Capercaillie is a folk band founded in Oban, Scotland in the 1980s by Donal… Read Full Bio ↴Capercaillie is a folk band founded in Oban, Scotland in the 1980s by Donald Shaw and fronted by Karen Matheson. They recorded their first album, Cascade, in 1984. Their 1992 EP Coisich, a Rùin was the first ever Scottish Gaelic language record to reach the UK Top 40 singles chart. They have also pioneered the integration of divergent styles, including some electronics and African rhythms, into their music, though it is still primarily Scottish folk music.

Am Mur Gorm
Capercaillie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mur b'e thusa bhiodh an Cuilithionn
'Na mhur eagarra gorm
Ag crioslachadh le bhalla-criche
Na tha 'nam chridhe borb

Mur b'e thusa bhiodh a'ghaineamh
Tha'n Talasgar dumhail geal
'Na clar biothbuan do mo dhuilean

Air nach tilleadh an run-ghath

'S mur b'e thusa bhiodh na cuantan
'Nan luasgan is 'nan tamh
A'togail cair mo bhuadhan
'Ga cur air suaimhneas ard

Don't tell me it's easier alone
Don't tell me your world don't need a home
Savor the first drops of rain
Falling on your soul's dusty plains

'S bhiodh am monadh donn riabhach
Agus mo chiall co-shint
'Ach chuir thusa orra riaghladh
Os cionn mo phianaidh fhin

Agus air creachainn chein fhasmhoir
Chinn blathmhor Craobh nan Teud
'Na meangach duillich t'aodann
Mo chiall is aogas reil

Don't tell me it's easier alone
Don't tell me your world don't need a home
Savor the first drops of rain
Falling on your soul's dusty plains

Mur b'e thusa bhiodh an Cuilithionn
'Na mhur eagarra gorm

Ag crioslachadh le bhalla-criche
Na tha 'nam chridhe borb

Overall Meaning

The Gaelic language is known for weaving beautiful landscapes and mystical stories into their lyrics. Capercaillie's song "Am Mur Gorm" is no exception. The song tells a tale of a lost love that still lingers in the singer's heart. The opening lines express a sense of longing and admiration for the lost love, suggesting that if they were the Cuilithionn Mountain, they would have a blue-plumaged bird perched on their watchful peak. The singer's heart beats wild when they think of the one they've lost, filling them with longing.

As the song progresses, the lyrics delve into the various landscapes around them (a common theme in Gaelic music), including Talasgar where the valleys are glistening and a place where the singer's heart is housed within the folds of their soul. The piece concludes by suggesting that the lost love is irreplaceable, as they are the mountain range that weeps and pines for the singer's love lost.

Line by Line Meaning

Mur b'e thusa bhiodh an Cuilithionn
If only you were the Cuilithionn

'Na mhur eagarra gorm
In its beautiful blue-green coat

Ag crioslachadh le bhalla-criche
Bounding along the border wall

Na tha 'nam chridhe borb
That stirs my rough heart

Mur b'e thusa bhiodh a'ghaineamh
If only you were the skylark

Tha'n Talasgar dumhail geal
With its modest white forehead

'Na clar biothbuan do mo dhuilean
As a constant companion to my feelings

Air nach tilleadh an run-ghath
Never to return the song of love

'S mur b'e thusa bhiodh na cuantan
And if only you were the cuckoo

'Nan luasgan is 'nan tamh
In its song and peacefulness

A'togail cair mo bhuadhan
Lifting up my victory song