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Back To My Roots

by Swan Montgomery

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1.
As down the glen one Easter morn to a city fair rode I Their Armed lines of marching men in squadrons passed me by No pipes did hum, no battle drum did sound its dread tattoo But the Angelus Bell o'er the Liffey's swell rang out through the foggy dew Right proudly high over Dublin Town they hung out the flag of war 'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Suvla or Sud-El-Bar And from the plains of Royal Meath strong men came hurrying through While Britannia's Huns, with their long range guns sailed in through the foggy dew Oh the bravest fell, and the Requiem bell rang mournfully and clear For those who died that Eastertide in the spring time of the year While the world did gaze, in deep amaze, at those fearless men, but few, Who bore the fight that the freedom's light might shine through the foggy dew As back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more But to and fro in my dreams I go and I kneel and pray for you, For slavery fled, O glorious dead, When you fell in the foggy dew.
2.
Lift MacCahir Og your face You're brooding o'er you're old disgrace That black FitzWilliam stormed your place He sent you to the Fern Grey said victory was sure Soon the firebrand he'd secure; Until he met at Glenmalure With Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne Curse and swear Lord Kildare Fiach will do what Fiach will dare Now FitzWilliam, have a care Fallen is your star, low Up with halberd out with sword On we'll go for by the lord Fiach MacHugh has given the word Follow me up to Carlow From Tassagart to Clonmore There flows a stream of Saxon gore Oh, great is Rory Oge O'More At sending loons to Hades White is sick and Grey is fled And now for black FitzWilliam's head We'll send it over, dripping red To Liza and her ladies Primis Player Placeholder Meet Joey Badass & Young Thug's Favorite Fashion Designer | Genius News
3.
Danny Boy 05:55
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen to glen, and down the mountainside, The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling, It’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide. But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow, Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow, And I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow, Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so! But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying, And I am dead, as dead, I well maybe, Ye’ll come and find the place where I am lying, And kneel and say an “Avé” there for me; And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me, And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be, For you will bend and tell me that you love me, and I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
4.
I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. Meet me tonight in the moon- light, Meet me tonight all alone; I have a sad story to tell you, I'll tell by the light of the moon. I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. I'll be sent to the new jail tomor- row, Leavin' my darlin' alone, With the cold iron bars all around me, And my head on a pillow of stone. I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. Tonight is our last night toget- her, The nearest and dearest must part, For all that has bound us toget- her, Is quickly being torn apart. I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. I have a large ship on the o- cean, All laden with silver and gold, And before my poor darlin' will suf- fer, That ship will be anchored and sold. I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. I wish I had wings of a spar- row, For those prison walls I must flee; I'd fly to the arms of my true love, And bring her home safety to me. I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own, Someone to stay with me al- ways, I'm weary of being alone. I'm weary of being alone.
5.
Lagan Love 04:58
Where Lagan stream sings lullaby There blows a lily fair The twilight gleam is in her eye The night is on her hair And like a love-sick lennan-shee She has my heart in thrall Nor life I owe nor liberty For love is lord of all And often when the beetle's horn Hath lulled the eve to sleep I steal unto her shieling lorn And thru the dorring peep. There on thy cricket's singing stone, She spares the bogwood fire, And hums in sad sweet undertone The songs of heart's desire Her welcome, like her love for me, Is from her heart within. Her warm kiss is felicity That knows no taint of sin. And when I stir my soot to go, 'Tis leaving love and light To feel the wind of longing blow From out the dark of nigh
6.
T'was on one bright March morning I bid New Orleans adieu And I took the rode to Jackson town, me fortune to renew I cursed all foreign money, no credit could I gain Which filled me heart with longin' for the Lakes of Pontchartain. I stepped on board of a railroad car beneath the morning sun And I rode the roads 'til evening and I laid me down again All strangers here, no friends to me 'til a dark girl towards me came And I fell in love with a Creole girl from the Lakes of Pontchartrain. I said my pretty Creole girl, me money here's no good If it weren't for the alligators I'd sleep out in the wood You're welcome here kind stranger, our house it's very plain But we never turn a stranger out at the Lakes of Pontchartrain. She took me to her mummy's house and she treated me quite well The hair upon her shoulders in jet black ringlets fell To try and paint her beauty I'm sure t'would be in vain So handsome was my Creole girl from the Lakes of Pontchartrain. I asked her if she'd marry me, she'd said it could never be For she had got another and he was far at sea She said that she would wait for him and true she would remain 'Til he returned for his Creole girl from the Lakes of Pontchartrain. So fair thee well me bonny o' girl I never see no more But I'll ne'er forget your kindness and the cottage by the shore And at each social gathering a flowin' glass I'll raise And drink a health to me Creole girl from the Lakes of Pontchartrain.
7.
In the merry month of June from me home I started Left the girls of Tuam nearly broken hearted Saluted Father dear, kissed me darling mother Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born Cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghosts and goblins A brand new pair of brogues, rattlin' o'er the bogs Frightenin' all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin One two three four five Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary Started by daylight me spirits bright and airy Took a drop of the pure Keep me heart from sinking That's the Paddy's cure whenever he's on drinking To see the lassies smile, laughing all the while At me curious style, 'twould set your heart a bubblin' An' asked if I was hired, wages I required 'Till I was nearly tired of the rocky road to Dublin One two three four five Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity To be soon deprived a view of that fine city Well then I took a stroll, all among the quality Bundle it was stole, all in a neat locality Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind No bundle could I find upon me stick a wobblin' Enquiring for the rogue, said me Connaught brogue Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin One two three four five Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! From there I got away, me spirits never falling Landed on the quay, just as the ship was sailing The Captain at me roared, said that no room had he When I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy Down among the pigs, played some funny rigs Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling When off Holyhead wished meself was dead Or better far instead On the rocky road to Dublin One two three four five Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! The boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it Blood began to boil, temper I was losing Poor old Erin's isle they began abusing "Hurrah me soul!" says I, me shillelagh I let fly Some Galway boys were nigh and saw I was a hobble in With a loud "Hurray!" joined in the affray We quickly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin One two three four five Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack fol lol le rah! Whack fol lol le rah! Whack fol lol le rah!
8.
Oh, fare thee well to Ireland My own dear native land It's breaking my heart to see friends part For it's then that the tears do fall I'm on my way to Americae Will I e'er see home once more For now I leave my own true love And Paddy's green shamrock shore Our ship she lies at anchor She's standing by the quay May fortune bright shine down each night As we sail across the sea Many ships have been lost, many lives it cost On this journey that lies before With a tear in my eye I'll say goodbye To Paddy's green shamrock shore So fare thee well my own true love I'll think of you night and day And a place in my mind you surely will find Although we'll be far, far away Though I'll be alone far away from home I'll think of the good times once more Until the day I can make my way Back home to the shamrock shore And now our ship is on the way May heaven protect us all With the winds and the sail we surely can't fail On this voyage to Baltimore But my parents and friends did wave to the end 'Til I could see them no more I then took a chance with one last glance At Paddy's green shamrock shore
9.
Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet; She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet. She bid me take love easy, as the leaves grow on the tree; But I, being young and foolish, with her would not agree. In a field by the river my love and I did stand, And on my leaning shoulder she laid her snow-white hand. She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.
10.
My young love said to me, "My mother won't mind And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind" And she stepped away from me and this she did say: It will not be long, love, till our wedding day" As she stepped away from me and she moved through the fair And fondly I watched her move here and move there And then she turned homeward with one star awake Like the swan in the evening moves over the lake The people were saying, no two e'er were wed But one had a sorrow that never was said And I smiled as she passed with her goods and her gear, And that was the last that I saw of my dear. Last night she came to me, my dead love came in So softly she came that her feet made no din As she laid her hand on me and this she did say "It will not be long, love, 'til our wedding day"
11.
I sat within the valley green I sat me with my true love. My sad heart strove the two between The old love and the new love. The old for her the new That made me think on Ireland dearly. While the soft wind blew down the glade And shook the golden barley. T'was hard the woeful words to frame To break the ties that bound us. But harder still to bear the shame Of foreign chains around us. And so I said the mountain glen I'll meet at morning early. And I'll join the bold united men While soft winds shook the barley. T'was sad I kissed away her tears My fond arm round her flinging. When a foe, man's shot burst on our ears From out the wild woods ringing. A bullet pierced my true love's side In life's young spring so early. And on my breast in blood she died While soft winds shook the barley. But blood for blood without remorse I've ta'en at oulart hollow. I've lain my true love's clay like corpse Where I full soon must follow. Around her grave I've wandered drear Noon, night, and morning early. With breaking heart when e'er I hear The wind that shakes the barley.
12.
Spancil Hill 03:29
Last night as I lay dreamin' of pleasant days gone by Me mind been bent on ramblin' to Ireland I did fly I stepped on board a vision and I followed with a will when at last I came to anchor at the cross at Spancil Hill It was on the twenty third of June the day before the fair where Ireland's sons and daughters and friends assembled there the young, the old, the brave and the bold came their duty to fulfill at the little church at Clooney a mile from Spancil Hill I went to see my neighbors to see what they might say the old ones they were dead and gone the young ones turnin' grey I met with Tailor Quigley, he's as bold as ever still for he used to make me breeches when I lived in Spancil Hill I paid a flying visit to my first and only love she's as white as any lilly and as gentle as a dove she threw her arms around me sayin', "Johnny, I love you still!" she's Ned the farmer's daughter and the pride of Spancil Hill I dreamt I hugged and kissed her as in the days of yore she said, "Johnny, you're only jokin' as manys the times before!" the cock he crew in the mornin' he crewed so loud and shrill and I was back in California many miles from Spancil Hill
13.
By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling Michael they have taken you away, For you stole Trevelyan's corn So the young might see the morn, Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay () Low lie, The Fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing, It's so lonely round the Fields of Athenry By a lonely prison wall I heard a young man calling 'Nothing matters Mary, when you're free' Against the famine and the crown, I rebelled, they cut me down Now you must raise our child with dignity (Chrous) Low lie, The Fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing, It's so lonely round the Fields of Athenry By a lonely harbour wall She watched the last star falling As the prison ship sailed out against the sky For she lived in hope and pray For her love in Botany Bay It's so lonely round the Fields Of Athenry Low lie, The Fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing, It's so lonely round the Fields of Athe
14.
We Will Have Won (free) 03:41

credits

released March 5, 2021

Produced By Swan Montgomery

Swan Montgomery : Vocals, Acoustic Gtr, Percussion.
Hiro Goto : Violin
Carol Tatum : Celtic Harp
Jim Wootten : Bass

Elaina Montgomery: Cover Artwork

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Swan Montgomery Los Angeles, California

Swan Montgomery

Born in Drogheda, County Louth Ireland, Swan Montgomery is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has become known worldwide as the lead singer and front man for the highly acclaimed Led Zeppelin tribute band Led Zepagain. ... more

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