Shine originally started off a barman, he set up a pub in Baylough in Athlone, across from St.Comans Park, 'Shine's Bar', He let his wife run the pub, recently Shine has sold the pub but the name remains 'Shines Bar'. He lives now in Moore, on the main road to Shannonbride in an ordinary old two story farm house, with a large farm attached to it.
Shine has released more than fifty albums and has had over forty-five hit singles. He began by playing in his father's country band while still at school, played in Kieran Kelly's Ceili Band along with schoolfriend Johnny Dawson (who still performs with Shine in the Brendan Shine Super Band), originally making his name as an accordionist before taking up singing and becoming one of Ireland's best-known entertainers. In 1971, he topped the Irish charts with "O'Brien Has No Place to Go", which stayed in the charts for five months.
In the 1970s he recorded a few number one hits in Ireland. These included "Where The Three Counties Meet" in 1973, "Abbyshrule" (1974), "All My Roads Lead Back To You" (1976), "How Much Time" (1977) and "Do You Want Your Oul Lobby Washed Down" staying at number one for over six weeks. The song stayed in the Top 50 for over 40 weeks and Shine performed the song to Pope John Paul II when the Pope visited Ireland.
He has also presented several television series in Ireland, including Nice and Easy and Shine On as well as appearing on The Late Late Show. In the 1990s he was a regular guest on The Lyrics Board and performed many of his songs on Music shows and chat shows
The Fields Of Athenry
Brendan Shine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pete St. John
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that 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.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
"The Fields of Athenry" is a tragic ballad written by Pete St. John. The song tells a story of betrayal, love, and tragedy. It is set during the Great Famine of Ireland in the mid-19th century. The song's protagonist is a young man named Michael who is being taken away to a prison ship for stealing corn in order to feed his family. His lover, Mary, is left behind to raise their child with dignity. The song explores the themes of injustice, oppression, and resilience in the face of adversity.
The lyrics also touch on the historical events of the time, including the Great Famine and the rebellion against British rule. The Fields of Athenry symbolize the struggles of the Irish people during this time. The song talks about how the Fields used to be a place where people could watch the small free birds fly, but now it is a lonely place, full of sadness and loss.
Overall, the song is a powerful representation of the suffering of the Irish people during the Great Famine and the struggle for freedom and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
By a lonely prison wall
The singer is standing next to a prison wall all by themselves.
I heard a young girl calling
They hear a young woman calling out.
Micheal they are taking you away
The young girl is calling out to a man named Micheal who is being taken away.
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
The reason for Micheal's arrest is that he stole corn from someone named Trevelyn.
So the young might see the morn.
Micheal stole the corn to help feed the young so that they could see another day.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
There is a prison ship waiting in the bay to take Micheal away.
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
The Fields of Athenry are laid low or in despair.
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
They used to watch the small birds fly in the Fields of Athenry.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
Back then, they were free to love, dream and sing together.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Nowadays, it is lonely around the Fields of Athenry.
By a lonely prison wall
The singer is back to standing next to the prison wall.
I heard a young man calling
They now hear a young man calling out.
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,
The young man is telling Mary that nothing else matters when they are free.
Against the Famine and the Crown
The young man rebelled against the Famine and the rulers.
I rebelled they ran me down
As a result of the rebellion, he was chased down and captured.
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
The young man asks Mary to raise their child with dignity as he is not able to do so.
By a lonely harbor wall
The artist is now on a harbor wall.
She watched the last star falling
The woman watched the last star disappear as the night ended.
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
The prison ship is sailing away in the distance.
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
The woman will wait, hope and pray for her loved one.
For her love in Botany Bay
Her loved one is being taken to Botany Bay.
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
As before, it is still lonely around the Fields of Athenry.
Contributed by Andrew V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David L
on Three Pubs in Bahola
It is Bohola not Bahola