Lyr Req: Silvery Moon (from Aoife Clancy)

Subject: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: GUEST,Bob Pegritz
Date: 05 Jan 09 - 12:04 PM

Dear Friends,

I heard this song by Aoife Clancy on the CD of the same name. If anyone could help me with the words, I would be most grateful.

Many thanks,

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: GUEST,domo
Date: 05 Jan 09 - 04:20 PM

Hi Bob,
You should try and get a copy of Packie Manus Byrne doing this song. You'll find it on a Irish compilation Cd called "Hurry the Jug". Here's the words:


SILVERY MOON

As I wandered alone, at the close of the day
Twas around the beginning of June
And twas there in a glade, I espied a fair maid
As she sang her lament to the Moon

CHORUS
Roll on, silvery moon, guide the traveller on his way
As the nightingale sings her sweet tune
There is no time so sweet, as when true lovers meet
By the bright silvery light of the moon.

Oh my love he was young, and a brave fisherman
And his arms they wer brawny and strong
And his voice it was clear, and a pleasure to hear
As he'd sing me a old shanty song
But his boat went down,and my true has found
A grave in the deep rolling see
Never more to return, and it's for him I'll mourne
Til the day that the clay covers me

He had bought me a ring, we appointed the day
For twas married we were to be soon
But alas to my grief, he now lies neath the deep
Like a red rose cut down in full bloom
Roll along etc.

The chorus may be sung between each verse but is usually sung only twice, as above.

Subject: Lyr Add: SILVERY MOON
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Jan 09 - 08:57 PM

Aoife Clancy's recording of SILVERY MOON is included in a collection called "Before Their Time, Vol. III"—"A three-volume collection of songs written and performed by 80 artists in memory of people who died young." Here's a quote from the liner notes:

SILVERY MOON – Traditional

This song may be a music-hall song, or again an English "parlour song," says Aoife, who got the song and this information from Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman, who themselves passed this on to me: "Packie Byrne, a traditional singer from Donegal, changed some of the words from those he learned to 'improve' the song, which he certainly did. He told me that he knew a couple of people who sang it including his mother, so it was a popular song at one time, which also suggests its route was from the music hall rather than The Tradition, though by now it has been absorbed into the tradition." — MCW

Aoife Clancy – vocals; Jacqueline Schwab – piano; Donal Clancy – guitar

SILVERY MOON

1. As I strolled along at the close of the day,
It being the beginning of June,
'Twas there in a glade that I spied a fair maid
As she sang her lament to the moon.

CHORUS:
Roll along, silvery moon. Guide the traveler on his way
While the nightingale sings a sweet tune.
There is no time so sweet as when true lovers meet
By the grey silvery light of the moon.

2. My love he was young and a bold fisherman.
His arms they were brawny and strong.
His voice was so clear and a pleasure to hear
While singing an old shanty song.

3. But his boat went down, and my true love found
A grave 'neath the cold and deep sea,
No more to return, and it's for him I'll mourn
Till the day that the clay covers me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Jan 09 - 10:02 PM

See two earlier and quite extensive discussions here, Bright Silvery Light of the Moon and The Bonny Moon. Packie Manus Byrne's modified text is already posted in the first.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: GUEST,Bob Pegritz
Date: 06 Jan 09 - 12:41 PM

YOU guys are great. MANY thanks.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Jun 14 - 11:45 AM

Someone has been doing this lately in local sessions, we joined singing it last night, a lovely old song.


I couldn't trace Aoife Clancy singing it on the web but here's a good rendering of her version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2M6knHmNng

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Silvery Moon
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 06 Jun 14 - 06:48 AM

Lovely song, with a great joining-in chorus, and Packie's adaptation is the one I sing too, it makes most sense. Packie's 1974 recording is most easily available on the wonderful Veteran cd "Donegal & Back" (VT132CD).