Altan is an Irish folk and traditional music group, which formed in Gweedor… Read Full Bio ↴Altan is an Irish folk and traditional music group, which formed in Gweedore, County Donegal in 1987. The popular outfit, who are led by the world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, have been driven by many critically acclaimed albums and a relentless touring schedule. They emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland’s premiere traditional musical groups and have since sold millions of records worldwide.

Island Girl
Altan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

With a wave of her hand and her sparkling eye
My island girl bid me good-bye
For another dream in another time
For another life under another sky

But don't just cut off your heart, keep it open and sure
Keep it free from hurt and keep an open door
And let the spirit of love that united our soul

Be a gentle dove and guide you to your goal
And I'll go to that stream and I'll sing my own prayer
That my island girl shall be safe everywhere

Sing away while you can and before very long
The coming tide brings the chosen one
And there is a hope and there is a peace
In that ancient land where my angel sleeps

And when your river runs high, let it flow, let it flow
It's your time with life to let your garden grow
And when your burden gets rough, let it go, let it go
Let your strength return on every breeze that blows
Through that ancient land, through eternity
Oh my island girl, remember me

For your life has its course and you never can say
Who you'll meet and marry along your way
But be sure from the start that the cities behind
Love the land's living heart and breath eternal time

And when your river runs dry and your halo is torn
Drink the living stream in the calm of the dawn
And may you travel in peace and may your children be blessed
And your mind released and your soul caressed
In that faraway land where my spirit flies
To my island girl under those ancient skies

And with a wave of her hand and her sparkling eye
My island girl bid me good-bye

For another dream in another time
For another life under another sky

Overall Meaning

The song "Island Girl" by Altan tells the story of a man saying goodbye to his island girl for another life under another sky. The first verse sets up the scenario, with the man bidding farewell to his love. The following verse tells listeners not to cut off their heart, encouraging them to keep it open and free from hurt. The man also wishes for the spirit of love that brought them together to guide his love to her new life. In the third verse, the man encourages his love to "sing away while you can" before a new tide brings the chosen one. He expresses hope and peace in the ancient land where his angel sleeps. The man also embraces the idea of letting go of burdens when they get rough, and finding strength in every breeze that blows. He encourages his love's children to be blessed and her soul to be caressed in the faraway land where his spirit flies to her.

This song is powerful and emotional not only because of its soothing melody but also because of the depth of emotions it expresses. Altan's use of meter, phrasing, and rhyme scheme adds clarity to the song's meaning, ensuring that listeners can follow along easily. The lyrics are a reminder that life has its course, and we never know who we will meet and where our journey will take us. It also reminds listeners that it's a good idea to keep your heart open, brave all adversities, and expel every negativity in other to ensure a peaceful and joyous life. It's a song that calls for strength, resilience, hope, and ultimately love.

Line by Line Meaning

With a wave of her hand and her sparkling eye
My island girl said goodbye to me as she left for her new dreams with a cheerful attitude.

My island girl bid me good-bye
My island girl said goodbye to me as she left for her new dreams.

For another dream in another time
She left me for a different time and a different dream.

For another life under another sky
She said goodbye to me to start a new life under a different sky.

But don't just cut off your heart, keep it open and sure
I should not close off my heart due to this departure, but keep it open and confident.

Keep it free from hurt and keep an open door
I should avoid getting hurt and keep my heart open to love.

And let the spirit of love that united our soul
The love that brought us together should guide us as we move forward separately.

Be a gentle dove and guide you to your goal
This love should be a gentle, guiding force towards achieving our respective goals.

And I'll go to that stream and I'll sing my own prayer
I will go to a stream and sing a prayer for my island girl's safety wherever she goes.

That my island girl shall be safe everywhere
I pray for my island girl's safety no matter where she goes in life.

Sing away while you can and before very long
Enjoy singing and expressing yourself while you still have the time and opportunity.

The coming tide brings the chosen one
A new opportunity or person will come into your life soon.

And there is a hope and there is a peace
Even in the face of change, hope and peace can be found.

In that ancient land where my angel sleeps
There is a peaceful and ancient land where my loved one rests.

And when your river runs high, let it flow, let it flow
When life gets overwhelming, let the emotions flow without fighting them.

It's your time with life to let your garden grow
This is your time to let your life and your personal development thrive like a garden.

And when your burden gets rough, let it go, let it go
When the going gets tough, don't hold onto your burden too tightly and let it go.

Let your strength return on every breeze that blows
Strength will return as easily as the breeze coming and going.

Through that ancient land, through eternity
Across time and space, there is a place of ancient wisdom and beauty.

Oh my island girl, remember me
I ask my island girl to remember me in her travels and her new life.

For your life has its course and you never can say
Life is unpredictable and we cannot predict its events.

Who you'll meet and marry along your way
We cannot know who we will meet and fall in love with in life.

But be sure from the start that the cities behind
No matter what happens, always remember your roots and where you come from.

Love the land's living heart and breath eternal time
Connect with the world around you, which is alive and timeless, and deeply respect it.

And when your river runs dry and your halo is torn
When all seems lost and you feel broken, search for something to find hope in.

Drink the living stream in the calm of the dawn
Take solace in things that are alive and unaffected by life's hardships.

And may you travel in peace and may your children be blessed
I wish for my island girl to live a peaceful life and for her children to be blessed.

And your mind released and your soul caressed
May your mind be free and your soul be nurtured and comfortable.

In that faraway land where my spirit flies
In the land far away from here, my spirit remains and my love goes with my island girl.

To my island girl under those ancient skies
My love goes to my island girl, wherever she is under the ancient, beautiful skies.

And with a wave of her hand and her sparkling eye
My island girl said goodbye to me with her cheerful and shining presence.

For another dream in another time
My island girl left in pursuit of a new dream in a different time.

For another life under another sky
She said goodbye to me and left to start a new life under a different sky.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Robin Trower

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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