Lyr Req: North Americay

Subject: North Americay
From: irishajo
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 12:40 PM

There's a song on the Cheiftain's 'An Irish Evening' CD called 'North Americay'. It starts out like this:

Ye lovers all both great and small who dwell in Ireland
Oh I pray you pay attention whilst I my pen command...

Then goes on to talk about a young woman who emigrated to North America, following after her lover whom her father had banished.

The liner notes list it as traditional, but I haven't had much luck finding lyrics or history of the song. Anyone have more info?

Subject: RE: North Americay
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 01:06 PM

A bit more information in this old thread: North Americay. My old link to the lyrics, however, is now dead. That'll teach me to cut and paste traditional lyrics next time and to restrict linking to pop song requests.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: North Americay
From: GUEST,irishajo
Date: 19 Apr 02 - 09:26 AM

Thanks for the link Wolfgang. I know the lyrics where somewhere on the web at one point but I can't find them any more.

Subject: RE: North Americay
From: GUEST,Declan
Date: 19 Apr 02 - 09:38 AM

This song is also recorded by Niamh Parsons on her first album (called "loosely connected"?) on the Greentrax Label.

Subject: Lyr Add: NORTH AMERICAY
From: SharonA
Date: 19 Apr 02 - 10:42 AM

Here ya go – the lyrics are on this Chieftains page: http://members.shaw.ca/chieftains/evening.html


NORTH AMERICAY

(Phrase's alternate between low and high every two lines.)
Ye lovers all both great and small
Who dwell in Ireland
Oh I pray you pay attention
Whilst I my pen command
It was my father's anger
That drove my love away
But I still have hopes
We'll meet again in North Americay

My love he was fair and handsome
And to him I gave my heart
Ah but little was our notion
That we would ever part
It was in my father's garden
That this flower it did decay
But I still have hopes twill bloom again
In North Americay

Now I did not want for money
Kind fortune on me shone
So out of my father's castle
I took 300 pounds
It was in the town of Belfast
My passage I did pay
And then set sail across the sea
To far Americay

Now the captain's wife was kind to me
As you may understand
And she kept me in her cabin
Until we reached dry land
It was in the town of Quebec
We landed on the cay
But I knew not where to seek my love
In all Americay

Now I being sick and sore and tired
Well I went into an inn
And it was there I found my William
The lad I loved within
He took me gently by the hand
And to me he did say
Oh I never thought I'd see your face
In North Americay

Now I hear this couple has got wed
As you may understand
And I hear they live quite happily
In a town they call St. Johns
And the money that she took from home
Well in gold she paid it down
And they think no more of Ireland
Nor Enniskillen town.

Subject: RE: North Americay
From: irishajo
Date: 19 Apr 02 - 10:49 AM

Thanks Declan, I'll have to see if I can find that recording.

And thanks Sharon, that was the page I'd seen before but somehow I couldn't find it this time around!