Skibbereen

[ODH]

Submission for the Paddyfest.

This song made a big impression on me twenty some years ago when I first heard it (on a Dubliners CD).  It goes some way to telling the story of why there are so many Irish in North America.

Skibbereen

Trad Irish

Oh father dear and I often hear you speak of Erin's isle
Her lofty hills, her valleys green, her mountains rude and wild
They say it is a lovely land wherein a saint might dwell
Then why did you abandon it, the reason to me tell.

Oh son, I loved my native land with energy and pride
Untill a blight came o'er my crops and my sheep and cattle died
My rent and taxes were to pay and I could not them redeem
And that's the cruel reason why I left old Skibbereen.

Oh well do I remember that bleak November day
The baliff  and the landlord came to take us all away
They set the roof on fire with their cursed English spleen
And that's another reason I left old Skibbereen

Your mother too, God rest her soul, lay on the stony ground
She fainted in her anguish seeing the desolation 'round
She never rose but passed away from life to immortal dream
She found a quiet grave, me boy, in dear old Skibbereen.

And you were only two years old and feeble was your frame
I could not leave you with my friends for you bore your father's name
I wrapped you in my cóta mór in the dead of night unseen
I heaved a sigh and said goodbye to dear old Skibbereen.

Oh father dear, the day will come when on vengeance we will call
All Irish men both stout and tall will rally to the call
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!

[fenderbender]

Nice version Nick
love your backer

 


Tommy

[Groundy]

Well done Nick, nice one...Alex

[ODH]

Is it just me or is the Soundcloud player no-worky today for everyone?  It worked okay yesterday...

[Hilary]

It's working for me but I know 64 was having problems with it yesterday - yours played, mine wouldn't, mine played, yours wouldn't etc - he's looking into it (on my Oh Dr Christian song) . . .

[Hilary]

Sorry I thought I'd previously commented on the song - I don't much like political songs but I like this. You still kept your flava

[ODH]

Thanks Hilary.  I should mention that part of the inspiration for doing this was your Rod Stewart cover done on GB Smart Guitar.  All the guitars here are done that way apart from the melody parts which are programmed there too.  To me they sound pretty lifelike.  The fiddle part is from Thumbjam over AudioBus.

The vocal was recorded on the phone mic in Renault Megane Studio lunchtime yesterday in the car park by Pen y Fan pond.  It has the acoustic cast of the car.

[Hilary]

Thanks Hilary.  I should mention that part of the inspiration for doing this was your Rod Stewart cover done on GB Smart Guitar.  All the guitars here are done that way apart from the melody parts which are programmed there too.  To me they sound pretty lifelike.  The fiddle part is from Thumbjam over AudioBus.

The vocal was recorded on the phone mic in Renault Megane Studio lunchtime yesterday in the car park by Pen y Fan pond.  It has the acoustic cast of the car.

Wow, looks beautiful (we were in Cardiff on Saturday, not so far away) - your Garageband tracks always sound professional and the guitars on this one do indeed sound very real.

[T.C. Elliott]

I like how you built the track, that second stanza had a nice musical "thickening." That high pitched string sound was almost like a... clavier? The plucked instead of struck piano instrument.

[ODH]

I put a new vocal on in the Nick Cave this morning.