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15 Jul 04 - 01:24 AM (#1225793) Subject: Lyr Add: THE SLIGO RAILWAY SONG (Kevin Conlon) From: GUEST,weerover Found this marvellous song on an album of Sligo songs. It is essentially an updated version of Percy French's "Are Ye right There Michael?", whose tune it shares. There are references to a couple of other well-known Irish songs for anyone who's familiar with them. I couldn't quite get one place name in verse 6: if anyone recognises it I'd appreciate correction. wr THE SLIGO RAILWAY SONG Sligo is a place of great renown Where the people never greet you with a frown But there's trouble on the railway line, the train it never runs on time You'd be quicker on the back of Neddy Brown The people were as happy as could be In this little piece of heaven by the sea Lakes and rivers, hills and dells, Yeats's grave, the Holy Well And the lovely little Isle of Inisfree So what's the reason for this awful pain? Could it be the ozone layer or acid rain The budget or the interest rates, the falling pound in dire straits Or maybe it's the train that makes the strain Now we're all off to Dublin in the green We're going to meet the minister of steam To tell him of our awful plight, the railway line's an awful sight The likes of it, sure, you have never seen Are you right there, Michael, are you right? Do you think that we'll be home before the night? It all depends on whether this old engine holds together And it might, now, Michael, so it might We walked into the station in the rain We were going to make the journey on the train We were heading off from Sligo town, the stationmaster waved us down He said we might be running late again I asked him why the train can't run on time He said, "Now that decision isn't mine You'd have to ask them in the Dail, the Labour boys and Fianna Fail I think we might be home by closing time" The train began to rattle and to hum By now my feet were feeling rather numb An old man he was lying back and singing "Smoke Along the Track" He was drinking from a bottle filled with rum So now we're off to Dublin in the green And we're going to meet the minister of steam The chances are that we'll be late, the railway line's an awful state The likes of it, sure, you have never seen Are you right there, Michael, are you right? Do you think that we'll be home before the night? It all depends on whether this old engine holds together And it might, now, Michael, so it might Collooney, Ballymote and on to Boyle I thought the train was running out of oil We slowed to twenty miles an hour, puffing smoke and losing power Just wait until we tell them in the Dail At the crossing gates outside of Mullingar We saw Albert in his great big fancy car He told us that he's doing his best to save the lifeline to the west I think we might be wishing on a star By now the train was just an hour late As we passed by [Kinnegant?] and James's Gate We said a prayer for the Sligo line that some day it might run on time But I wonder just how long we'll have to wait We'll be singing in the streets and in the bars So throw away your key and lock your cars To celebrate the new design of the Sligo-Dublin railway line Though by then we might be living up on Mars Are you right there, Michael, are you right? Do you think we'll make it home before the night? Sure, it all depends on whether this old engine holds together And it might, now, Michael, so it might Oh, it all depends on whether this old engine holds together And it might, now, Michael, so it might |
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15 Jul 04 - 04:03 AM (#1225841) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: MartinRyan Kinnegad. Lurking in the back of my mind is acouplet that went: They say that Naas is a terrible place - Kilcock is just as bad But of all the places I've ever been, Bejaysus - Kinnegad!" Regards |
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15 Jul 04 - 04:49 AM (#1225882) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,weerover Thanks for the correction, Martin. wr. |
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15 Jul 04 - 07:53 AM (#1225963) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: Q (Frank Staplin) weerover- whose album of Sligo songs? |
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15 Jul 04 - 08:41 AM (#1226001) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,weerover It's a collection called "Songs of Sligo" by various artists (Kevin Conlon, Colm O'Donnell et al.) that I picked up in Sligo town a few weeks back. Most of the others are fairly standard longing for home type songs (not that there's anything wrong with that). I could post them if anyone wants any more lyrics (though a couple of tracks have quite a lot, especially of place names, that I can't quite get). I don't have the tape to hand (not at home at the moment) but some of the songs are: Beautiful Sligo The Lakes of Sligo (Fair Sligo Thee I Now Must Leave) I'm Going Back to Sligo My Lovely Lough Gill Riverstown Vintage Day (this one I'll definitely post) St. Patrick's Day in Sligo Sligo I Miss You Tubbercurry My Old Friend Tullyhill Believe Me Sligo The Hill of Knocknashee Ben Bulben of Sligo My Old Sligo Home Ballintogher Fair (can't get a lot on this one) wr |
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15 Jul 04 - 09:04 AM (#1226029) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: Big Tim Wr - I'm playing that album at the minute! Good stuff too. Kennegad, Westmeath, SE of Mullingar, from the Irish, "Ceann Átha gad" - "head of the ford of the withies", so the expert, Flanagan, says. [Note: bt has mastered the fada, next it'll be the blicky!] |
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15 Jul 04 - 09:10 AM (#1226033) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: MartinRyan Colm O'Donnell is a fine singer! Regards |
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16 Jul 04 - 04:07 AM (#1226743) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,weerover Agreed Martin, a very fine voice wr |
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26 Oct 05 - 12:28 PM (#1590894) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,Paddy hi anyone know the lyrics to riverstown fair by seamus moore cheers paddy |
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05 Apr 10 - 10:25 AM (#2879976) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,paddy Is this song available on the internet anywhere? |
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23 Aug 11 - 06:08 PM (#3211687) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,rusty Riverstown fair was written by Kevin Conlon from Sligo also wrote Riverstown Fair mentioned above |
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23 Aug 11 - 06:09 PM (#3211689) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,Rusty heres his website : www.rocknreel.biz |
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23 Aug 11 - 06:13 PM (#3211692) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Sligo Railway Song From: GUEST,Guest The Sligo Railway Song above was also written by kevin Conlon Also: The Ballad of Josie Mcdermott, Candle in The Window, and the Sligo Way for Seamus Moore who also called it I'm Going Back on his album |