BLACKCOCK’S FEATHER

With a blackcock’s feather in a Highland bonnet

And an Andrea Ferrara on my hip,

I bled my wound onto the sand,

And wrote a letter from my broken hand

Éithne,

From a dream long ago

Oh Éithne,

Through the field bonny goes.

Your throat will feel this sword’s steel line,

‘Cause Colm O’More was a friend of mine,

To slice your throat, and hear the yell,

I’d follow you to the gates of hell.

Éithne,

From a dream long ago

Oh Éithne,

Through the trees my bonny goes,

Across the winds I used to know.

She’ll be back like a boomerang, been hanging around with another man

Into my arms, bonny goes.

Ten days we stayed inside the Glen of Echoes,

The nine finest days of all my life,

And on the tenth day, Senan hobbled away,

A bird sang above, and then flew away.

MARYJOAN

Down in the hay barn with Maryjoan,

Rolling amongst the straw,

Her arm outstretched a thousand times,

With breath of ale, sweet and stale,

My eyes lifted up to her, my eyes lifted up to her,

My hands exploding through the hay-mound,

My eyes lifted up to her, my eyes lifted up to her to hear,

My favourite song.

Maryjoan moves out of frame,

And I’ve sown a seed without a name,

Headless now she is okay,

My reaping scythe, is warm tonight.

With ragged attire, I will roam this field,

While my father lays inside asleep.

I touch the pumping gash across my face,

Dreaming of a little change.

And shake dead roots from my boots,

My eyes are lifting up to see,

The clouds are parting just for me,

The turn where the dam ends is not an image,

An image that I will forget, an image that I will forget.

Maryjoan moves out of frame,

I’ve sown a seed without a name,

Headless now she is okay,

My reaping scythe, is warm this night.

Maryjoan slips out of frame,

And I’ve sown a seed without a name,

Headless now she is alright, she’s doing okay,

My reaping scythe, is warm tonight.

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

Heavy arms carry her down, down, down, down, down

With your tongues so sly and your sons so shy

Down, down, down, down

With your tongues so sly and your sons in the sky

Down, down, down, down

With your tongues so sly and your sons in the sky

Down, down, down, down

With your tongues so sly and your sons so shy

Down, down, down, down

And all the villagers say

Down the silent street, across the swaying fields

And all the villagers say

Down the silent street, across the swaying fields

I’m sorry.

SUMMER-SONG

In the park, in the dark, I left behind all my fright,

All the lessons I had learned I forgot over-night.

Sinking through a knoll,

A bridge on the River Lee ignites.

I can see the sun arising, I can see a new dawn too

Summer-song, summer-song,

Down the road and up the wood, I am feelin’ something good,

Summer-song, summer-song.

I can’t think, I can only feel

Feelings that are right,

But I can’t deny I regret past events in spite.

But I’ve made myself a burning torch with faces in the flames,

And I’d like you to come with me, wherever I am going,

There are many things I need to tell you

But I can’t, and I won’t.

I can see a new dawn morning, I can see the sunrise too,

Summer-song, summer-song,

Down the road and up the wood,

Sure I am feelin’ something good,

Summer-song, summer-song.

I see the clouds rolling open, I can see the sunrise too

Summer-song, summer-song,

Down the road and up the wood, I am feeling something good,

Summer-song, summer-song.

THE SLANE IS GONE

Based on a poem by Ger Kelly

The slane is gone, how can I work,

I travelled up to see the turf,

Gaps are wide from tracks of steel,

That map their way through fern and field,

The slane is gone, I walk the line, heel to toe, and counting time,

With stick in hand, I will mark my plots, that sons of mine might have enough.

O it’s like the sun, running from a gun,

Black is the blanket I see before me,

My heart will miss a beat, I’ll be off my feet,

The slane and boggy I can bid goodbye.

THE WAY OUT

In the forest with a trail in front of me,

I can see a figure across the lake,

He can see me I’’m staring back at him,

This just be the way out

This just be the way out

This just be the way out of here.

When I touch the soil, it too touches me,

Now I gave up thought so I can’t feel a thing,

The liners on the bales back home are glistening,

From the morning raindrops,

From the morning raindrops,

From the raindrops nestled in the crease.

This must be the way out, This just be the way out,

This just be the way out, This just be the way,

The way out.