Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen

Subject: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,James
Date: 10 Jul 00 - 11:31 PM

I've been searching for the lyrics, unsuccessfully, to "The Leitrim Queen" as it appears on the Boys of the Lough CD--Farewell and Remember Me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

--James

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,James
Date: 11 Jul 00 - 12:07 PM

It is, I think, a traditional song from County Leitrim...anyone with lyrics?

--James

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 10:39 AM

I looked yesterday (on line) and all I could find were CD's----no dots or abc or anything. Standing Stones also did it, and Henry and Susanne have it listed on their Folksong Book index, but it is not a clickable title. No luck here.

Subject: Lyr Add: LEITRIM QUEEN (trad Irish)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 05:50 PM

I've finally got round to taking the words down from my battered tape. Some lines I'm not too sure of, though - see the question marks. Maybe someone else can help:

LEITRIM QUEEN
(Trad)

When youth was mine in health and prime
I longed for wealth and fame
An adventurous one for love controlled (?)
Of Wicklow rebel strain
I wandered down to Edwardstown
On no no not (?) unseen
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
My County Leitrim queen

Her hair was like the sun-kissed gold
Her cheeks a lily hue
No prayer or chisel, brooch or pen (?)
Could express my colleen dubh
The beauty she possessed was rare
Her affection ne'er I seen
In the love that mirrored from the eyes
Of my County Leitrim queen

Along the midland (?) primrose track
In life's young dawn we strolled
The plans we made, the prayers she said
As my love to her I told
The gentle pressure of her hand
Oh it all seems like a dream
God's will be done, she is gone, she is gone
My County Leitrim queen

For centuries on Leitrim's soil
Her great ancestors dwelled
Till one who married into them
Usurped the land they held
I saw the rose take from her cheeks
Her birthright's loss was keen
She pined, she died, my joy, my pride
God rest my Leitrim queen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: Brakn
Date: 24 Oct 00 - 07:40 PM

I know I have it by Dermot O'Brien and Johnny McEvoy. I'll have a look.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE LEITRIM QUEEN
From: weerover
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 01:10 PM

Made a few amendments to the version above:

LEITRIM QUEEN
(Trad)

When youth was mine in health and prime
I longed for wealth and fame
An adventurous one ne'er love controlled
Of Wicklow rebel strain
I wandered down to Edwardstown
Unknown, unloved, unseen
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
My County Leitrim queen

Her hair was like the sun-kissed gold
Her cheeks a lily hue
No prayer or chisel, broach or pen
Could express my colleen dubh
The beauty she possessed was rare
Perfection ne'er I've seen
In the love that mirrored from the eyes
Of my County Leitrim queen

Along the mainland primrose track
In life's young dawn we strolled
The plans we made, the prayers she said
As my love to her I told
The gentle pressure of her hand
Oh it all seems like a dream
God's will be done, she is gone, she is gone
My County Leitrim queen

For centuries on Leitrim's soil
Her great ancestors dwelled
Till one who married into them
Usurped the land they held
I saw the rose take from her cheeks
Her birthright loss was keen
She pined, she died, my joy, my pride
God rest my Leitrim queen

wr.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 03:12 PM

Lyrics given here composed by Tom McGovern?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 05:01 PM

weerover: Thanks!
Q: Where did you find that name? I've only got it on tape with no info on the author, so I'd be interested to learn more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 05:35 PM

Three or four Google references to McGovern in relation to the song, but no information. I would guess that he revised an old song, but 'dunno.'
The lyrics posted by weerover and in the website below are almost identical (I think weerover is correct with usurped (not used) in the last verse).

The form of the song seems composed; I think there is an author yet to be found. I can't find it in Sam Henry or other folksong references that I have.

Leitrim Queen at: Leitrim Queen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 09:30 PM

Does anyone have the chords?? I am thinking it's wit the Capo on the first in the key of G, but it's tough to nail down.

thanks

Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,Tom from Galway
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 09:25 PM

The first time I heard the song "My County Leirtim Queen" by Dermot O'Brien. you can google it in and listen to it on the his cd what a beautiful song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,adrian dunbar
Date: 15 May 10 - 07:21 AM

Thanks all........ive got Cathal Mc Connell singing it with The Boys of the Lough......great to have the lyrics here.......keep her lit

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 07:55 PM

i learnt that song from gabriel mcernie i think thats his second name and he is a brilliant trad singer and he's very accurate when it comes to the orginal lyrics and this is what he taught me

LEITRIM QUEEN
(Trad)

When youth was mine in health and prime
I longed for wealth and fame
An adventurous one both tall and strong
Of Wicklow rebel strain
I wandered down to Edwardstown
Unknown unloved unseen
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
My County Leitrim queen

Her hair was like the sun-kissed gold
Her cheeks a lily hue
No crayon chisel brush or pen
Could express my colleen dew (cant spell it but thats its pronounce)
The beauty she possessed was rare
Her affection ne'er I seen
In the love that mirrored from the eyes
Of my County Leitrim queen

Along the mill and primrose track
In life young donnelly strolled
The plans we made, the prayers she said
As my love to her I told
The gentle pressures of her hand
Oh it all seems like a dream
What will be done, she is gone, she is gone
My County Leitrim queen

For centuries on Leitrim's soil
Her great ancestors dwelled
Till one that married unto them
Usurped the land they held
I saw the rose take from her cheeks
Her birthright's loss was keen
She pined, she died, my joy, my pride
God rest my Leitrim queen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,claire
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 08:00 PM

no sorry that was wrong

its . . .


LEITRIM QUEEN
(Trad)

When youth was mine in health and prime
I longed for wealth and fame
An adventurous one both tall and strong
Of Wicklow rebel strain
I wandered down to Edgeworthstown
Unknown unloved unseen
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
My County Leitrim queen

Her hair was like the sun-kissed gold
Her cheeks a lily hue
No crayon chisel brush or pen
Could express my colleen dew (cant spell it but thats its pronounce)
The beauty she possessed was rare
Her affection ne'er I seen
In the love that mirrored from the eyes
Of my County Leitrim queen

Along the mill and primrose track
In life young donnelly strolled
The plans we made, the prayers she said
As my love to her I told
The gentle pressures of her hand
Oh it all seems like a dream
What will be done, she is gone, she is gone
My County Leitrim queen

For centuries on Leitrim's soil
Her great ancestors dwelled
Till one that married unto them
Usurped the land they held
I saw the rose take from her cheeks
Her birthright's loss was keen
She pined, she died, my joy, my pride
God rest my Leitrim queen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,^&*
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 11:15 AM

GUESTClaire

That "coleen dew" will be an anglicised pronunciation of the Irish "cailin dubh" given by weerover earlier in the thread. In some parts of Ireland it's pronounced to rhyme with "love" - but in northern areas it's closer to "doo". So it's a matter of how closely you try to rhyme "hue" with it!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,dancingpiper
Date: 10 Mar 15 - 07:41 AM

I've wanted lyrics to this for years but was not quite getting them all from the recording. thanks, all!! I do wonder about a couple things, though. "Dubh" means black or dark, which doesn't quite make sense with hair like sun=kissed gold, unless the latter refers to the shimmer of her dark hair. Could it be "due", which is a bit awkward grammatically but still fits conceptually? Also, I didn't scan the whole map of Ireland but did find an Edgeworthstown just south of County Lietrim. Could it be that, rather than Edwardstown?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 10 Mar 15 - 03:26 PM

Anna McManus sang the very song at our last meeting of the Leitrim Singers on March 1st

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,Michael F
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 05:53 PM

I've always been a fan of this song too. You asked for the chords... here is my simple take on them. The Boys of the Lough do some cool substitutions/voicings but this is the basic pattern repeated for each of the verses. I sing it in D, but I've added the chord number (based on the root) so you can transpose it to any key.

    D                C          G
When youth was mine in health and prime
D          G          D
I longed for wealth and fame
   D                            G         
An adventurous one both tall and strong
   D       G    A7
Of Wicklow rebel strain
D                         G
I wandered down to Edgeworthstown
D       G       A7
Unknown unloved unseen
D             C         G
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
   D      G       D
My County Leitrim queen

Here it is with chord numbers:
    D (1)             C (b7)    G (4)
When youth was mine in health and prime
D (1)      G (4)       D (1)
I longed for wealth and fame
   D (1)                         G (4)         
An adventurous one both tall and strong
   D (1)   G (4) A7 (5)
Of Wicklow rebel strain
D (1)                      G (4)
I wandered down to Edgeworthstown
   D (1)   G (4) A7 (5)
Unknown unloved unseen
D (1)          C (b7)    G (4)
I met a girl, a matchless pearl
   D (1)   G (4)   D (1)
My County Leitrim queen

Blessings to you. This is a beautiful song that always gets me... because the implication is that the narrator married his queen, then usurped the land himself, which killed her. He gained the land but lost his soul, his love. Kills me every time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,Michael F
Date: 11 Mar 17 - 05:54 PM

By the way, copy and print that into a word processor and use "courier" as the font to see the correct chord placement.

-michael (from California)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,Michael again
Date: 17 Mar 17 - 04:26 PM

I agree with dancing piper, above, that "Colleen Due" cannot mean "cailin dubh" because it causes contradictions within the lyric. "Her hair was like the sun-kissed gold" doesn't square with "cailin dubh" which translates as dark-girl or dark-haired girl.

So my bastardized solution is to sing:

No crayon, no chisel, brush nor pen,
Could express my Colleen *true*

Which makes the lyric mean that no artist of any kind could *truly* capture the beauty of the narrator's lost love. It may not be technically correct, but that's what I will continue to sing, as it increases the sentimentality for me. When I listen to Boys of the Lough and allow for their strong Celtic pronunciation, I can almost hear "true."

Hope this helps.

Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leitrim Queen
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 18 Mar 17 - 06:03 AM

This has also been recorded by Co. Cork musician Richard Dwyer, but his lyrics have been altered quite a bit from any of the above. He also sings only 3 verses, and in a different order. The title of the CD, for anyone interested, is "With A song In My Life", but to be honest, it's a bit too "C&W" for me - not what he does best.