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Lyr Req: When We Danced in Donegal (Conor Makem)

DigiTrad:
DEAR OLD DONEGAL
SHAKE HANDS WITH YOUR UNCLE MAX


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GUEST,Tinker in Chicago 02 Jul 10 - 02:09 PM
Joe Offer 03 Jul 10 - 12:03 AM
GUEST,Tinker in Chicago 03 Jul 10 - 12:41 AM
GUEST,^&* 03 Jul 10 - 03:47 AM
Joe Offer 03 Jul 10 - 01:02 PM
GUEST,Tinker in Chicago 04 Jul 10 - 01:08 AM
Joe Offer 04 Jul 10 - 02:04 AM
Stewart 04 Jul 10 - 01:39 PM
GUEST,Stumpfiddle 23 Aug 10 - 11:41 PM
GUEST,Cathy 18 Sep 10 - 10:21 PM
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Subject: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: GUEST,Tinker in Chicago
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 02:09 PM

What is Conor Makem saying in the chorus of this song? The odd word sounds like "farity" but that shows up nowhere in Google, no matter how I spell it. Help?


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 12:03 AM

Gee, the Makem & Spain Brothers have lyrics for so many of their songs at their Website, but not that one. What do you have so far?

-Joe-


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: GUEST,Tinker in Chicago
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 12:41 AM

Everything except that one word. The chorus says, "The piper played his tunes and the [farity] would call/ The night that I first met you, and we danced in Donegal."

The lyrics are nowhere on the Internet, as far as I can tell.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: GUEST,^&*
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 03:47 AM

Aha!

It's the Irish (Gaelic) term "fear an tí" which literally means "the man of the house" but has the sense of "master of ceremonies" or, here, perhaps, someone calling a dance! The "n" is silent so what you hear is far-a-tee.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 01:02 PM

Wunderbar, wunderbar! (which probably isn't a proper response for a song about Donegal....)

But now that Tinker has the Missing Word, she has the entire song.....and she's holding out on us! So, Dear Tinker, will you post the entire song when you get a chance?

Thanks.

-Joe-


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Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN WE DANCED IN DONEGAL (Conor Makem)
From: GUEST,Tinker in Chicago
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 01:08 AM

(First off, Joe, I'm a guy. Second, for whom it may concern, I'm not one of the traveling people, just a guy whose nickname is Tinker.)

As best as I can tell off the album, the lyrics are these:


WHEN WE DANCED IN DONEGAL
(Conor Makem)

1. I remember the cattle were in that year for the winter was long and cold,
And the old man was cursin' Neal all the day as he drove them to town to be sold.
I told him that Jimmy had the loan of a car and was drivin' to Donegal town,
And I asked him could he drive all the cattle just himself and the hound.

CHORUS: Ah, but that was long ago, when the roads were driven slow.
A man could whistle gaily if he had a girl or no,
When the piper played his tunes and the fear-an-ti would call,
The night when first I met you and we danced in Donegal.

2. We took the road to Killybegs, and we drove by Inver Bay,
Overtaking a tractor before Mountcharles that was towing a fresh load of hay.
The farmer he winked and his wee dog he barked as he pulled to the side to give way.
And as sure as the weather he went home for a drop of the tay. (Chorus)

3. The door to the barn was open and the smoke was billowing out,
And the fear-an-ti was takin' requests and the dancers all started to shout.
He called for "The Siege of Ennis" and the crowd fairly gave out a cheer,
And I knew fairly well that the night would be magic in here. (Chorus)

4. Then Jimmy he tugged the arm of my shirt and he pointed away to the wall,
And I saw you, and wondered why the prettiest girl wasn't dancin' with no one at all.
He told me a girl that was pretty as you wouldn't dance with a farmer as I,
And I knew he was right, but I'd be damned if I still wouldn't try.

LAST CHORUS: For it wasn't so long ago when the roads were driven slow.
A man can still whistle gaily if he has a girl or no;
And the piper plays his tunes, and the fear-an-ti still calls,
And I always will remember when we danced in Donegal.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 02:04 AM

Ooops! I thought it was our friend Tinker from New Jersey, traveling in Chicago. I thought she had been traveling to Chicago an awful lot....

But thank you very much for posting the lyrics, and sorry for the confusion.

-Joe-


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced In Donegal
From: Stewart
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 01:39 PM

You can hear a full verse and the chorus here
from Live - The Makem and Spain Brothers

Nice song.

Cheers, S. in Seattle


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced in Donegal (Conor Makem)
From: GUEST,Stumpfiddle
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 11:41 PM

Indeed - they explained the word when introducing the song during Irish Fest in Milwaukee this past weekend. Thanks for sharing. It's a great song.

Slainte!


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When We Danced in Donegal (Conor Makem)
From: GUEST,Cathy
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 10:21 PM

Does anyone know where I can purchase the sheet music to accompany 'When We Danced in Donegal'?
Thanks for any leads.
Cathy


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