More Music

I'm designating myself the music recommender/reviewer/whatever person, since I don't even update my own blog so I need some motivation to update this one. Today's song is "O'er the Hills and Far Away" by Connie Dover. It has an excellent, lively rhythm, and Connie Dover's voice is at once piercing and rich. It tells the story of Jocky, a piper's son, and his (what else?) unrequited love for Jenny.

Listen to it:


Lyrics (from Connie Dover's site):

Jocky met with Jenny fair
Between the dawning and the day
But Jocky now is full of care
Since Jenny stole his heart away

Although she promised to be true
She proven has, alack, unkind
The which does make poor Jocky rue
That e'er he loved a fickle mind

Jocky was a bonny lad
That e'er was born in Scotland fair
But now poor lad he does run mad
Since Jenny causes his despair.

Young Jocky was a piper's son
He fell in love when he was young
And all the tunes that he could play
Was O'er the Hills and Far Away

Chorus
And it's o'er the hills and far away
It's o'er the hills and far away
It's o'er the hills and far
The wind has blown my plaid away

He sang when my first my Jenny's face
I saw she seemed so full of grace
With mickle joy my heart was filled
That's now alas with sorrow killed

Oh were she but as true as fair
'T would put an end to my despair
Instead of that she is unkind
And waivers like the winter wind.

(Chorus)

Hard was my hap to fall in love
With one that does so faithless prove
Hard my fate to court a maid
Who has my constant heart betrayed

Since she is false whom I adore
I'll never trust a woman more
From all their charms I'll flee away
And on my pipes I'll sweetly play.

Ever find a song...

...that you just can't stop listening to? Just recently I re-discovered the song "Cad E' Sin Don Te Sin" and have been listening to it obsessively ever since. This version, by Orla Fallon, is just absolutely lovely, despite the repetitiveness of the song, perhaps because of the gentle and lovely quality of her voice. You can listen to it here.

Lyrics (from getalyric.com):

Chuaigh mé 'un aonaigh 's dhíol mé mo bhó

Ar chúig phunta airgid 's ar ghiní bhuí óir

Má ólaim an t-airgead is má bhronnaim an t-ór

Ó caide sin don té sin nach mbaineann sin dó?



Má théim 'na choilleadh chraobhaigh 'cruinniú sméara nó cnó

A baint ullaí do ghéaga nó a buachailleacht bó

Má shínim seal uaire faoi chrann a dhéanamh só

Ó caide sin don té sin nach mbaineann sin dó?



Má théimse chuig airnéal 's rince 's spórt

Chuig aonaigh nó rásaí, 's gach cruinniú den tseoirt

Má bhíonn daoine súgach, 's má bhím súgach leo

Ó caide sin don té sin nach mbaineann sin dó?



Deir daoine go bhfuil mé gan rath is gan dóigh

Gan earraí, gan éadal, gan bólacht nó stór

Ach má tá mise sásta mo chónaí i gcró

Ó caide sin don té sin nach mbaineann sin dó?



Chuaigh mé 'un aonaigh 's dhíol mé mo bhó

Ar chúig phunta airgid 's ar ghiní bhuí óir

Má ólaim an t-airgead is má bhronnaim an t-ór

Ó caide sin don té sin nach mbaineann sin dó?



TRANSLATION

I went to the market and traded my cow

For five pounds in money and a gold guinea coin

If I drank all the money and my gold I did share

Since it's no one's concern, then so no one should care



If I go to the green woods wild berries to store

Plucking apples from bowers or herding the cows

If I relax in the shade for an hour or more

Since it's no one's concern, then so no one should care



If I go to the céilís, to dances or sports

Attend markets and races and events of that sort

If I see people merry and their merriment share

Since it's no one's concern, then so no one should care



People are saying I'm a cad gone astray

Without goods or possessions, no cow and no care

If it's my own desire to live in a craw

Since it's no one's concern, then so no one should care



I went to the market and traded my cow

For five pounds in money and a gold guinea coin

If I drank all the money and my gold I did share

Since it's no one's concern, then so no one should care