Need help: irish folk-/protest-song

Subject: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Leadbelly
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:36 AM

Hi,
long time ago I listened to an irish song performed by a group. All I can remember are fragments of the refrain which goes like this:

The sea, oh(?) the sea
is a good guarantee
Long it (?) may roll between England and me
...

Who knows about this song and its performers?

Many thanks in advance,

Manfred

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Den
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:48 AM

Is this what your looking for Manfred?

Surrounded By Water
(Dominic Behan)

They say that the lakes of Killarney are fair
That no stream like the Liffey can ever compare
If it's water you want you'll find nothing more rare
Than the stuff they make down by the ocean

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

Tom Moore made his waters meet fame and renown
A great lover of anything dressed in a crown
In brandy the bandy old Saxon he'd drown
But throw ne'er a one into the ocean

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

The Scots have their whisky, the Welsh have their speech
And their poets are paid about ten pence a week
Provided no hard words on England they speak
Oh Lord! What a price for devotion!

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

The Danes came to Ireland with nothing to do
But dream of the plundered old Irish they slew
"Yeh will in your Vikings", said Brian Boru
And threw them back in the ocean

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

Two foreign old monarchs in battle did join
Each wanting their head on the back of a coin
If the Irish had sense they'd drown both in the Boyne
And Partition throw into the ocean

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it stay between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Leadbelly
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:53 AM

Yes, it is, Den!
At the same time I have had a look into Mudcat Lyrics and found "The sea around us".
Seems to be similar resp. identical.

Thank you very much....
Manfred

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:06 AM

Sometimes it ends:

God help poor old Scotland, they'll never be free.
Thank God we're surrounded by water.

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Scrump
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:11 AM

Yes, I thought the proper title was The Sea Around Us, as stated by Leadbelly above.

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Leadbelly
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:17 AM

So what do we learn, McGrath? Apart from love (and joy) water is another thing that really counts.

Manfred

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:34 AM

Not to forget a parody about Whisky, in particular the 100 proof variants:
Thank God, it's surrounded by water.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:50 AM

The Welsh have their "leeks", Den.
In "Borstal Boy", Brendan (Dominic's brother, of course) has the line about Scotland:

"God help the poor Scotchmen, they'll never be free,
But we're entirely surrounded by water"

On a very old-fashioned RTE Radio One programme, "Failte Isteach" ("Welcome in"), Donncha O' Dulainn regularly plays a recording of this one; it's on on Saturday nights at 10pm. I say "old-fashioned"; to judge by the Requests and Dedications, there must be hundreds of Irish nuns scattered in convents all over England and America.

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Gulliver
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 11:35 AM

Hiya Leadbelly!
The Dominic Behan lyrics from his book "Ireland Sings" has "speech" rather than "leeks" (but everyone sings "leeks").
Den's text is the same as in the book, but I've always heard it sung: "long may it flow between England and me".

The book states that the tune is the old melody of "'S Fágaimid Siúd Mar Atá Sé",
and that Dominic got the title line from his mother from a song that a friend Mick Byrne wrote.

"gradh geal mo croide" (which should be "grá geal mo chroí" in modern Irish) is pronounced "graw gyall muh hree".

MvG, Gulliver

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Leadbelly
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 01:33 PM

Gulliver, thanks for this additional info!


Manfred

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Declan
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 01:42 PM

There's also a parody of this called Dollymount Strand.

I only know the chorus which goes:

The Sea Oh the Sea, it had crept up on me,
And the water was rising up quite rapidly,
So sez I to the mott get your hand off me knee,
Can't you sea we're surrounded by Water.

Mott is Dublin slang for a girlfriend.

Subject: RE: Need help: irish folk-/protest-song
From: Den
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 02:11 PM

Gulliver, that's exactly where I got the words. So, An Buachaill Caol Dubh its Dominic Behans fault not mine.

Subject: ADD: Dollymount Strand (Shay Healy)
From: Gulliver
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 03:09 PM

Here ya go Declan:

DOLLYMOUNT STRAND
(Shay Healy)

On Dollymount Strand on a cold winter's night
I put on the hand brake and switched out the light
I looked at me Mot and said, "Are you all right?"
Meself and the architect's daughter.

Chorus:
But the sea, oh the sea, it crept up on me
And the water was risin' up quite rapidly
I sez to the Mot, "Get your hand off me knee."
"Can't yeh see we're surrounded by water."

I switched on the ignition and put it in gear
Could I get it movin', lads? No bloody fear!
Not if I was there for the next bloody year
There was sand in the old carburetor.

Chorus

With water the car soon filled up to the brim
I sez to the Mot, "Dear, the chances are slim."
"So love get them off yeh, we'll both have to swim."
So I let down the window and scarpered.

Chorus

So if ever you down to Dollymount Strand
Be sure that the tide's out and everything's grand
For a bird in the bush is worth two in the hand
Regardless to what you are after