The band has kept up the mix of traditional Irish or Scottish songs and self-written tracks, though the self-written tracks have progressively become less and less folky. The band's influences are wide and varied, but obviously heavily influenced by Celtic rock bands like the Pogues, the Waterboys and Great Big Sea. Recent albums also see a clear influence from Gothic rock music. Having enjoyed growing success in and around Germany, the band reached 1000 played concerts in 2004 (the only band member to play them all is bass player Rainer Schulz), which was celebrated with a concert at Castle Hoheneck. This concert was filmed and released on two DVDs: Celebrate! and Jubilate! The concert saw participation from former band members and other guest musicians. Main lyric and music writer Peter Pathos has left the band in summer 2006 and was replaced by Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara. A live DVD Folk's not dead was released to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary in 2010
Members:
Ralf 'Albi' Albers - Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki
Tobi Heindl (Tobias Anton Heindl) - Violin, Vocals (since 2000)
Rainer Schulz - Bass
Stefan Klug - Accordion, bodhrán (since 1991)
Frank Jooss - Drums, percussion (since 2001)
Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara - Guitar, vocals (since 2006)
Former members:
Dr. Robert Oppel (1990 - 1991) - Violin
Eric Obst (1990 - 1995) - Drums
Wolfram Kellner (1995 - 2000) -Drums
Tobias Rempe (1991 - 1995) - Violin
Tobias Schäfer (1995 - 2000) - Violin
Peter Pathos (Peter Müller) (1990 - 2006) - Guitar, whistle, mandola
Discography:
Fiddler’s Green (1992)
Black Sheep (1993)
King Shepherd (1995)
Make Up Your Mind (1996)
On and On (1997)
Spin Around (1998)
Stagebox (1999) (Live)
Another Sky (2000)
Folk Raider (2002)
Nu Folk (2003)
Celebrate! (2005) (Live)
Celebrate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Jubilate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Drive Me Mad! (2007)
Sports Day at Killaloe (2009)
Folk's not dead DVD (2010) (Live)
Wall of Folk (2011)
Winners and Boozers (2013)
Irish Airman
Fiddler's Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere among the clouds above
Those that I fight I do not hate
Those that I guard not love
My country is Kiltartan Cross
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor
No likely end could bring them loss
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds
I balanced all, brought all to mind
The years to come seemed waste of breath
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death
The Fiddler's Green song "Irish Airman" is a poignant reflection on the motivations of a young Irish pilot during World War I. The opening line, "I know that I shall meet my fate somewhere among the clouds above," suggests a sense of fatalism and acceptance of death. The pilot is not motivated by hatred towards the enemy or love for the country he is fighting for - he fights simply out of a sense of duty and a desire for adventure.
The second stanza provides some context for the pilot's life; he hails from the small Irish town of Kiltartan Cross, where the people are poor but content. The pilot acknowledges that his own death would not bring any great loss to his compatriots, nor would it make their lives any better.
In the final stanza, the pilot reflects on the reasons he decided to become a fighter pilot. He was not compelled by any external factors like duty or politics - rather, he was driven by an inner desire for adventure and excitement. The pilot reflects on the transience of life and the futility of worrying too much about the future or dwelling too much on the past. Ultimately, he accepts the inevitability of his own death and finds some solace in the knowledge that he lived his life on his own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that I shall meet my fate
I am aware of the possibility of my death
Somewhere among the clouds above
I anticipate death while flying high in the air
Those that I fight I do not hate
I am fulfilling my duty, but do not resent my enemies
Those that I guard not love
I am not attached to any side, I am only doing my job
My country is Kiltartan Cross
The place that I call home is Kiltartan Cross
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor
My fellow citizens of Kiltartan are less fortunate
No likely end could bring them loss
There is no scenario where they would not suffer
Or leave them happier than before
Their happiness will not be increased by my actions, regardless of the outcome
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight
I am not commanded by either the law or obligation to engage in battle
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds
There are no public figures or crowds pushing me to participate
A lonely impulse of delight
My own personal motivation and sense of exhilaration is what drives me
Drove to this tumult in the clouds
This feeling is what brought me to this chaotic conflict in the sky
I balanced all, brought all to mind
I considered all of the factors and weighed them carefully
The years to come seemed waste of breath
It seemed as though there was no point to thinking about the future, it would be meaningless
A waste of breath the years behind
The past is also irrelevant and not worth dwelling on
In balance with this life, this death
This present moment, this conflict, is what truly matters
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind