Lyr Add: Dreams and High Hopes (from Greenhouse)

Subject: Lyr Add: DREAMS AND HIGH HOPES (Michael Rofkar)
From: michaelr
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 10:23 PM

Dreams and High Hopes   (Michael Rofkar)

I was seven years old when my parents were buried
Three years in a row the potato crop failed
There were six of us kids, only five could make passage
And I stood on the dock as the coffin ships sailed

I begged and I stole and I feed and I laboured
It took fifteen years to save up the fare
And after eight weeks when we reached New York harbour
There wasn't a statue to ease off my cares

As I stepped off the boat I was met by recruiters
You can be an American if you sign up today
I was fitted with cap and blue coat and rifle
With the Irish Brigades I was soon on my way

CHORUS:   Everything flows, yes and everything changes
Nothing's turned out as I thought it would then
Such dreams and high hopes when I came to the New World
Ah, but everything new just grows old again   

Bull Run and Bloody Lane, Sharpsburg and Fredricksburg
I'll never speak of the things that I've seen
One day in the woods I met a grey-coated rebel
I made ready to fire when he looked up at me

A voice that I knew said, Johnny don't shoot me
I lowered my rifle and peered through the rain
My childhood best friend from the hedge school in Mayo
I never did dream I'd see that face again

I said Kieran, my god, I nearly killed you
This war is a madness, this isn't our fight
He buried his grey coat, I buried my blue one
And we both deserted that very same night   

CHORUS

Tumbledown cabin on Grandfather Mountain
We were hunting by night and hiding by day
And when the war ended I met a girl there
But the West called to Kieran and he went on his way

I married my Polly on Grandfather Mountain
We never had children, now that seems sad
But she was my delight, and I cherish the memory
Of the laughter and love and the times that we had   

CHORUS


Lyrics copyright by Michael Rofkar. Published by Kudzu Tunes

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 09:39 AM

Nice one, Michael! Is is to a known traditional air, or did you write a melody for it as well? It's a perfect fit for Green Fields Of Canada -

Good work -

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: Ernest
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 12:29 PM

Like it to - please post the melody/chords
Regards
Ernest

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 03:19 PM

I'm working on a melody, but John Prine's "Paradise" (Daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County) keeps intruding!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 06:32 PM

Bonnie -- I'm not familiar with "Green Fields of Canada". A Forum/DT search seems to indicate that it's from Paddy Tunney and also known as "Green Fields of America". Mudcat MIDIs don't seem to be functional at the moment, however.

Where can I hear that melody?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 09:04 AM

They're two different airs as far as I know, though I don't recall the Tunney one offhand so I can't be sure. The Green Fields of Canada (lovely minor key, interesting melody line) was sung by Andy Irvine, who did a brilliant job of it on one of the Planxty albums - their third one? - the name of which of course escapes me. The Well Below The Valley, or the one after it - ???

Anyway, I think your song would sound fantastic to that tune, so do look it up & let us know what you decide -

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Jul 05 - 03:09 PM

That would have to be 1974's "Cold Blow and the Rainy Night" -- the one Planxty album I don't have! I'll go track it down.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Oct 09 - 03:13 PM

Refreshing this thread because I've finally got around to recording this song on Greenhouse's new CD of the same name. I did play around with the air to "Green Fields", but in the end decided to go with a more old-timey American sound.

The result, and several others off the new album, can be heard on our MySpage page. Comments are invited!

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Oct 09 - 06:20 PM

Congratulations! Sounds wonderful!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: AnneMC
Date: 05 Oct 09 - 05:41 AM

Hi Michael,

Love the song Dreams and High Hopes!
Is this song going to be available for purchase and download from iTunes at any time?

AnneMC

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 05 Oct 09 - 12:11 PM

Thanks, kat and Anne! The song (in fact, the whole CD) will be on iTunes eventually, but I can't say when.

This thread tells you more about the album.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: New Irish/Civil War song (USA)
From: michaelr
Date: 06 Oct 09 - 06:30 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dreams and High Hopes (from Greenhous
From: Stringsinger
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:11 PM

One of the two major ingredients of a good song or story is 1. Specificity. Images you can feel, taste, hear, see. 2. Language that is direct and singable. 3. A sense of "place". ( Jean Ritchie and Woody Guthrie capture these elements admirably. Or the writers in the past like Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer or Yip Harburg) 4. Defining who is singing and/or to whom.

It doesn't matter which persona you use if you have these elements.

For me there is 5. A variation from the verse to the chorus either in music or in stanzaic
form.

Eric Bogle's "Band Played Waltzing Mathilda" is written in the first person.
John McCutcheon's "Christmas In the Trenches". They probably haven't experienced
what's in the songs personally. That doesn't matter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dreams and High Hopes (from Greenhous
From: Stringsinger
Date: 18 Jan 10 - 05:13 PM

One of the two major ingredients of a good song or story is 1. Specificity. Images you can feel, taste, hear, see. 2. Language that is direct and singable. 3. A sense of "place". ( Jean Ritchie and Woody Guthrie capture these elements admirably. Or the writers in the past like Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer or Yip Harburg) 4. Defining who is singing and/or to whom.

It doesn't matter which persona you use if you have these elements.

For me there is 5. A variation from the verse to the chorus either in music or in stanzaic
form.

Eric Bogle's "Band Played Waltzing Mathilda" is written in the first person.
John McCutcheon's "Christmas In the Trenches". They probably haven't experienced
what's in the songs personally. That doesn't matter.