THE FAMINE SONG
Oh, the praties they grow small over here, over here
Oh, the praties they grow small over here, over here
Oh, the praties they grow small, and we dig them in the fall
And we eat them, skin and all, over here, over here, over here.
Oh we wish that we were geese, night and morn, night and morn
Oh we wish that we were geese, night and morn, night and morn
Oh we wish that we were geese, and could live our lives in
peace
Till the hour of our release, eating corn, eating corn, eating corn.
Oh, we’re down into the dust, over here, over here
Oh, we’re down into the dust, over here, over here
Oh, we’re down into the dust, but the Lord in whom we trust
Will repay us crumb for crust, over here, over here, over here.
COME LAY ME DOWN
CHORUS:
Come lay me down, and treat me decent
Come lay me down, and fill my can
Come lay me down love, and treat me decent
For surely you're an honest man.
As I walked out through Galway City
As I walked out on a pleasant walk
As we were walking, I could hear them talking
Oh surely he's an honest man
The crops are dying, the children crying
There is widespread hunger all over the land
But when you return, will you treat me decent?
For surely you're an honest man.
When I return, I will treat you decent
When I return, I will fill your can
When I return, I will bury you decent
For I know that you're an honest man.
THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY
By the lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling:
“Michael, they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn’s corn, so the young might see the morn
Now a prison ship lies waiting in
the bay.”
CHORUS:
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 a 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 ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.”
By a lonely harbor wall, she watched the last star falling
And that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she’ll wait and hope and pray, for her love in Botany
Bay
It’s so lonely ‘round the fields of Athenry.
FOUR GREEN FIELDS
What did I have, said the fine old woman
What did I have, this proud old woman
did say
I had four green fields, each one was a jewel
But strangers came, and tried to take them from me
I had fine strong sons, they fought
to save my jewels
They fought and died, and that was my grief, said she.
Long time ago, said the fine old woman
Long time ago, this proud old woman did say
There was war and death, plundering and pillage
My children starved, by mountain, valley, and sea
And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens
My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she.
What have I now, said the fine old woman
What have I now, this proud old woman did say
I have four green fields, one of them’s
in bondage
In stranger’s hands that tried to take it from me
But my sons have sons, as brave as were their fathers
And my fourth green field will bloom once again, said she.
SKIBBEREEN
Oh, Father, dear, I often hear you speak of Erin's isle
Her lofty scenes, her valleys green, her mountains rude and
wild
They say it is a lovely land, wherein a prince might dwell
Oh why did you abandon it, the reason
to me tell.
My son, I loved my native land with energy and pride
Till the blight came over all my crops, my sheep and cattle
died
My rent and taxes were so high, I could not them redeem
That's the cruel reason I left old Skibbereen.
It's well I do remember the year of '98
When I arose a Fenian to battle against
our fate
I was hunted through the mountains as a traitor to the Queen
That's another reason I left old Skibbereen.
It's well I do remember the cold November day
When the landlord and the sheriff came to drive us all away
They set our roof ablaze in fire with their damning yellow
spleen
That's another reason why I left old Skibbereen.
Your mother, too, God rest her soul,
fell on the snowy ground
She fainted in her anguish, the desolation round
She never rose but passed away from life to mortal dream
She found a grave and place of rest in dear old Skibbereen.
You were only two months old, and feeble was your frame
I could not leave you with my friends,
you bore your father's name
I wrapped you in my cótamór,
at the dead of night unseen
We heaved a sigh and bid goodbye to dear old Skibbereen.
Oh father, dear, the day will come when on vengeance we will
call
When Irishmen both stout and stern will rally one and all
I'll be the man to lead the van, beneath the flag of green
And loud and high we'll raise the cry, “Revenge for Skibbereen.”
A STÓR MO CHROÍ
A stór mo chroí, when you’re far away, from the
home you’ll soon be leaving
And it’s many a time by night and day, that
your heart will be sorely grieving.
Though the stranger’s land might be rich and fair, with riches
and treasure golden
You’ll pine, I know, for the long long ago, and the love that’s
never olden.
A stór mo chroí, in the stranger’s land, there
is plenty of wealth and wearing
Whilst gems adorn the rich and the grand, there are faces with
hunger tearing.
Though the road is dreary and hard to tread, and the lights
of their cities may blind you
You'll turn, a stór,
to Erin’s shore, and the ones you left behind you.
A stór mo chroí, when the evening sun, over mountain
and meadow is falling
Won’t you turn away from the throng and listen, and maybe you’ll
hear me calling.
The voice that you’ll hear will be surely mine, for somebody’s
speedy returning
A rúin, a rúin, will you come back soon, to the
one who will always love you.