“The Gaelic cross-over voice of his generation...."
You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive - Darrell Scott: House of Bram/EMI Music Publishing, ASCAP
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
"You will never leave Harlan alive"
chorus
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew your drinking
And you spend your life just thinking how to get away
Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain
And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride
He said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
or we'll never leave Harlan alive"
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Til a man from the northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills, he said "I'll pay you for your minerals"
But he never left Harlan alive
Well Granny, she sold out cheap and they moved out west to Pineville
To a farm where Big Richland River winds
And I'll bet they danced them a jig, and they laughed and sang a new song
"Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive?"
But the times, they got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
And old Granddad knew what he'd do to survive
He went and dug for Harlan coal and sent the money back to Granny
But he never left Harlan alive
Danns An Rathaid - Norrie MacIver PRS/MCPS
Aig toiseach na h-oidhche, nuair dh’èireas a’ ghealach
Hoireann o-ro, Hoireann o-ro
Thig sluagh a’ bhaile le chèile chun na drochaid
Hoireann o-ro, Hoireann o-ro
Fuaim na pìoba mòir,
Tha ’n t-àm a-nis air tighinn
sèist/chorus
Danns air an rathad
Cèilidh mòr an t-samhraidh
Danns air an rathad
Togaibh fonn is guth, gu h-àrd
Lèine gheal is brògan dannsaidh, a’ tighinn sìos bhon Dùn
na caileagan cho àlainn cumail sùil air na fir
Balaich an taobh siar, ball-coise anns an fhuil
Sgeulachdan is òrain, deoch làidir dol mun cuairt
Ceòl is ceò ag èirigh, gu mullach càrn Beinn Ìomhair
Bratach a’ bhaile, a’ dannsa anns a’ ghaoith
Bho Daile Mòr sìos chun a’ chidhe, na Taighean-dubha null chun a’ Chnoc
‘Sna linntean a chaidh seachad, air an latha seo nì sinn danns
Mo Chailin Dìleas Donn - Hector MacKenzie
Guma slàn a chì mi,
Mo chailin dìleas donn;
Bean a' chuailein rèidh
Air an deise dh' èireadh fonn;
'S i cainnt do bheòil bu bhinn leam
'N uair a bhiodh m' inntinn trom,
'S tu thogadh suas mo chridh'
Nuair a bhiodh tu bruidhinn rium.
Gur muladach a tà mi
'S mi nochd air àird a' chuain,
'S neo-shunndach mo chadal dhomh,
's do chaidreabh fada bhuam;
Gur tric mi ort a' smaointeach,
Às t-aogais tha mi truagh;
'S mur a dèan mi d' fhaotainn,
Cha bhi mo shaoghal buan.
Tacan mun do sheòl sinn
Is ann a thòisich càch
Ri innse do mo chruinneig-sa
Nach tillinn-sa gu bràth.
Na cuireadh siud ort gruaimean,
A luaidh, ma bhios mi slàn;
Cha chùm dad idir uat mi
Ach saighead chruaidh a' bhàis.
Tha ’n t-snaidhm a-nise ceangailte,
Gu daingeann agus teann;
Ged theireadh càch, ’s iad fanaid orm
Nach eil mo phrothaid ann:
Am fear aig a bheil fortan
Tha crois aige na cheann,
'S tha mise taingeil, toilichte
Ged tha mo sporan gann.
An T-Iasgair - C&R Macdonald (Chrysalis Music)
Sheas e shìos air an tràigh
Aig cliathaich an t-saoghail
Is dh'fhàg e chuid teaghlaich
Is chuir e an dachaigh air chùl
Is thog e lìon mòr 'na dhòrn
Ri taobh nan uisgeachan buan
Is thilg e mach fad iad
Tarsainn a' chuain
Bha na faileasan pailt
Air sràidean baile nan Gall
Is iomadh olc a bha feitheamh
Ann fo sholais na h-oidhche
Ach aig briseadh-latha
Seòladh a-mach anns an liath
Tha fir mhòra an eilein
A' leantainn am beatha
Is cuimhne leam an oidhche
Cha robh an t-slighe ach doirbh
Bha thu strì tro na cuantan
Bha thu cho airidh air
Is ged bha an stoirm cho garbh
Tonnan dòbhaidh gun truas
Cha do dh'fhairich thu ann
Ach fois agus saorsa
Every River - C&R Macdonald (Chrysalis Music)
You ask me to believe in magic
Expect me to commit suicide of the heart
And you ask me to play this game without question
Raising the stakes on this shotgun roulette
chorus
Every river I try to cross
Every hill I try to climb
Every ocean I try to swim
Every road I try to find
All the ways of my life
I'd rather be with you
There's no way
Without you
But you came to me like the ways of children
Simple as breathing, easy as air
Now the years hold no fears, like the wind they pass over
Loved, forgiven, washed, saved
Wagon Wheel - Bob Dylan/Ketch Secor
Heading down south to the land of the pines
I'm thumbing my way into North Caroline
Staring up the road and I pray God I see headlights
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Picking me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight
chorus
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama any way you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a southbound train
Hey mama rock me
Running from the cold way up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old time string band
My baby plays the guitar, I pick a banjo now
Oh, north country winters keep a getting me down
Lost my money playing poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain't turning back to living that old life no more
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long smoke
But he's a heading west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee
And I gotta get a move on before the sun
I hear my baby calling my name and I know that she's the only one
And if I die in Raleigh, at least I will die free
Benny - Norrie MacIver PRS/MCPS
Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you a story
The highs and the lows, of our Benny’s glory
From the slums to the ring, the Gorbals down to London town
Peter Kane, Jackie Brown, he put them all down
He filled up the streets, his name they’d all sing
Come out in their thousands, to welcome their king
He was a champion for the poor, bought drinks for the rich
The winners and losers, one for the ditch
Near the end of his life, he lived with the shame
Losing all that he had, the money and the fame
From the ring to the slums, a champion to a common man
To end like it did, it wasn't the plan
There was one final battle, Benny would fight
But a winner he wouldn't be come the end of the night
It was a silent opponent, one that he did not see
At the end of the night, Benny was free
Buy me a drink and I’ll tell you a story
The highs and the lows, of our Benny’s glory
From the slums to the ring, the Gorbals down to London town
The drink and the pain, they put Benny down.
He was the Hero of the Gorbals, champion of the world
He was the Hero of the Gorbals, champion of the world
Hold Your Breath - Paul McGlaughlin/Norrie MacIver/Alec Dalglish
A h-uile latha, an aon obair
Dachaigh mo shìnnsir, na h-aon aodainn
’S mi fàs nas sine, gun dune comh’ rium
Bheir dhomh cothrom air beatha ùr
So stop, stop the rot
And all your dreaming of stuff you haven't got
It’s not what you have, it’s who you hold
Who keeps you warm when you feel the cold
chorus
Cum grèim air m’anail san dorchadas a dh’fhalbh
With these old regrets
Cum grèim air m’anail san dorchadas a dh’fhalbh
To the empty space beyond these walls
Loneliness and urban sprawl
(An seann aithreachas)
Still a slave to passing time
That isn't yours but sure aint mine
So be who you are, carry scars
And if it’s such a shame, why’d you stay the same
’S urrainn dhomh seasamh, ri na dòighean doirbh
Ach tha mi ’g iarraidh tuilleadh, le mo bheatha ghoirid
Dh’fhaodadh sin a bhith, san tìr a tha nam fhuil
Gach ceum gu socair, eagal ’s gun caill mi mo shlighe
Will the Circle be Unbroken - A. P. Carter/Ada R. Habershon/Charles H. Gabriel
I was standing by my window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
chorus
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, Lord, by and by
There's a better home a-waiting
In the sky, Lord, in the sky
I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see her go
Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
I went back home, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone
We sang the songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother Maybelle taught us
Hear the angels sing along
Latha Math - Norrie MacIver PRS/MCPS
Ag èirigh tràth anns a’ mhadainn
A’ ghrian a’ deàrrsadh sìos
Tha fàileadh na mara a’ tighinn tron uinneig
Tha h-uile duin’ an àird’
sèist/chorus
Latha math air an Eilean
Eilean Leòdhais mo Ghràidh
Latha math air an Eilean
Dachaigh mo smuaintean gu bràth
Tha an abhainn làn le pailteas uisge
Tha am bradan a’ tighinn a-rithist
Tha na balaich bheaga shìos air an drochaid
Feuch an glac iad aon no dhà
Tha an t-Earrach ann ’s na làithean fada
Tha na h-uain a’ ruith mun cuairt
Tha na bodaich a-muigh a’ buain na mòineach
Tha an t-am sin air tighinn a-rithist
Tha a’ chailleach aost’ na suidhe aig an uinneig
A’ coimhead ri dè tha dol
Tha a’ chlann nighean bheaga shìos air an tràigh
Tha a’ ghrian a’ cromadh sìos
Tha a’ ghealach shuas ’s a ghrian na cadal
Tha an oidhche nis air tighinn
Tha e sàmhach is ciùin tron an Eilean
Tha e math a bhith beò
Tha e math a bhith beò
A Ribhinn òg Bheil Cuimhn’ Agad - Trad
sèist/chorus
A rìbhinn òg bheil cuimhn' agad
'S a ghruagach dhonn an cluinn thu mi?
A rìbhinn òg bheil cuimhn' agad
An oidhche mun do sheòl mi?
O 's e blàths na h-oidhche sin,
Cha tèid gu brath à cuimhne dhomh;
'S ann ort a bhios mi cuimhneachadh
Gach oidhche fhliuch is reòite.
Gur fada, fada thall tha mi
'S chan fhaigh mi null a shealltainn ort
'S ged dhìrinn bhàrr nan crann aice
Chan fhaic mi beanntan Leòdhais.
A ghruagach na biodh àmhghar ort
Oir 's cinnteach tha mo làmh-sa dhut
'S tu, a ghràidh, as fheàrr leam
Na mo mhàthair dh' àraich òg mi.
Tha mi falbh Di-ciadain uat
'S chan fhaic thu airson bliadhna mi,
'S feuch nach dèan an cianalas
Do liathadh ged is òg thu.
Nuair bhios mi gun chompanach
'S a bhios an oidhche trom orm
Bidh gealach toirt nam chuimhne
Liuthad oidhche bha sinn còmhla.
Am bi an Cearcall seo gun Bhristeadh - Translation - Kenna Campbell
Bha mi ’seasamh aig an uinneig,
Latha sgòthach agus fuar,
Nuair a chunnaic mi an carbad
Tighinn a ghiùlain mo mhàthair bhuam.
sèist/chorus
Am bi an cearcall seo gun bhristeadh
A Thighearna, nuair thig an là,
Gu bheil dachaigh eile feitheamh
Ann an nèamh oirnn a tha nas fheàrr.
Gluaisaibh socair, thuirt mi riutha,
Gluaisibh socair agus mall,
Oir an tè tha sibh a’giùlan,
’ S ì mo mhàthair ,’s mi ga call.
Bha mi leantail air a cùlaibh,
Bha mi seachnadh bhi ’sileadh dheòir,
Ach cha b’urrainn dhomh am mùchadh
Nuair a shìn iad i fon fhòid.
Chaidh mi ’ r ais, bha’n dachaigh fuaraidh,
Bha mi ’caoidh mar a rinn sealbh;
Bha mo pheathraichean ’s mo bhràithrean
Gal ’s ag ionndrain na tè dh’fhalbh.
Ghabh sinn òrain bho ar n-òige,
Laoidhean gràis a thug dhuinn neart,
Òrain dh’ionnsaich sinn bho’r màthair,
Bheir na h-ainglean orra feart.