The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #83560   Message #1537940
Posted By: Joe Offer
08-Aug-05 - 05:24 PM
Thread Name: Origins The West's Asleep
Subject: Chords:The west's asleep?
Hey, Wildlone, it looks to me like a doc file. If I put in some magic HTML tags and realign the chords, I should be able to get it to display here. If I have the information correct, the original poem was called "The West's Asleep," and was written by Thomas Davis (1814-1845). The Clancy Brothers recorded it as "The West's Awake." I haven't yet found a definitive source for the lyrics, and won't guarantee the accuracy of the lyrics below, or of those in the Digital Tradition.
-Joe Offer-


The West's Awake

G C D G
When all beside a vigil keep, the west’s asleep, the west’s asleep
G C D G
Alas and well may Erin weep when Connaught lies in slumber deep
G G7 C D
There lake and plain smile fair and free ‘mid rock their guardian chivalry
D G D G
Sing oh! let man learn liberty from crashing wind and lashing sea


That chainless wave and lovely land, freedom and nationhood demand
Be sure the great God never planned for slumbering slaves a home so grand
And long a brave and haughty race honoured and sentinelled the place
Sing oh! Not even their son's disgrace can quite destroy their glory's trace

For often in O Connor's van to triumph dashed each Connaught clan
And fleet as deer the Normans ran through Curlews' Pass and Ardrahan
And later times saw deeds as brave and glory guards Clanricard's grave
Sing oh! they died their land to save at Aughrim's slopes and Shannon's wave.

But if when all a vigil keep, the West's asleep, the West's asleep
Alas and well may Erin weep that Connaught lies in slumber deep
But hark! a voice like thunder spake, the West's awake, the West's awake
Sing oh! hurrah let England quake, we'll watch till death for Erin's sake.


Source: http://www.socc.ie/~midiclass/irish%20lyrics/the%20west's%20awake.doc