So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)

Subject: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: GUEST,GranAnn
Date: 29 Sep 20 - 06:59 AM

On Ashley Hutchings recording 'By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept' there a beautiful song sung by Polly Bolton. I can't quite make out all the lyrics and can't find them on the web anywhere. Can anyone help please?

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 20 - 08:05 AM

My wife must have the words as she used to sing it, I'll ask her after work.

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 20 - 06:05 PM

Sorry but the words are nowhere to be found at the moment.

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: GUEST,GranAnn
Date: 29 Sep 20 - 06:13 PM

Thanks for trying.

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Reinhard
Date: 29 Sep 20 - 06:41 PM

To Ireland I Made My Way
Ashley Hutchings

Written for the album By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept.

So to Ireland I made my way
But it was not a settled sea
For the waves had no heart for the mission that I chose
And they parted reluctantly

And the seagulls screamed to the skies
As they twisted their long black hoods
And the clouds burst apart and poured forth their tears
On the deck where this saviour stood

And the gods hung their heads like a Christ
To see priceless love come to nought
And the furies they sung out a song of regret
As they guided the boat into port

And a troubled mind in a troubled land
Slept on a troubled bed
With trouble around and trouble behind
And nothing but trouble ahead

(scanned from Ashley Hutchings' book Words Words Words)

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Tony Rees
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 01:42 AM

A little background - if you (original poster) did not know it - the whole album ("By Gloucester Docks...") is a commentary on a doomed love affair that Ashley had with a married woman (named Pat we are told, in his authorised biography)... Pat's husband was Irish, and at one point had gone to Ireland to his family home, and she decided to go over there to see if she could "patch up the relationship"... Hence "To Ireland I made my way" sung by Polly Bolton, the female voice/protagonist on the record. Ashley: "I imagined her sailing. I saw the ship in my mind's eye, and classical legend came in and muses came in and sirens came in and all this stuff. So I wrote [this song] ... and then, a few months later, she said 'Oh no, I flew!' [laughs]."

- Tony

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 01:46 AM

Excellent version of this song on the Ashley Hutchings Allstars' Folk on 2 session they did. I saw them at Colchester, Royton and the Almeida Theatre in Islington, where Cathy le Surf refused to join in with Christine Collister and Polly during the encore!!

Ashley toured Gloucester Docks again in 1989, this time with members of the Albion Band and Elaine Morgan

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 06:07 AM

Here is that AH Allstars session!

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 07:06 AM

Nearly all the other words on this album have been written by me. The exceptions are a few of Shakespeare's in Westonbirt Sonnet and those spoken over To Ireland I Made My Way. The person who composed the latter would wish to remain anonymous I'm sure. This lack of recognition is compensated for by the fact that I dedicate this album to her. Ashley Hutchings

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 09:31 AM

The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe; BBC Radio 2, 9pm Wednesday 30/9/20
Mark Radcliffe speaks to Shirley Collins about her resurgent career with Domino Records. Shirley's second album for Domino, Heart's Ease, was released in the summer.

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: GUEST,GranAnn
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 09:48 AM

Thank you!

Subject: RE: So To Ireland I Made My Way (Hutchings)
From: Tony Rees
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 02:49 PM

Above I used the words "doomed love affair" - perhaps that is unfair. The lady in question was separated from her husband at the time (effectively a single mother bringing up her kids) and Ashley was also single. They reportedly had a great time together over an 18-month period or so (Ashley's biographers interviewed both persons) but it didn't work out for the long term... and later they each moved on to other relationships. Ashley wrote the album after the relationship finished. As Paul Simon wrote, "the arc of a love affair" might be better... With apologies to those concerned for any insensitive choice of words!

- Tony