There are two artists with the name Alan Doyle:

1. Alan Doyle CM ON… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists with the name Alan Doyle:

1. Alan Doyle CM ONL (born May 17, 1969) is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea.

Alan Doyle was born and raised in Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, in a Roman Catholic family. He attended Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. It is also there that he met Séan McCann, Bob Hallett and Darrell Power with whom he formed Great Big Sea. He primarily plays electric and acoustic guitars, and the bouzouki for live performances, but he has been known to play mandolin and banjo.

Before Great Big Sea, Doyle played in a duo with John Brenton called Staggering Home. As a teen he played in his uncle's band, the New Sandells.

In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, Boy on Bridge. The title is a nod to Doyle's credit as the "boy on bridge" in the movie A Whale for the Killing, when he was a young boy. The first single from the album was "I've Seen a Little" and the album features collaborations with Canadian musicians Hawksley Workman, Jim Cuddy, Ron Hynes, and actor-musician Russell Crowe, among others. The video for the second single, "Testify", was nominated for a 2012 Juno. The creation of the album was captured by a film crew, resulting in a documentary also named Boy on Bridge directed by Joel Stewart and John Vatcher.

Doyle's second solo album, entitled So Let's Go, was released January 20, 2015.

Doyle's third solo album A Week at the Warehouse, was released on October 13, 2017. His second book titled A Newfoundlander in Canada: Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home, was released on October 17, 2017.

On June 14, 2022 he will begin starring in a musical comedy called "Tell Tale Harbour" at the 2022 Charlottetown Festival. The story is based on the screenplay "La grande séduction" by Ken Scott that was made into the 2003 award winning film "Seducing Doctor Lewis". Doyle was co-writer of the production as well as co-writer of music and lyrics with Bob Foster. Also credited as one of the authors for a book of the musical with award-winning writer Edward Riche.

2. Alan Doyle is an Irish singer-songwriter. He recently released the EP “his words left fatal wounds – demos”, a work in progress of his second LP and his first important release in Ireland. Alan was previously based in Spain for six years where he formed part of Madrid's emerging independent music scene and where he launched his debut LP “Places”. All of the music which Alan has released to date has been completely written, performed and produced by Alan himself.

Testify
Alan Doyle Lyrics

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I feel the irons on my wrist and lament it's come to this
When they hang me from the gallows tree, "Such as life," you'll hear me hiss
I'm not the reddest handed bandit here, but I'm the one who'll take the fall
This smoking gun's been smothered by the long arm of the law
The Chaplin says, "The end is started, and your Judgement has begun
Prayers can lead to God's forgiveness for all the foolish things you've done
You've got tonight to find some peace of mind before you leave this world"
And I hope and pray that I may never get what I deserve

Take me down to the river, Preacher, take me by the hand
Take me down to the river, mend the soul of a broken man
Drown me in forgiveness, wash these bloody hands of mine
Take me down to one last river, Lord
Let me testify

I believe in God's benevolence
And I have seen with my own eyes
In the river just outside the gate
Sunday sinners get baptized
And I'll pray for my redemption
But I'm quite sure that he won't hear
I've never had that watered cross
Trickle in my ear

The chaplain's face it grew sadder
He said, "You've not been christened, Son?"
"No," I said, and I hung my head
"Is there nothing to be done?
If I could get down to that river
Can't you see how cleansed I'd be?
The latest lamb, in God's hands
And my soul would be set free"

They take me to the river banks
Two guards and the chaplain
The moonlight shines on the holy tides
My prayers have been answered
I take my sodden walk to Jesus
All piety and grace
The guards release my shackles
But they cannot read my face

The deepest breath that I can take
As I plunge under the water
The chaplain had the kindest ways
But he could have been a whole lot smarter
Two kicks and I'm traveling
Beneath the muddy waters gleam

And by the time I take a second breath
I'm a hundred yards downstream

Overall Meaning

The song "Testify" by Alan Doyle is a ballad that tells the story of a man on the verge of being executed for his crimes. He laments that he's being punished for things he didn't do, but he's accepting his fate anyway. He speaks about the chaplain who visits him, warning him that he's on the verge of judgment and imminent death, and that he has tonight to find peace of mind before he leaves this world. The man asks the chaplain to take him to the river to be baptized and cleansed of his sins, hoping to find redemption in his last moments. The song ends with the man being released from his shackles and baptized by the chaplain in a river, finding peace in his final moments.

The lyrics of "Testify" are powerful and poignant. They speak about the deep impact that fear, desperation, and despair can have on a person's soul. The man is accepting of his fate, yet he still seeks some form of deliverance from his sins. The song is an emotional journey, one that takes the listener on a voyage through the man's innermost thoughts as he faces his inevitable doom.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel the irons on my wrist and lament it's come to this
I regret my actions as I feel the handcuffs on my wrist

When they hang me from the gallows tree, "Such as life," you'll hear me hiss
I accept my punishment, even if it means the gallows

I'm not the reddest handed bandit here, but I'm the one who'll take the fall
I'm not the worst criminal, but I'll take the blame for my actions

This smoking gun's been smothered by the long arm of the law
The evidence used against me has been obtained through legal means

The Chaplin says, "The end is started, and your Judgement has begun
The chaplain tells me that my punishment has started and my fate is in the hands of God

Prayers can lead to God's forgiveness for all the foolish things you've done
I can seek forgiveness from God for my actions through prayer

You've got tonight to find some peace of mind before you leave this world"
I have one last night to find inner peace before I face my ultimate punishment

And I hope and pray that I may never get what I deserve
I fear that my punishment will be worse than what I deserve

Take me down to the river, Preacher, take me by the hand
I beg the chaplain to take me to the river and lead me towards redemption

Take me down to the river, mend the soul of a broken man
I ask the chaplain to help me heal my broken soul through baptism in the river

Drown me in forgiveness, wash these bloody hands of mine
I ask for forgiveness and cleansing from my sins, hoping to remove the guilt from my conscience

Take me down to one last river, Lord
I plead to God to give me one last chance at redemption through the river

Let me testify
I want to testify my faith in God and ask for forgiveness through baptism

I believe in God's benevolence
I have faith in God's mercy and kindness

And I have seen with my own eyes
I have witnessed the power of the river in bringing salvation to sinners

In the river just outside the gate
The river, which is near my prison, has the power to cleanse sinners

Sunday sinners get baptized
Every Sunday, sinners get purified through baptism in the river

And I'll pray for my redemption
I'll continue to pray for God's redemption even after baptism

But I'm quite sure that he won't hear
I'm not sure if God hears my prayers for redemption

I've never had that watered cross
I've never had the chance to be baptized in the river, so my soul still needs cleansing

Trickle in my ear
The water from the river, which is believed to have healing powers, has not touched me yet

The chaplain's face it grew sadder
The chaplain feels sad for my fate

He said, "You've not been christened, Son?"
The chaplain asks me if I have ever been baptized

"No," I said, and I hung my head
I feel ashamed to say that I have never been baptized

"Is there nothing to be done?
The chaplain is willing to help me find redemption

If I could get down to that river
I believe that baptism in the river will lead to my salvation

Can't you see how cleansed I'd be?
I'm confident that baptism will cleanse my soul

The latest lamb, in God's hands
Like a newborn lamb, I'm ready to be reborn through baptism and put my fate in God's hands

And my soul would be set free
Baptism will lead to my inner peace and freedom from guilt

They take me to the river banks
The guards and the chaplain escort me to the river

Two guards and the chaplain
The guards and the chaplain accompany me in my final journey

The moonlight shines on the holy tides
The natural beauty of the river under the moonlight creates a sacred aura

My prayers have been answered
Finally, I'm getting a chance to seek redemption through baptism

I take my sodden walk to Jesus
Through baptism, I'm taking my first steps towards a new life committed to Jesus

All piety and grace
I experience a sense of inner piety, grace and gratitude towards God for this chance at redemption

The guards release my shackles
The guards unchain me for the baptism

But they cannot read my face
I feel a mixed emotion of remorse, guilt, gratitude and hope, which the guards can't read

The deepest breath that I can take
I take a deep breath and gather my courage for the baptism

As I plunge under the water
I immerse myself in the water, hoping to cleanse my soul

The chaplain had the kindest ways
The chaplain has shown me kindness and empathy through my journey towards redemption

But he could have been a whole lot smarter
The chaplain could have told me earlier about the healing powers of the river and saved me some guilt and remorse

Two kicks and I'm traveling
The current of the river takes me by surprise and I start moving downstream immediately after the baptism

Beneath the muddy waters gleam
Despite being a muddy river, its cleansing powers shine through

And by the time I take a second breath
As I emerge from the water, I'm grateful to be alive and have a second chance at life

I'm a hundred yards downstream
The current of the river has taken me away from the baptism spot, but I feel at peace and hopeful for my future

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alan Thomas Doyle, Russell Crowe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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