Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway

Subject: West Clare Light Railway
From: GUEST,Jim I
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 09:56 PM

After the previous discussion about Percy French I noticed that this one was not in the DT (At least I can't find it!)

THE WEST CLARE LIGHT RAILWAY (or ARE YE RIgHT THERE MICHAEL< ARE YE RIGHT) (Percy French)

Are ye Right There, Michael

1. You may talk of Columbus's sailing
Across the Atlantical Sea
But he never tried to go railin'
From Ennis as far as Kilkee
You'll run for the train in the morning,
The excursion train startin' at eight
You're there when the clock gives the warnin',
And there for an hour you'll wait
And while ye're waitin' in the train,
Ye'll hear the guard sing this refrain:

Chorus: Are ye right, there, Michael? Are ye right?
Do ye think that we'll be home before the night?
Ah! Ye've been so long in startin'
That ye couldn't say for certain
So ye might now Michael, so ye might.

2. They find out where the engine's been hidin'
And it drags ye to sweet Corrafin
Says the guard "Michael, down at the sidin',
There's a goods from Kilrush comin' in"
Perhaps it comes in, in two hours,
Perhaps it breaks down on the way
"If it does", says the guard "Be the Powers!
We'll be here for the rest of the day."
And as ye sit and curse yer luck,
The train backs down into a truck

Chorus: Are ye right there Michael? Are ye right?
Have ye got a parcel there for Mrs White
Oh! Ye haven't. Oh! Begorrah!
Say it's comin' down temorra
And it might now Michael, so it might

3. At Lahinch the sea shines like a jewel,
With joy you are ready to shout
When the stoker cries out "There's no fuel,
And the fire is t-totally out.
But hand up that bit of a log there
I'll soon have you out of a fix
There's a fine clamp of turf in the bog there,
While the rest go a-gatherin' sticks."
And while ye're breakin' bits of trees,
Ye hear some smart remarks like these

Chorus: Are ye right there Michael? Are ye right?
Do ye think that ye'll get the fire to light?
Oh! An hour ye'll require For the turf it might be drier
Oh! It might now Michael, so it might

4. Kilkee, Oh! Ye'll never get near it.
Ye're in luck if the train brings ye back
For the permanent way is so queer
It spends most of the time off the track
Uphill the old engine is toilin',
The passengers push with a will
You're all right when you pass Ennistymon
For all the way home is downhill
And as ye're wobblin' through the dark
Ye hear the guard make this remark

Chorus: Are ye right there Michael? Are ye right?
Do ye think that ye'll be home before the light?
It's all dependin' whether,
The old engine holds together
And it might now Michael, so it might –
so it might!
And it might now Michael so it might.

JI

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 11:10 PM

See also  ARE YE RIGHT THERE, MICHAEL?,  posted here two years ago.  The tune is at  Mudcat Midis.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: Big Tim
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 11:01 AM

Should be sweet "Corofin" - Cora finne, "weir of the white (water").

Anyone know what under what title the song was originally published as?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 11:10 AM

It seems to have been first published as Are ye right there Michael?  There's some interesting background information here:  Percy French

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 04:00 PM

In "Percy French - Prose, poems and parodies", the title is given thus:

"Are ye right there, Michael" - A Lay of the Wild West Clare.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: Big Tim
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 04:28 PM

Thanks guys. I have to admit that this isn't my fave PF song. However it was a favourite of my father's after he heard Brendan O'Dowda sing it live in Carndonagh (Donegal) in the early 50s when I was very young. So I'm interested in the song mainly for that reason. Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: West Clare Light Railway
From: Gareth
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 04:29 PM

A little bit more on the West Clare Light Railway !

Gareth