{"id":1653,"date":"2012-05-13T00:24:52","date_gmt":"2012-05-13T00:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/?p=1653"},"modified":"2023-07-07T22:44:21","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T02:44:21","slug":"ireland-songs-of-leaving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/2012\/05\/13\/ireland-songs-of-leaving\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland: Songs of Leaving"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lawrence<\/a>Ever notice how all the songs about Pittsburgh are about leaving it?<\/p>\n

A\u00a0musician friend back in the early 70s used that line to introduce the song \u201cSix Days on the Road,\u201d a seminal truck-driving tune made famous by Dave Dudly<\/a>. It\u2019s a terrific piece of country-rock, and I\u2019ll be playing it this Saturday (May 19)\u00a0at Riley\u2019s Pour House <\/a>\u2013 one of western Pennsylvania\u2019s top venue\u2019s for Irish and American music.<\/p>\n

Of course, as good as that opening line is, I must admit that I can\u2019t think of one other song about Pittsburgh that involves leaving it. But songs about leaving Ireland? Man, there’s\u00a0a ton\u00a0of those.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider a few that I\u2019ll be playing this Saturday.<\/p>\n

\"Singer-songwriter<\/a>Topping my list is the traditional song \u201cLeaving Liverpool\u201d (a.k.a.\u00a0\u201cThe Leaving of Liverpool\u201d and \u201cFair Thee Well My Own True Love\u201d). In spite of its title (Liverpool is<\/em> in England, not Ireland) the lyrics tell of a sea voyage that most likely begins in the port of Dublin, then continues on to Liverpool and outward from there. The song\u2019s narrator, bidding farewell to his lover and home, certainly has a long trip ahead of him, as he is \u201cbound for California\u201d on a ship that is either \u201ca floating hell\u201d or \u201ca floating grave\u201d (depending on the version).<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving Liverpool\u201d is often sung as a ballad, but I prefer the up-tempo version that I recorded with the Laughrey Connolly Band. That\u2019s the version I\u2019ll be playing this Saturday. [Click on the player below to hear \u201cLeaving Liverpool.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Another leaving-Ireland favorite is \u201cThe Rambling Irishman,\u201d a traditional tune made popular by Andy M. Stewart<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cRambling Irishman\u201d begins much\u00a0like \u201cLeaving Liverpool,\u201d with the narrator lamenting the leaving of \u201cthis Irish nation\u201d and all that he loves, including his beloved Nancy. Indeed, he misses Nancy so much that he dreams of her on the ship to America. But then, when he arrives in Philadelphia, everything changes. Feeling \u201cboth stout and healthy,\u201d be bounds into port delighted at the prospects that America has to offer \u2013 not the least of which\u00a0are the women, with their \u201cblue petticoats and white blouses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rambling Irishman\u201d is an up-tempo song, with an earworm refrain that is hard to shake once you hear it. The Laughrey Connolly Band recorded it\u00a0for It\u2019s All in the Song<\/a><\/em>, a special Andy M. Stewart tribute album that also featured Stewart covers by Mike Gallgher<\/a>, Guarenteed Irish<\/a>,\u00a0 Terry Griffith <\/a>and others.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best known of all songs about leaving Ireland is one that is loved by some, maligned by others. Often dismissed by Irish-music purists, \u201cDanny Boy\u201d is narrated by a man who never leaves Ireland at all. But his son does, and the father feels the loss of that leaving for the rest of his life. I used to perform this one as a surf instrumental. Honest. And it works, too. This weekend, however, I plan to play it straight.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>Other leaving-Ireland songs\u00a0on tap for this\u00a0Saturday include \u201cWild Colonial Boy,\u201d \u201cWild Rover,\u201d \u201cBlack Velvet Band,\u201d and my original contribution to the cannon \u2013 the rocking \u201cCastlegregory,\u201d which I\u2019ve recorded with The Laughrey Connolly Band\u00a0and special guest Bob Banerjee <\/a>of Corned Beef and Curry<\/a>. [Click on the player below to hear \u201cCastlegregory.\u201d]<\/p>\n

This upcoming show is going to be a blast. Most of my appearances since the release of Veins<\/em> <\/a>and the accompanying CD Veins: The Soundtrack<\/em> <\/a>have been book events, and I can\u2019t wait to get\u00a0out there to do a full night of live music again. Look out Pittsburgh!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re anywhere in the western Pennsylvania area on May 19, I\u2019ll hope to see you at Riley\u2019s Pour House for a night of stories and songs about leaving Ireland. Of course, I’ll be doing some American tune as well . . . and at least one about leaving Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Riley’s Pour House is an over-21 venue.<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leaving Liverpool<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Leaving Liverpool” (trad) from the CD Home from the Field<\/em>, recorded in 2005 with The Laughrey Connolly Band. Lawrence C. Connolly, guitar & vocals; Chris Laughrey, guitar and backing vocals; Duane Davis, bass; Lee McGinn, drums.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

Castlegregory<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Castlegregory” (words & music Lawrence C. Connolly) from the CD Two Seas<\/em> recorded in 2006 with The Laughrey Connolly Band. Lawrence C. Connolly, lead guitar and vocals; Chris Laughrey, rhythm guitar; Bob Banerjee, mandoline, Duane Davis, bass; and Lee McGinn, drums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever notice how all the songs about Pittsburgh are about leaving it? A\u00a0musician friend back in the early 70s used that line to introduce the song \u201cSix Days on the Road,\u201d a seminal truck-driving tune made famous by Dave Dudly. It\u2019s a terrific piece of country-rock, and I\u2019ll be playing it this Saturday (May 19)\u00a0at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-cat-21st-centuryscop","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[266,261,265,269,270,275,276,263,262,268,272,264,267,277,271,260,274,273,29,35],"class_list":["post-1653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-21st-centuryscop","tag-leaving-liverpool","tag-six-days-on-the-road","tag-the-leaving-of-liverpool","tag-the-rambling-irishman","tag-andy-m-stewart","tag-bob-banerjee","tag-corned-beef-and-curry","tag-country-rock","tag-dave-dudly","tag-duane-davis","tag-guarenteed-irish","tag-irish-music","tag-lawrence-connolly","tag-live-music","tag-mike-gallgher","tag-rileys-pour-house","tag-terry-griffith","tag-the-veins-cycle","tag-veins","tag-veins-the-soundtrack"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t