Fields of Athenry

The little words in parenthesis are the things that we shout out in response. Except for the "fuck the crown" line, I heard all these lines being shouted during this song at a "seisoun" in County Sligo, which is a pretty 'RA 'RA county. So anyway, they're authentic, and if you learn them, you'll fit right in at Rocky's on a Friday.

By lonely prison walls, I heard a young girl calling.
"Michael, they are taking you away.
For you stole Trevelyn's corn*
So the young might see the morn.
Now the prison ship lies waiting in the bay."

Chorus:Low lie the Fields of Athenrye
Where once we watched the small, free birds fly (hey baby let the free birds fly!)
Our love was on the wing(Sinn Fein!)**
We had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry (Athenry, Athenry.)

By lonely castle walls, I heard a young man calling,
"Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free.
'Gainst the famine and the Crown (Fuck the Crown!)
I rebelled, they struck me down.
Now you must raise our child in dignity."

Chorus

By lonely prison walls, she watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky.
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
for her love in Botany Bay.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

* 'Trevelyn' in the song is Sir Charles Edward Trevelyn, who was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the British Government at the time and was appointed the director of Irish famine relief.When Trevalyn was in charge, he didn't give the starving people ANYTHING. In fact, he made sure that a lot of the little food that was produced was shipped to Britian or wherever, to sell. So there were starving people while food was actually being exported FROM Ireland. Crazy.

** I'm probably misspelling it, but Sinn Féin, the Irish words for "Ourselves" (sometimes it's translated "Ourselves Alone"), is the "political wing of the IRA." I don't know if I like the implications of that discription but it seems the best capsule summery of it. It's pronounced "Shin Fane". You can find out more about it at http://www.sinnfein.ie.

Please note I neither support nor am against Sinn Fein. I live in the United States and declare myself neutral in the whole "troubles" since it's not my business. I hope a peaceful solution can someday soon be found that will make everyone happy and stop further violence.

Thanks to Fergus McDonald and various other people who corrected my spelling and whatnot. :)