Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 03 Apr 20 - 06:44 PM

SONNY
(Songwriter: Ron Hynes)

Sonny lives on a farm, in a wide open space
Take off your shoes, stay out of the race
Lay down your head, in a soft river bed
Sonny always remembers the words Mamma says.

Sonny works on the land, though he's barely a man
There's not much to do but he does what he can
Sits by his window in the room by the stairs
Watching the waves drifting soft on the pier.


Many years have rolled on, Sonny's old and alone
His Daddy the sailor, he never came home
Sometimes he wonders what his life might have been
Still from the grave Mamma voice haunts his dreams.

Chorus:

Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Daddy's a sailor, he never comes home,
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm feeling so tired I'm not all that strong.

Sonny works on the land, though he's barely a man
There's not much to do but he does what he can
Sits by his window in the room by the stairs
Watching the waves drifting soft on the pier

Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Daddy's a sailor, he never comes home,
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm feeling so tired I'm not all that strong.


Many years have rolled on, Sonny's old and alone
His Daddy the sailor, he never came home
Sometimes he wonders what his life might have been
Still from the grave Mamma voice haunts his dreams

Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Daddy's a sailor, he never comes home,
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm feeling so tired I'm not all that strong

Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Daddy's a sailor, he never comes home,
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm feeling so tired I'm not all that strong.

Sonny don't go away,

As performed by Vatersay Boys

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 02:52 AM

wasn't it originally take off your sneakers..

he di.d modify it himself somewhat

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: GUEST,ketchdana
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 02:42 AM

Ron Hynes performing Sonny's Dream
"Performed at Hugh's Room, Toronto 2/23/14" (that's 23rd of February, last year)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8emvlnIpsF8

Subject: ADD Version: Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 12:48 AM

Up above, Ireland posted the "original lyrics" that were on christymoore.net (now defunct). Those lyrics seem credible because the Moore Website was very good.
But I found a Ron Hynes recording on the Singalongs and Shanties collection (2000), and the lyrics on that recording are different. I'm not sure I like them. I think I prefer the changes people like Jean Redpath have done to the song. Nonetheless, here is my transcription.
I apologize to Charley Noble for bringing this song up again, but the song is a great (though depressing) description of several dysfunctional mother-son relationships I've observed over the years.
-Joe-

SONNY'S DREAM
(Ron Hynes)

Sonny don't go away, I am here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor who never comes home
All these nights get so long & the silence goes on
And I'm feeling so tired, I'm not all that strong
G - - - / G - C G / D - - - / C - G D
Sonny lives on a farm, on a wide open space
Where you can kick off your shoes & give up the race
You could lay down your head by a sweet river bed
But Sonny always remembers what it was his mama said

Sonny carries a load tho' he's barely a man
There ain't all that to do, but he does what he can
And he watches the sea from a room by the stairs
And he watches the waves driftin' soft on the pier, watches for years

And it's a hundred miles to town, Sonny's never been there
And he goes to the hwy & stands there & stares
And the mail comes at 4 & the mailman is old
Oh but he still dreams his dreams full of silver & gold

Sonny's dreams can't be real, they're all stories he's read
Stars in his eyes, dreams in his head
All hungry inside for the wide world outside
And I know I'll never hold him tho' I tried & I tried & I tried

---

The GEST Website has a nice selection of videos to show Ron Hynes' interpretation of the song evolved over the years.

Subject: Lyr/Chords My Father's Ghost (Ron Hynes)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 12 - 01:05 PM

Everyone has lyrics / chords to Sonny's Dream ..... 100 times over.
does anyone have chords for My Father's Ghost ?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: Beer
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 04:45 PM

About 5 years ago i went to Newfoundland to take in the Folk Festival being held in St. John's. While at the festival I met a man who gave me hell because I bought a moose burger from a stand that was not his. "Why didn't you buy it here at this stand. I provide the meat here ". I apologized and then realized that I was speaking to Ron Hynes. He followed up by saying " You main landers will believe anything".   We spoke for a while and he asked where I was from and what I did. I told him I was retired but kept myself busy running a folk festival. He said "Why don't you book me". I replied that I wouldn't be able to afford him. He said "How do you know? call my business agent in Dartmouth Nova Scotia and talk to her". He was very serious. I told him that in fact I would be in Dartmouth in less than 2 weeks as I was going there taking my grand son to visit.
I met Lynn Horne at Chapters book store and in less than an hour we parted not but shaking hands but by hugging each other and with an agreement that Ron would come to Quebec and play at our festival.
Great lady
Ad.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: oldhippie
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 02:57 PM

If you like "Sonny", you'll probably also like "My Father's Ghost" on his new CD Stealing Genius. Also, "Here Lies Lenora Jennings" is another fine story song of Ron's.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 07:42 AM

Maybe I'll compose an extra verse where Sonny takes an ax to his mother, cuts her down a peg or two.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 04:46 AM

Sorry, slip of digit, that last post should include this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byQBsH-iQQs

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Sonny / Sonny's Dream (Ron Hynes)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 04:45 AM

Here's Ron & his arrangement of his song - agreed, the 'maudlin' version alluded to above's been the only one I'd heard previously, but Ron's is quite different - upbeat!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 07:16 PM

More than "sad." More like "pathetic."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 06:13 PM

Cluin, I've always imagined Sonny as very sad, but not necessarily homicidal! (That's why it's a song, not a film, I suppose ...) :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 05:28 PM

LOL

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Cluin
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 02:38 AM

"Norman! Are you talking to a GIRL???"

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 02:24 AM

Maudlin? I've always viewed the mother as a possessive psychopath. Is that maudlin?
Or could my interpretation be psychotic?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 08:40 PM

One human's maudlin drivel, another human's masterpiece ... I like it. Hamish says in his book: "Everyone singing Sonny's Dream nowadays uses the last verse that I wrote myself, even Jean Redpath who I am told has introduced it as 'Traditional, Newfoundland'." (p 129)
And our own Dita has something to say here on how the change of lyrics came about - you might call it the folk process!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 11:01 AM

I suppose it's too late to stamp out this maudlin song.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Declan
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 10:46 AM

In his book One Voice A life in Song Christy Moore says he learned the song from the late great Scotish singer and entertainer Hamish Imlach. Christy arranged for Hamish to record this as a single in Ireland in about 1983 going by the information in the book. Mary Black was involved in the recording of the single as well. Christy went on to record the song on his 1984 "Ride On" Album. He offers no insight into how the lyrics came to be changed from the original. I must say I prefer the original which offers some hope that Sonny will escape from his dilemna and fulfill his dreams.

He also mentions that Ron Hynes came to Ireland and made a film recently, and that Ron was pleased to find that wherever he went in Ireland, the song was well known.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Declan
Date: 08 Jan 03 - 07:36 AM

Christy sang it first over here and Mary Black and others would probably have heard it through him. I'm currently reading the Christy Moore Song book (a very well chosen Christmas present). I haven't got to the page about this song yet, but I'll let you know what he says. Christy recorded this well back, before he ever recorded any of his own material, but its amazing how many people seem to think he wrote everything he sings. He does seem to make a lot of songs his own, so maybe that's why.

Christy's first recording of this went largely unnoticed, except to his (relatively small in those days) fan-base, so many people will have heard the "Bringing it all back Home" version first. If I'm not mistaken on this series the vocals were shared between Mary Black, Emmylou Harris and possibly Dolores Keane.

The subject matter seems very Irish in its nature which probably is why people won't believe its not an Irish song, but they are wrong again.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Songsmith
Date: 08 Jan 03 - 07:27 AM

Hello,

I'm working in the Middle East and the song often starts   an agrument. I was living at home when Ron first released it. I think it was when he was with The Wonderful Grand Band.

Mary Black has also recorded it and her version is the one Christy did. The Irish folks here are hard set that either of their two natives wrote the tune. So much so that at one jam when proof of authorship was given it was passed off as a gag. They really slow the song down to a slow ballad tempo. Theylooked at me as if I had two heads the first time I sang thewriter's version

I have heard there was a TV program on the subject not that long ago. I've been unable to find anyone who's seen it.

One of Canada's best kept secerets is Mr. Hynes. Great writer and I understand he's set to release a new one recorded with Paul Mills.

Thanks
Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 09:56 PM

of course, it is in DigiTrad

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: mg
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 03:24 PM

good. I am glad we saw the official words. I know it pretty close to the original..well, not surprising seeing as I think I lived in Newfoundland when it came out and spread like wildfire.

mg

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Cluin
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 03:03 PM

It was Valdy's cover of this one that I learned it from.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Ireland
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 02:42 PM

Sorry posted when I meant to save.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SONNY / SONNY'S DREAM (Ron Hynes)
From: Ireland
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 02:40 PM

From http://www.christymoore.net/lyrics/sonny.html

Ron Hynes, the author, contacted me recently and informed me that the lyrics to his song are different than the ones Christy sings below. I've added Ron's original lyrics below, too.


G
Sonny lives on a farm, in a wide open space
                         C          G
Take off your shoes, stay out of the race
D
Lay down your head, on a soft river bed
      C                   G          D
Sonny always remembers the words Mama says.
CHORUS
G
Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
                      C          G
Your Daddy's a sailor, never comes home,
D
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
    C                        G       D
I'm feeling so tired and not all that strong.

Sonny works on the land, though he's barely a man
There's not much to do but he does what he can
Sits by his window in his room by the stairs
Watching the waves drifting soft on the pier.

CHORUS
Many years have rolled on, Sonny's old and alone
His Daddy the sailor, never came home
Sometimes he wonders what his life might have been
But from the grave Mama still haunts his dreams.
CHORUS

---

Here are the original lyrics to this song:

SONNY'S DREAM
(Ron Hynes) - author's version

Sonny lives on a farm, on a wide open space
Where you take off your sneakers, and give up the race
And you can lay down your head, by the sweet river bed
But Sonny always remembers what it was his mama said

Sonny carries a load but he's barely a man
That ain't all that you do, still he does what he can
And he watches the sea, from a room by the stairs
And the waves keep on rollin', they've done that for years

CHORUS
Oh Sonny don't go away, I am here all alone
And your daddy's a sailor who never comes home
And the nights get so long, and the silence goes on
And I'm feeling so tired, I'm not all that strong.....

And it's a hundred miles to town
Sonny's never been there
And he goes to the highway and stands there and stares
And the mail comes at four
And the mailman is old
Oh.. but he still has his dreams, full of silver and gold....

Sonny's dreams can't be real, they're just stories he's read
They're just stars in his eyes, they're just dreams in his head
And he's hungry inside for the wild world outside
And I know I can't hold him
Though I tried and I tried and I tried........

Ron Hynes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KD7eUfIgCk

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: jup
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 06:47 PM

Terrrrific guys!

This place is great,I LOVE IT.

I've been wanting to find this one for some time, to add it to my dinner music list.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From:
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 05:27 PM

Ah, but Christy Moore's "full words" are only his recollection (slightly different) or Ron Hynes real version.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: wildlone
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 03:29 PM

The Christy Moore site has the lyrics and chords to Sonnys Dream click with the full words to the song.
dave

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 12:39 PM

Also, go to Ron Hynes site and listen to Sonny's Dream on the MP3 File thats there. What a revelation. A major talent largely unknown down here across the lake

Don

Subject: Chords Add: SONNY (Ron Hynes)
From: DonMeixner
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 12:34 PM

SONNY
(Songwriter: Ron Hynes)

Son(C)ny lives on a farm, in a wide open space
(F)Take off your shoes, stay o(C)ut of the race
(G)Lay down your head, on a soft river bed
Sonny al(F)ways remembers the wo(C)rds Mamma sa(G7)ys.

Chorus:
Sonny do(C)n't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Dad(C)dy's a sa(C7)ilor, ne(F)ver comes home,
(G)Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm fe(F)eling so tired and n(C)ot all that stro(G7)ng.

Toss in some appropriate walk ups and this is pretty much it.

Glad to help when I can.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From:
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 12:33 PM

Now, the show I'm thinking about is roughly 30 years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From:
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 12:24 PM

That's not the song. I think I remember the show, and I believe it was the pop/country song "Sunny".

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 11:01 AM

Previous helpful thread on Forum Sonny's Dream

Murray

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: Dan Calder
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 07:35 AM

Jup,

Go to the site below and look under "Ron Hynes" for the chords. Nice up-and-coming site for East Coast Music On The Net.

http://www.onlinesupport.pe.ca/kobrien/

Enjoy,

Dan

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: sonny
From: jup
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 06:59 AM

Thanks,Masato, That looks like like the one. Great!Thanks again. Jup.

Subject: Lyr Add: SONNY (Ron Hynes)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 06:51 AM

SONNY
(Songwriter: Ron Hynes)

Sonny lives on a farm, in a wide open space
Take off your shoes, stay out of the race
Lay down your head, on a soft river bed
Sonny always remembers the words Mamma says.

Chorus:
Sonny don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your Daddy's a sailor, never comes home,
Nights are so long, silence goes on,
I'm feeling so tired and not all that strong.

Sonny works on the land, though he's barely a man
There's not much to do but he does what he can
Sits by his window in his room by the stairs
Watching the waves drifting soft on the pier.

Chorus

Many years have rolled on, Sonny's old and alone
His Daddy the sailor, never came home
Sometimes he wonders what his life might have been
But from the grave Mamma still haunts his dreams.

Chorus

(From: The Mary Black Homepage)

~Masato

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Se8r579MEY

Subject: sonny
From: jup
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 05:58 AM

Can someone help with this song please. I have some of the words, and my own idea of the cords, but my memory of the tune is,to say the least dodgy! It was used as part of the T.V. series "Bringing it all back home". Thanks ,Jup.