she is wed to another.

Oh stop says the groomsman if you take my word
Would you venture your life on the point of a sword
For courting too slowly you have lost this fair maiden
Begone you will never enjoy her
Begone you will never enjoy her

The lads of yon forest, they ask it of me,
How many strawberries grow round the salt sea,
But I answer them back with a tear in my eye,
How many ships sail in the forest?

Oh, dig me a grave all large wide and deep,
And cover it over with wild flowers sweet,
And lay me down gently for to take a long sleep,
For that’s the best way to forget her.

So we dug him a grave all large wide and deep,
And covered it over with wild flowers sweet,
And we laid him down gently for to take his long sleep,
And maybe by now he's forgotten.