The Irish Emigrant Song Lyrics And Music

The Irish Emigrant Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords. Written by Helen Sebrina Sheridan aka Lady Dufferin and recorded by John McCormack and later by Danny Doyle. Did you know-Danny Doyle was the first to record The Fields Of Athenry which is one of the most famous songs of all time.

[C]I'm sitting [F]on the [Am]stile, Mar[C]y, where [Em]we once sat side by [C]side
On a [Dm]bright May morning [Am]long ago, when [G]first you were my [C]bride
The corn was springing [Am]fresh and green, and the [Dm]lark sang loud and ]F]high
[G]And the [C]red was on your [Am]lips, Mary, and the [Em]love light in your [C]eyes.

The [Am]place is little changed Mar[E]y, the day as bright as [Am]then.
The lark's loud song is [E7]in my ear, and the [Am]corn is [E7]green a[Am]gain.
But [Em]I [C]miss the softness [F]of your [G]hand and your [C]breath warm on my [Am]cheek.
And [Em]I still keep [Am]listening [F]to the [C]words you [Em]never [G]more may [Dm]speek.
[C]Never [Em]more may [C]speak

I'm very lonely now, Mary, for the poor make no new friends
But oh they love the better still the few our Father sends
For you were all I had, Mary, my blessing and my pride
Theres I've nothing left to care for now since my poor Mary died.

Yours was the good brave heart, Mary, that still kept hoping on
When the trust in God had left my soul and my arms young strength had gone
There was comfort ever on your lip and a kind look on your brow
And I thank you Mary for the same though you cannot hear me now.

I'm bidding you a long farewell, my Mary kind and true
But I'll not forget you, darling, in the land I'm going to
They say there's bread and work for all, and the sun shines always there
But I'll ne'er forget old Ireland, were it fifty times as fair.

And often in those grand old woods I'll sit and shut my eyes
And my heart will wander back again to the place where Mary lies
And I think I'll see that little stile where we sat side by side
In the springing corn and the bright May morn' when first you were my bride

Lady Dufferin, the writer of this ballad was born in 1807 and was the granddaughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan the great Irish poet and dramatist and was the highest paid writers of the time. This is just one of Lady Dufferin's ballads and tells the story of of an Irish emigrant's last visit to the grave of his young wife during the great hunger [famine] During this period of Irish history of 1847-1851 nearle two million people left their homes to cross the dangerous ocean for a better life in a strange land. They travelled in appalling conditions in ships crammed to twice their capacity. Lying in packed rows in the hold of the ships the emigrants had little or no food or water.Hunger and desease were rife with thousands falling ill and the bodies of those that died were thrown overboard. There were no records kept of the people that died or no prayers said over their bodies. The ones that survived got work in the new land if they were lucky as domestic servants or in factories working 70 hours a week and sending a few shillings home to their families knowing they would never see them again. During the voyage cattle shared the ships and it was said that the animals were treated better than the people.

Irish Songs lyrics and guitar chords G-J