Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws

Subject: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: diesel
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 01:56 AM

Hi I'm new to this site - I'm looking for the words and background to a song I heard Christy Moore sing with Sinead O'Connor, "Irish ways and Irish laws".

Any one know the words or where I can find them ??

thanks

Diesel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 03:31 AM

Hi Diesel,
it's on the Christy Moore Website.

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: Irish Ways and Irish Laws^^
From: MudGuard
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 03:32 AM

Irish Ways And Irish Laws

Once upon a time there was
Irish Ways and Irish Laws
Spillages of Irish blood
Waking to the morning
Waking to the morning

Then the Vikings came around
Turned us up and turned us down
Started building boats and towns
They tried to change our living
They tried to change our living

Cromwell and his soldiers came
Started centuries of shame
But they could not make us turn
We are a river flowing
We are a river flowing

Again, again the soldiers came
Burnt our houses, stole our grain
Shot the farmers in their fields
Working for a living
Working for a living

It's hundreds years we have been down
The secret of the water sound
Has kept the spirit of a man
Above the pain descending
Above the pain descending

Today the struggle carries on
I wonder, will I live so long
To see the gates be opened up
To a people and their freedom
A people and their freedom
^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 03:41 AM

Mudguard,
I see you are much more helpful than I was, just a minor correction: verse 1, line 3, "villages" to replace "spillages" as far as I know.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: MudGuard
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 06:30 AM

Wolfgang,
I just listened to the song on "our" 50 Complete Irish Rebel Song CD, and it is "spillages". Spillage also makes more sense: it means "verschütten" in German (see here). Together with the blood, it is "Blutvergießen".

IMO it is a typo on the Christy Moore page, or Christy sings a different version.

MudGuard

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 07:59 AM

Mudguard

Could we settle on "villages of Irish mud" as a compromise? Just a thought!

Regards

p.s. Didn't Christy write it?
Also, wouldn't "ascending" make more sense in the second last verse?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: MudGuard
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 08:53 AM

After thinking about it some more, "villages of Irish blood" could make some sense.

On Christy Moor's page the name "John Gibbs" is written just below the lyrics, but it does not say whether this is the author of the lyrics.

MudGuard

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: diesel
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 06:10 PM

Wow ! that was fast. Thanks folks for your help,OK some of the words may have some versions floating,but from my perspective the amount you have supplied has been brilliant

thanks

Diesel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 08:37 PM

According to the Christy Moore Songbook, John Gibbs handed Christy the first draft of the song at a gig, years ago - written in pencil on the back of a cigarette pack!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Brendy
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 09:03 PM

"Villages of Irish Blood", and
"Eight hundred years we have been down".

B.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Brendy
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 09:06 PM

It's just that 'spillages' of Irish blood would find it very difficult waken to any morning.
Check out Moving Hearts' first album/CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Miguel
Date: 12 Nov 99 - 03:06 AM

I don't know if it's of interest, but a few years ago I was studying Irish Gaelic [so I could understand what I sing] and I started a translation of this song into Irish. I only got as far as the first verse 'though:

Aon uair amhain Bhi beasai 's dlithe Gaeleacha Foliacht Gaelach i ngach graig Ag duiseacht ar maidin Ag duiseacht ar maidin.

I like to sing it at the end of the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 99 - 03:52 AM

All questions have been answered I think. Mudguard, I listened again to the song on that 'rebel songs' CD. The singer moves his head away from the mike just when he sings this word. I guess he is trying to sing 'villages', but without the context it just could be anything.
I dearly hope the times come back (I first saw Belfast way back in 1968, when it still looked quite peaceful), when in a task like "name your first association to 'Irish blood'" people wont think of 'spill(ed)' as a viable response.

Wolfgang

Subject: Irish ways and Irish Laws
From: Mr. Alzheimer-Cromwell
Date: 13 Jan 00 - 07:12 AM

Irish ways and Irish Laws P L E A S E !!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish Laws
From: AndyG
Date: 13 Jan 00 - 07:39 AM

Take your pick,
A previous thread or The Christy Moore Website.

AndyG

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: AmyLove
Date: 07 Apr 16 - 09:48 PM

I haven't found this variation online, but in this version, sung by Terry O'Neill, it sounds like he's singing

Above the plain descending

rather than

Above the pain descending

Anyone here ever come across this variation?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: michaelr
Date: 08 Apr 16 - 01:45 AM

Sounds like it; makes no sense, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish ways and Irish laws
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 08 Apr 16 - 03:59 AM

The CM wwww address has changed

http://www.christymoore.com/lyrics/irish-ways-and-irish-laws/

Irish Ways and Irish Laws
John Gibbs

A          G
Once upon a time there was
A
Irish ways and Irish laws,
C          A
Villages of Irish blood
C             G
Waking in the morning,
A             C
Waking in the morning.

Then the Vikings came around,
Turned us up and turned us down,
Started building boats and towns.
They tried to change our living,
They tried to change our living.

Cromwell and his soldiers came,
Started centuries of shame,
But they could not make us turn.
We are a river flowing,
We're a river flowing.

Again, again the soldiers came,
Burnt our houses, stole our grain,
Shot the farmers in their fields,
Working for a living,
Working for a living.

Eight hundred years we have been down.
The secret of the water sound
Has kept the spirit of the man
Above the pain descending,
Above the pain descending.

Today the struggle carries on,
I wonder will I live so long
To see the gates being opened up
To a people and their freedom,
A people and their freedom.