17 Oct 99 - 08:10 PM (#124975) Subject: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes From: Magpie I've been looking for a song by Martin Furey called GRANDMOTHER'S EYES. It's about (obviously) a grandson telling the story of how his grandmother has seen every loved one leave for America, England or Australia. Can anyone of you oracles give me the lyrics, please? Magpie |
17 Oct 99 - 08:12 PM (#124976) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: grandmother's eyes From: Stewie You are possibly looking for Guy Clark's 'Immigrant Eyes' that has undergone some sort of folk process - well, the Fureys turned 'Aragon Mill' into 'Belfast Mill'. Clark's song has the lines 'So don't take for granted say/grandfather's immigrant eyes'. You'll find it on his CD 'Old Friends' Sugar Hill CD 1025. |
17 Oct 99 - 08:14 PM (#124977) Subject: req: grandmother's eyes From: Joe Offer Click here for the thread with Guy Clark's "Immigrant Eyes." -Joe Offer- |
18 Oct 99 - 11:40 AM (#125165) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: grandmother's eyes From: Magpie Thanks guys, but it isn't "Immigrant Eyes", although it resembles it a bit. It was writtey by Martin Furey, and I suppose if I had any talent at all concerning computers, I'd find it somewhere out there. But alas... Magpie |
22 Oct 08 - 03:14 PM (#2473019) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: grandmother's eyes From: GUEST i also have spent some time searching for this track but to no avail. its a fantastic song but very difficult to track down |
22 Oct 08 - 04:00 PM (#2473048) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: Joe Offer Can anybody come up with at least a few phrases from the lyrics? It's on a compilation album called Folk 'N' Hell: Fiery New Music From Scotland, which doesn't seem to be available here in the U.S. It's also on another album called FLAXMILL presents: Audrey Darby - tosnu, also on Skirm & Dezi Donnelly, Welcome: Live in Hamburg I found songs with similar titles by Rock Salt and Nails, also by a group called "John Trubee and the Ugly Janitors of America," but I'm reluctant to buy these tracks without knowing if they're the right ones. -Joe- |
22 Oct 08 - 06:48 PM (#2473205) Subject: ADD: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: Joe Offer OK, so I'm guessing this is the song by Martin Furey. Much of it is hard to understand, but here's what I came up with: MY GRANDMOTHER'S EYES (Martin Furey) My grandmother called, wearing rosary beads, in a black, braided shawl that she wears; My brother and sister are leaving today – it's an American wake affair. She stands by my side, she smiles at her ease, keeping my sister calm; And in one last embrace, my brother she presses, a silver coin in his palm. [next part is very rapid and almost unintelligible] ---said she couldn't be, said she couldn't talk, said she couldn't see, She couldn't walk, she couldn't talk, she couldn't talk to me; No more down, down upon her knees She is praying to the God that she believes will help them on their way, They are leavin'. They are gone, they are gone, they are gone, they are gone, they are going To England To Australia To Canada To America My grandmother's eyes have seen eighty-two years, she's seen all this before. My grandmother's skin is all wrinkled and old, for she stood so many times outside this door. She saw her father leave, She saw her brothers leave, She saw her lovers leave, Her daughters, her children, and now she sees me. I am gone, I am gone, I am gone, I am gone, I am going To England To Australia To Canada To America To America [next part is very rapid and almost unintelligible] ---said she couldn't be, said she couldn't talk, said she couldn't see, She couldn't walk, she couldn't talk, she couldn't talk to me; No more down, down upon her knees She is praying to the God that she believes will help them on their way, To England To Australia To Canada To America To England To Australia To Canada To America My grandmother called, wearing rosary beads, in a black, braided shawl that she wears. Transcribed by ear from the Rock Salt & Nails CD, More & More First Question: Is this the Martin Furey song, or did I go to all this work to transcribe the wrong song? -Joe- |
08 Jan 09 - 05:39 PM (#2535477) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: GUEST,Big Davey The song "Grand Mother's Eyes" appears on Bohinta's CD, Wishes. (Note - not "Grandmother"). It was written by Martin Furey. Bohinta are (primarily): Martin Furey Aine Furey (his little sister) Greg Stewart Roy Marchbank Robin Hurt but have always been Martin and whoever was available at the time, often playing as an acoustic trio. |
15 Dec 09 - 11:26 AM (#2788859) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: GUEST hey !Hello WORLD!I wrote this song ,it isn't s derivitive of the song aformentioned,never ehard that one.I wrote it about my Granny Nora when I was leaving for the USA the first tim as a teenager to,work in a rpinting company..kerr offset in Boston!I had a blast!Love the USA for fun n frollix...not been to Canad yet but look fwd to it...bteeee...Martin Furey |
15 Dec 09 - 11:48 AM (#2788875) Subject: CORRECT GRANDMOTHERS EYES LYRICS last one wrong! From: GUEST,MARTIN FUREY GRANDMOTHERS EYES (Martin Furey) My Grandmother called dressed in rosary beads and a black braided shawl that she wears My brother and sister are leaving today its an American wake affair Standing beside me she smiles at her ease, keeping my sister calm With one last embrace for my brother she presses a silver coin in his palm "oh Lord!" she says "it couldn't be" says she "couldn't stop?" says she "couldn't see" says she couldn't walk " says she "couldn't talk" says she couldn' talk to me, no more Down, down upon her knees she is praying to the God who she believes Can help them on their way,they are leaving They are gone(5 times) To England or to Canada or to Australia,or to America My Grandmother's Eyes have seen 82 years and she's seen all this before My Grandmother's skin's become wrinkled n old and she has stood many times outside this door She saw her father leave, she saw her brothers leave, She saw a lover leave her Hr daughters, her children and no she sees me I am gone(5 times) To England or to Canada or to Australia Or to America They have(or we have) gone to a land where a tall man can stand, where the gold in his hand is his own To England, or to Canada, or to Australia, or to America |
12 Mar 10 - 03:06 AM (#2862370) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: GUEST,Magpie Boy, this took a while! Thanks, Martin. I've searched for the lyrics to this song from time to time ever since I heard Skirm sing it in Oslo years and years ago, and now finally it is here! And by the writer himself. I'm well pleased. So now I'd better whip up my guitar and see if I can make anything hapen. Thanks again Magpie |
12 Jan 11 - 10:43 PM (#3073478) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: GUEST,Jiggylicious Happened upon this song a few months ago. So beautiful, as are all of Martin's songs. But this one is especially depressing to listen to ... Makes me cry. |
30 Aug 20 - 01:19 AM (#4070126) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: keberoxu As a father-son interview in the Irish Independent from 2008 makes clear, the generations of Fureys are: Ted Furey and the Grandmother in question, Ted's wife Nora. Ted and Nora's sons Finbar, Eddie, Paul, and George, The Fureys. Finbar, with his wife Sheila, parented these children: Martin, Aine, Robert, Katriona, and their youngest, Finbar, referred to by Finbar Senior as 'Plan B'. (see interview) Martin and his wife Jane raised their family in Kilkenny: Hannah and Culan (as of 2008). |
03 Sep 20 - 11:09 AM (#4070610) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Grandmother's Eyes (Martin Furey) From: GUEST,keberoxu After saying goodbye to The High Kings, with whom he sang for ten years, Martin Furey wrote some more songs and made at least one more album. And it is worth noting that, having commemorated his grandmother Nora in Grand Mother's Eyes, Furey commemorated his grandfather the fiddler with an entire album titled Ted, after Ted Furey. |