Story Behind The Song
This is another song I wrote especially for Amanda Sanderson of Newcastle, England, so we could have something to sing together. Personally, I can't get enough of Amanda's voice! This song is about star-crossed lovers in the Ox Mountain region of County Sligo in the far northwest of Ireland where my family are from and many relatives still live. Knocknashee is a magical hill with a megalithic hill fort on its summit. Culdalee is a secluded valley where my ancestors' ruined cottage still stands beside an old ring fort.......
Instrumentation on this is really different for me:
*Lucero nylon string classical guitar (left channel),
*Seagull 12-string acoustic (right channel),
*1966 Guild Starfire XII (12-string electric) in the center--playing shimmering chords, fills, and also the lead. (2nd entry in the lead section is the Lucero classical with a bit of drive.).......
The Guild Starfire XII is an amazing guitar, but this is the first time I've used it in a recording. This is also the first time I've played a nylon string guitar--love the sound & texture!.......
Big, heartfelt thanks to Amanda for having such a great voice that I feel compelled to write songs for her! Big thanks also to Kevin Pope for taking care of recording Amanda in Newcastle........
(See the photo of Knocknashee in "Photos".)
| Song Length |
4:02 |
Genre |
Folk - Rock, Folk - Alternative |
Lyrics
Sligo Fair
Words & music by Timothy Walsh
When I see you on Monday-
wonder will you go to Sligo Fair?
Then comes Tuesday,
and I'm looking for you...everywhere.
I can't be with you and I don't know why-
it's not like you're seeing some other guy.
You are the orange, and I am the green.
My family won't brook it, there's nothing between us at all.
When I walk out on Wednesday,
thinking more about...Sligo Fair.
Will you be there,
or will my heart be breaking...once again?
I can't be happy if you are so sad-
though your grandfather served in the Black and the Tans.
The sins of our fathers are visited on us-
they darken our days so we don't feel nothing at all.
Out walking on Thursday,
down along the streams by...Culdalee.
I meet you so sadly
sitting in the shade of a hawthorn tree.
You came upon me like a vision in white-
a ghost from the ruins bewitching my sight.
I feel so adrift in your hazel-green eyes-
shall we go walk the fields while twilight embraces us all?
You come calling on Friday,
and I say will you walk to...Knocknashee?
We'll climb through the evening,
and by sunset we'll see what...we will see.
They say that this hill fort is riddled with graves-
that the faerie folk live here all of their days.
I see by this moonlight your dazzling eyes-
the Ox Mountain blessing descends like stardust on all.
When we walk out on Saturday,
holding hands as we stroll through...Sligo Fair.
Don't know who'll be there.
Don't know if we'll notice...or we'll care.
This track is on 4 Member Playlists