Lyr? The Hedges of County Down

Subject: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 22 Jul 97 - 09:50 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics of this song. Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 22 Jul 97 - 11:28 AM

More clues, please

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: Wolfgang
Date: 24 Jul 97 - 03:34 AM

It is an emigration song, in which the protagonist laments leaving his native County Down. The not so usual end: He's coming back to die at the place he was born. I know it sung by the Sands Family (they call it "traditional") and some of the lines I understand go like that:

"light of pocket but heavy of heart
he started from Newry Town,
sad of heart but he had to part
from the hedges of Co. Down."

Subject: Lyrics add: The Hedges of County Down
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Mar 03 - 09:12 AM

This song request is so old that it is not even mentioned among the missing lyrics. Alison once has transcribed this song for me. Praise her for the transcription and blame me for overlooking the errors my scanner has made. I still don't know anything more about this song.

Wolfgang

HEDGES OF COUNTY DOWN

A boy had a dream that a man was he
A dream of a far distant place
He turned away from his family
To the world turned an innocent face.
Light of pocket but heavy of heart
He started from Newry town
Sad of heart but he had to part
From the hedges of County Down.

He started his journey along that road
And let out a sigh of pain
For the Mourne Mountains and all around
He never might see again
He pulled a willow from under the hedge
The spring it lay green on the sod
He started away on this ramble new
With his fate in the hands of God.

This boy who parted from Newry town
Was out in the world of men
Seeking his fortune on the far foreign shore
To take him back home again
And when the hair on his head grew white
And his footsteps grew feeble and slow
He said "By the morning I will start
To the land of my childhood I'll go."

And so he started back again
How his heart it did leap with joy
To see those dark Mourne Mountains again
And the places he roamed as a boy
This boy who toiled to the door of his tomb
In many a far distant town
He died when the hawthorn trees were in bloom
In the hedges of County Down

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,John Moulden cookieless but helpful
Date: 11 Mar 03 - 10:10 AM

Sung by Eddie Butcher on Outlet LP OAS3007

Subject: Tune Req: Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,bingo
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 11:19 AM

I spent the first 20 years of my life there and have never heard this tune.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Hedges of County Down
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 11:37 AM

Lyrics posted here, didn't find a tune...yet.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Hedges of County Down
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 04:23 PM

I could tape it for you.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 04 - 04:20 PM

I live in Paris. would that be an obstacle?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Hedges of County Down
From: Wolfgang
Date: 08 Feb 04 - 05:09 PM

No, it wouldn't. Give me your postal address and you'll get a tape soon.
If you don't want to post your address here, mail it to [e-mail]. That's me.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,Gabriel
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 02:52 PM

'The Boy from County Down'. Came across this thread and thought it worth noting the origins and writer of the song. It was written by Teresa Brayton from Co Kildare. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Brayton She published the poem in 1913 in her collection, "Songs of the Dawn and Irish Ditties".
Eddie Butcher appears to have been the first to record it as a song. He sings it fairly true to Teresa Breyton's poem but changes the final line of the first verse from, 'meadows of County Down', to 'hedges of County Down'. Butcher also changes the title.
Others sing an abbreviated version dropping a verse and making further changes to wording.

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,Gabriel
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 02:59 PM

THE BOY FROM COUNTY DOWN
By Teresa Brayton

A boy with the dreams of a man was he, a lad from a lonesome place,
And he turned away from his family the width of the world to face;
Light of pocket and heavy of heart he started from Newry town
And his soul grew sick as he paused to part from the meadows of County Down.

He set his bundle beside the road and looked with a sob of pain
To the Mourne mountains and all abroad where never might come again;
Then plucking a primrose from the hedge, for Spring was green on the sod,
He fared away on his wanderings with his fate in the hands of God.

Oh, many a tear did his mother weep in Rosaries said for him
And his father’s sorrow looked wide and deep from eyes that were growing dim,
But the boy who parted from County Down was out in the world of men
Seeking the wealth in a far off town that should carry him home again.

Then when the hair on his head was white and the step of him faint and slow
Said he “‘tis back by the morning’s light to the land of my youth I’ll go,
“Though my parents both in the graveyard be and the noon of my life is set
“Sure County Down is the same,” said he, “and the mountains are standing yet.”

He journeyed back from the world of men and the soul of him leaped with joy
To see the Mourne mountains again and the fields where he roamed a boy.
But sure he had toiled to the doors of doom in many a far off town
And he died when the primrose buds were in bloom by the hedges of County Down.

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,Gabriel
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 02:52 PM

'The Boy from County Down'. Came across this thread and thought it worth noting the origins and writer of the song. It was written by Teresa Brayton from Co Kildare. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Brayton She published the poem in 1913 in her collection, "Songs of the Dawn and Irish Ditties".
Eddie Butcher appears to have been the first to record it as a song. He sings it fairly true to Teresa Breyton's poem but changes the final line of the first verse from, 'meadows of County Down', to 'hedges of County Down'. Butcher also changes the title.
Others sing an abbreviated version dropping a verse and making further changes to wording.

Subject: RE: Lyr? The Hedges of County Down
From: GUEST,Gabriel
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 02:59 PM

THE BOY FROM COUNTY DOWN
By Teresa Brayton

A boy with the dreams of a man was he, a lad from a lonesome place,
And he turned away from his family the width of the world to face;
Light of pocket and heavy of heart he started from Newry town
And his soul grew sick as he paused to part from the meadows of County Down.

He set his bundle beside the road and looked with a sob of pain
To the Mourne mountains and all abroad where never might come again;
Then plucking a primrose from the hedge, for Spring was green on the sod,
He fared away on his wanderings with his fate in the hands of God.

Oh, many a tear did his mother weep in Rosaries said for him
And his father’s sorrow looked wide and deep from eyes that were growing dim,
But the boy who parted from County Down was out in the world of men
Seeking the wealth in a far off town that should carry him home again.

Then when the hair on his head was white and the step of him faint and slow
Said he “‘tis back by the morning’s light to the land of my youth I’ll go,
“Though my parents both in the graveyard be and the noon of my life is set
“Sure County Down is the same,” said he, “and the mountains are standing yet.”

He journeyed back from the world of men and the soul of him leaped with joy
To see the Mourne mountains again and the fields where he roamed a boy.
But sure he had toiled to the doors of doom in many a far off town
And he died when the primrose buds were in bloom by the hedges of County Down.