I am not Irish. As far as I know my ancestry is Lithuanian, English, French, and German. I’m sure there’s a bit more thrown in there, but I can’t say that I have any Irish in me.  I kind of wish I did. You know the bit about saving civilization and all.

However, that hasn’t stopped me from taking an incredible interest in Irish music as of late. I have listed some of my favorite songs with select lyrics. If anyone has any good suggestions for other songs, I’d appreciate it (N.B. I know all these songs aren’t strictly Irish).

Red is the Rose:

Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows
Fair is the lily of the valley
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.

I like the versions by the Chieftains, Makem and Clancy, and Craic Wisely.

Willie McBride:

Ah the sun’s shining now on these green fields of France
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance
The trenches have vanished under the plow
No gas and no barbed wire; no guns firing now
But here in the graveyard it’s still No-Man’s Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To Man’s blind indifference to his fellow-man
To a whole generation who were butchered and damned

The only version I have is by Makem and Clancy.

Bread and Fishes:

As I went a walkin’ one mornin’ in spring
I met with some travelers in an old country lane
One was an old man, the second a maid,
And the third was a young boy who smiled as he said:
"We’ve the wind in the willows,
And the birds in the sky,
We’ve a bright sun to warm us,
Where ever we lie
We have bread and fishes and a jug of red wine
To share on our journey with all of mankind"

Once again, I have the Makem and Clancy version. Anyone know who these three figures are? I do actually, but I want to see if my readers can pick it up!

Wild Mountain Thyme:

Oh, the summertime’s a comin’,
And the trees are sweetly bloomin’,
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie, go?
And we’ll all go together
To pick wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather.
Will you go, lassie, go?

I have the versions by the Byrds and the Chieftains.

Raglan Road:

On Raglan Road on an autumn day,
I saw her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare
That I may one day rue.
I saw the danger and I passed
Along the enchanted way.
And I said let grief be a falling leaf
At the dawning of the day.

Once again, I have this song by the Chieftains, both a recorded and a live version.

Carrickfergus:

I wished I had you in Carrickfergus,
Only for nights in Ballygrand,
I would swim over the deepest ocean,
The deepest ocean to be by your side.
But the sea is wide and I can’t swim over
And neither have I wings to fly.
I wish I could find me a handy boatman
To ferry me over to my love and die.
My childhood days bring back sad reflections
Of happy days so long ago.
My boyhood friends and my own relations.
Have all passed on like the melting snow.
So I’ll spend my days in endless roving,
Soft is the grass and my bed is free.
Oh to be home now in Carrickfergus,
On the long road down to the salty sea…

Some Irish songs can be somewhat dark and this is a fine example. I have always liked darker songs, especially ones that touch on death. I don’t know why. Once again, I like the version by the Chieftains.


Slan go foill! (any takers on the meaning of this?)