Lyr Req: Lisdoonvarna (Christy Moore)

Subject: Song about an Irish festival
From: Lancashire Lad
Date: 25 Apr 04 - 11:04 AM

I'm sure someone can answer this.
I'm trying to find a modern song that tells the story of the people who turned up and the events surrounding an Irish music festival. I only caught a section when it was played on the radio a couple of years ago, but it was great and very funny.

Paul Brady has been suggested, but that was only a guess.
Will someone put me out of my misery and tell me the name of the track and singer.

LL

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: Susan A-R
Date: 25 Apr 04 - 11:42 AM

I think it's Christy Moore's Lisdomvarna from his Ride On album. It's actually written on the back of the record jacket, and quite long. It's sort of a tlaking Blues.

If you want lyrics, let me know and I'll do some magnifying glass work and write 'em out.

Susan

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: michaelr
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 01:53 AM

If it's music you want, you should go to Clare.

Check here.

A 747 for Jackson Browne,
They had to build a special runway just to get him down.
Before the Chieftains could start to play,
Seven creamy pints came out on a tray.
Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan,
Seán Cannon did the backstage cookin'.
Clannad were playin' "Harry's Game",
   Christy was singin' "Nancy Spain".
Mary O'Hara and Brush Shields,
Together singin' "The Four Green Fields".
Van the Man and Emmy Lou,
   Moving Hearts and Planxty too!

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 06:29 AM

ohhh lisdomvarna

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: erinmaidin
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 06:32 AM

There's another one....not quite as popular as Lisdoonvarna...written by a fella here in Dublin called Kieran Wade....it's called Trip To the Fleadh...mentions someone spilling a pint into the fiddler's case.
Could this be it?

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: Lancashire Lad
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 10:45 AM

Hooray
Mystery solved...Yes its the great Christy. Off to buy it tomorrow

Thanks for your help

LL

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: GUEST,pete
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 10:56 AM

HI LL

It is indeed a great song. I think Christy has a box set coming out soon. You don't need to buy it though as you should be easuly able to download it for free from gnutella or any equivalent site

cheers

Pete

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: Fergie
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 11:13 AM

Guest pete,

Pay Christy the money, he is so worth it, also he isn't loaded, he and Plankty get nothing for the sale of their great albums,. Dont be such a cheapskate
Fergus

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: MARINER
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 03:16 PM

Come on, Christy has made a fortune. Days of Planxty and Moving Hearts have long since passed. (It's true that neither made anything from record royalties, but then no one in Ireland made a penny from royalties in those days, and some still don't, depending on who they are signes to.)There is a parody doing the rounds which goes, "I'm an ordinary man, I'll only play for twenty grand"! nuff said (Mind you he deserves every penny.

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: Susan A-R
Date: 26 Apr 04 - 09:27 PM

Haven't listened to my vinyl copy of that one in a while. Thanks for reminding me of it.

Susan A-R

(and thanks Michael, I wasn't looking forward to transcribing the entire thing from the back of the album jacket. It's pretty small print for this girl.)

Subject: RE: Song about an Irish festival
From: Teribus
Date: 27 Apr 04 - 08:56 AM

Isn't there another one about the Willie Clancy festival in Miltown Malbay?

Subject: Lyr Add: LISDOONVARNA (Christy Moore)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Apr 04 - 11:33 AM

Copied from http://www.iol.ie/~murphypj/christy/Lisdoonv.txt

LISDOONVARNA
(Christy Moore)

G
  How's it goin' there everybody,
       D                        C
  From Cork, New York, Dundalk, Gortahork and Glenamaddy.
  D
  Here we are in the County Clare
         C
  It's a long, long way from here to there.
  D
  There's the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher,
         C
  And the Tulla and the Kilfenora,
  D
  Miko Russell, Doctor Bill,
  C
  Willy Clancy and Noel Hill.
  D
  Flutes and fiddles everywhere.
  C
  If it's music you want,
  You should go to Clare.
  
  CHORUS
        G          C
        Oh, Lisdoonvarna
        G                                 C
        Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoon, Lisdoonvarna!

Everybody needs a break,
Climb a mountain or jump in a lake.
Some head off to exotic places,
Others go to the Galway Races.
Mattie goes to the South of France,
Jim to the dogs, Peter to the dance.
A cousin of mine goes potholing,
A cousin of heres loves Joe Dolan.
Summer comes around each year,
We go there and they come here.
Some jet off to ... Frijiliana,
But I always go to Lisdoonvarna. CHORUS

I always leave on a Thursday night,
With me tent and me groundsheet rolled up tight.
I like to hit Lisdoon,
In around Friday afternoon.
This gives me time to get me gear together,
I don't need to worry about the weather.
Ramble in for a pint of stout,
And you'd never know who'd be hangin' about!
There's a Dutchman playing a mandolin,
And a German looking for Liam Óg O'Floinn.
And there's Adam, Bono and Garrett Fitzgerald,
Gettin' their photos taken for the Sunday World.
Finbarr, Charlie and Jim Hand,
And they drinkin' pints to bate the band.
.. Ain't it grand? CHORUS

The multitudes, they flocked and thronged,
To hear the music and the songs.
Motorbikes and Hi-ace vans,
With bottles - barrels - flagons - cans.
Mighty craic. Loads of frolics,
Pioneers and alcoholics,
PLAC, SPUC and the FCA,
Free Nicky Kelly and the IRA.
Hairy chests and milk-white thighs,
And mickey dodgers in disguise.
Mc Graths, O'Briens, Pippins, Coxs,
Massage parlours in horse boxes.
There's amhráns, bodhráns, amadáns,
Arab sheiks, Hindu Sikhs, Jesus freaks,
RTE are makin' tapes, takin' breaks and throwin' shapes.
This is heaven, this is hell.
Who cares? Who can tell?
(Anyone for the last few Choc Ices, now?) CHORUS

A 747 for Jackson Browne,
They had to build a special runway just to get him down.
Before the Chieftains could start to play,
Seven creamy pints came out on a tray.
Shergar was ridden by Lord Lucan,
Seán Cannon did the backstage cookin'.
Clannad were playin' "Harry's Game",
Christy was singin' "Nancy Spain".
Mary O'Hara and Brush Shields,
Together singin' "The Four Green Fields".
Van the Man and Emmy Lou,
Moving Hearts and Planxty too! CHORUS

Everybody needs a break,
Climb a mountain or jump in a lake.
Sean Doherty goes to the Rose of Tralee,
Oliver J. Flanagan goes swimming in the Holy Sea.
But I like the music and the open air,
So every Summer I go to Clare.
Coz Woodstock, Knock nor the Feast of Cana,
Can hold a match to Lisdoonvarna. CHORUS