Origins: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land

Subject: Lyr Req: Sailing off to yankee land
From: GUEST,Terry W
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:36 PM

Hey all,

Surprised to not find this great tune "sailing off to yankee land".
An Irish emmigration song on Frank Hartes Hungry Voice cd. Anybody got any lyrics or info available.

Thanks,
Terry in Boston

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sailing off to yankee land
From: Peace
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:49 PM

The title of the song is "Sailing off to the Yankee Land" and it's on 'The Hungry Voice' by FRANK HARTE & DONAL LUNNY. However, I could not locate lyrics. CD
available.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sailing off to yankee land
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Feb 07 - 08:10 AM

CD World has a sound sample from the Frank Harte/Donal Lunny album, from which I transcribed this:

All you young men I pray draw near now
An' give ear to the words I am goin' to say.
I'm goin' to tell ye that the people of Ireland
Are emigratin' to Americay.
Ah yes indeed they are emigratin'.
This poor country they can't stand....

...and TradTunes has another:

...see our children to the door.
The father looks around the cabin.
He sees that he is all alone.
Surely his poor heart's a-breaking.
His salt tears would melt the stone.
And hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin.
This poor country they can't stand.
They put their foot on board of a....

It's also on Donal Maguire's album "Michael Davitt: The Forgotten Hero?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land
From: Bearheart
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 10:07 AM

It's on Karan Casey's and John Doyle's cd Exiles Return. lovely version.

Subject: Lyr Add: SAILING OFF TO THE YANKEE LAND
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Oct 11 - 11:00 PM

Transcribed by me from the recording on Spotify:


SAILING OFF TO THE YANKEE LAND
As sung by Frank Harte and Donal Lunny on "The Hungry Voice" (2009)

All you young men, I pray draw near now, an' give ear to the words I am goin' to say.
I'm goin' to tell you that the people of Ireland are emigratin' to Americay.

Ah, yes indeed, they are emigratin'. This poor country they can't stand.
They put their foot on board of a ship while they're sailing off to the Yankee land.

And the night before they are due for leavin', all the neighbours in their house do throng
For to take a farewell glass or otherwise to sing a song.

Well, they dance all night till early mornin', each man cuttin' all around the floor.
Then mother she comes in, says, weeping, "See our children to the door."

The father looks around the cabin. He sees that he is all alone.
Surely his poor heart's a-breaking. His salt tears would melt the stone.

And hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin! This poor country they can't stand.
They put their foot on board of a ship while they're sailin' off to the Yankee land.

Well, the other day as I went walking, down the road I chanced to go.
I saw a crowd to me approaching. It surely filled my heart with woe.

For I saw the carriage and coaches movin' onward forward to the train,
And their handkerchiefs were waving, bidding goodbye to Granuaile,

And hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin! This poor country they can't stand.
They put their foot on board of a ship while they're sailin' off to the Yankee land.

And when they get to New York harbour, friends will meet them with good cheer,
Saying, "How's old Ireland and how's she doin' and how is she comin' on this year?"

She's the most distressed and curséd nation in this world that e'er was seen.
All they're good for is process-servin' in that little isle of green.

Ah, yes, indeed they are emigratin' from the land they love so dear,
And any man that isn't married, well, the devil a wife he'll get next year.

And hurrah for the gallant sons of Erin! This poor country they can't stand.
They put their foot on board of a ship while they're sailin' off to the Yankee land.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land
From: GUEST,spanner
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 07:31 PM

Old thread but does anyone know who wrote this wonderful song?
Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jul 22 - 03:20 AM

In the book A Living Voice: The Frank Harte Song Collection, the notes says Harte learned the song from the singing of Bob McCreesh. But no songwriter is identified.

Recording on The Hungry Voice by Frank Harte and Donal Lunny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D8P79-D9H0

Recording on If It Wasn't for the Irish and the Jews by Mick Moloney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUgdh-Ze-wE

Recording by Karan Casey & John Doyle on Exiles Return: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn4eLIsPzaA

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land
From: GUEST,Joe Tomrud
Date: 31 Jul 22 - 06:19 PM

... also recorded by Antje Duvekot on her album "Live From All Over the Place", recorded in 2011. Her version was recorded live at Club Passim in Boston, accompanied by Sean Staples ...

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailing Off to the Yankee Land
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 09:44 PM

Thanks Joe and Joe