Thursday, June 18, 2009

Women of Ireland


The song below is in honor of Dale, Brendon and their four Irish wolfhounds. In the picture above young Brighid is making John feel right at home.

Mna na h Eireann


versions: Sinead O'Connor; Kate Bush; The Chieftains (instrumental); The one in Barry Lyndon

Ta bean in Eirinn a phronnfadh sead damh is mo shaith le n-o
'S ta beann in Erinn is sa binne leithe mo rafla ceoil no seinm thead
Ata bean in Eirinn is niorbh fhearr le beo
Mise ag leimnigh no leagtha ! gcre is mo tharr faoi fhod

Ta bean in Eirinn a bheadh ag ead, liom mur bhfaighinn ach pog
0 bihean ar aonach, nach ait an sceala, is mo dhaimh fein leo
Ta bean ab fhearr lom no cath is cead dhiobh nach bhfagham go de
Is ta cailin speiruil ag fear gan bhearla, dubghranna croin

Ta bean a dearfaidh da siulainn leithe go bhfaighinn an t-or
Is ta bean 'na leine is is fearr a mein no na tainte bo
Le bean a bhuairfeadh baile an mhaoir agus clar thin eoghaln
Is ni fhaicim leigheas ar mo ghalar fein ach scaird a dh'ol



Women of Ireland

There's a woman in Ireland who'd give me a gem and a pint,
There's a woman in Ireland to who likes my song not strings
There's a woman in Ireland who'd like me better leaping
Than laid in the clay and my belly under the sod

There's a woman in Ireland who'd grudge me a kiss
From a woman at a fair, strange! The love I have for them...
There's a woman I'd shun an army for, and 100 I'll never get
While a swarthy man with no English has a beautiful girl.

There's a woman who'd promise gold if I walked with her
And one in a nightdress whose mien beats herds of cows
With a woman who'd deafen Ballymoor and Tyrone
And I see no cure for my disease but to give up the drink


more about "Mná na h-Éireann"
(yes, I don't know what it's all about either)

Monday, June 15, 2009

He Calls That Religion


See/Hear Video

Well, the preacher used to preach
To try to stay atoned
But now he's preachin'
Just to buy jellyroll*

Well, he calls that religion
Yes, he calls that religion
Well, he calls that religion
But I know he's goin' to hell when he dies


It was at a church last night
Had desire to be
The old preacher
Was tryin' to take my wife from me

Oh, he call that religion
Yes, he call that religion
Well, he called that religion
I know he's goin' to hell when he dies

Preacher always
He was a mighty true man
He gives his commence
And he couldn't understand

Well, he calls that religion
Yes, he called that religion
Well, he called that religion
but I know he goin' to hell when he dies

(guitar & fiddle)

Oh yes, he calls that religion

He will swear he's keepin'
God's command
Have women fussin' 'n fightin'
All over land

And then he call that religion
Well, he calls that religion
Well, he called that religion
But I know he's goin' to hell when he dies

Therein the people
Stopped goin' to church
They know that preacher
Was tryin-a do too much

But still he called that religion
Still, he called that religion
Well, he called that religion
But I know he's goin' to hell when he dies

Old Deacon Jones
He was a preachin' King
They caught him 'round the house
Tryin-a shake that thing

Oh, he called that religion
Yes, he called that religion
Well, he called that religion
But I know he goin' to hell when he dies

'Oh yeah, he calls that religion'.


*Jelly roll is Harlem slang of the 1930s, a picturesque term for 'vagina'.

Image is taken from Wikipedia

Thursday, June 11, 2009

A Modest Proposal


There is no better way to know us
Than as two wolves, come separately to a wood.
Now neither's able to sleep -- even at a distance
Distracted by the soft competing pulse
Of the other; nor able to hunt -- at every step
Looking backwards and sideways, warying to listen
For the other's slavering rush. Neither can make die
The painful burning of the coal in its heart
Till the other's body and the whole wood is its own.
Then it might sob contentment toward the moon.

Each in a thicket, rage hoarse in its labouring
Chest after a skirmish, licks the rents in its hide,
Eyes brighter than is natural under the leaves
(Where the wren, peeping round a leaf, shrieks out
To see a chink so terrifyingly open
Onto the red smelting of hatred) as each
Pictures a mad final satisfaction.

Suddenly they duck and peer.
And there rides by
The great lord from hunting. His embroidered
Cloak floats, the tail of his horse pours,
And at his stirrup the two great-eyed greyhounds
That day after day bring down the towering stag
Leap like one, making delighted sounds.

Bridestones


Scorched-looking, unhewn -- a hill-top chapel.
Actually a crown of outcrop rock --
Earth's heart-bone laid bare.

Crowding congregation of skies.
Tense congregation of hills.
You do nothing casual here.

The wedding stones
Are electrified with whispers.

And marriage is nailed down
By this slender-necked, heavy-headed
Black exclamation mark
of rock.

And you go
With the wreath of weather
The wreath of horizons
The wreath of constellations
Over your shoulders.

And from now on
The sun
Can always touch you
With the shadow of this finger.

From now on
The moon can always lift your skull
On to this perch, to clean it.