The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #115717   Message #3560746
Posted By: GUEST,redpaul1
24-Sep-13 - 05:45 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Euston Station (from The Fureys)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Euston Station (from The Fureys)
Yes, the original was written for Davey Arthur for his solo album 'Celtic Side-Saddle' (1994). It ('Euston Station') got a bad review in Issue 12 of Living Tradition (retrieved here) for being the sort of "stereotypical Irish cabaret folk which the Fureys were sometimes prone to." The line "I miss auld [sic] Ireland ... " was picked out as being a particular "culprit"; which is probably why, by the time the Fureys revisited this song with Davey Arthur in 2004 on 'The Scattering', the lyric had been revised to "I miss Kilkenny."

I'd make a slight amendment to both the (excellent) transcriptions above. I think the line:

With a wink would say "Come on, lad/Finn!"
and we'll drink some place dry.

reads better as:

With a wink would say "Come on, lad/Finn!
And we'll drink some place dry."

Anyway. Chords...

Intro [D]

Euston [A]Station, and I just missed the [Bm]train,
All the day girls and beg-[F#m]gars are washed out by the [G]rain,
And the tambourine [A]lady, and the saxophone [Bm]man,
Play a sad song of some-[F#m]where to go if you [G]can.

And it's times like [A]this, that I miss Kil-ken-[D]ny,
And I sing the [G]old song... [Em], and swear to go [A]home,
But the work and the money, make the man play a [Bm]part,
And in clay and in con-[F#m]crete... [G], he can [A]bury his [D]heart.

etc.

Instrumental |[A]    |      |[F#m]   |      |[Bm]      |       |[G]    |      (Euston)|

if you're playing this solo, it's best to play it using triplet pairs 1_-2-3, 2, 3_-2-3, 4, throughout. You can just make out the drummer/bodhran tapping out this rhythm on 'The Scattering' version undereath all the other orchestration. Doing so really holds the song together - and of course suggests a train riding along the tracks :)

HTH!

p.s., geographical note: Euston Station, as you may or may not be aware, is the London terminus of the line to Holyhead and the ferry to Dublin.