Karan Casey (b. 1969 in Ballyduff Lower, County Waterford, Ireland) is an I… Read Full Bio ↴Karan Casey (b. 1969 in Ballyduff Lower, County Waterford, Ireland) is an Irish folk singer and jazz singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas.

Her family encouraged her to sing in the house, in a church choir and at school. At Waterford Regional Technical College she studied piano then took music at University College Dublin in 1987. Having learned to copy Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing, she performed in a Dublin bistro several nights per week while still a student. At the Royal Irish Academy of Music she studied classical music and sang in a jazz band, then a folk-ballad band, then another jazz band. She also fell under the influence of Dublin folk singer Frank Harte. During this time she also formed her own band, called Dorothy.

In 1993 Karan moved to New York City. There she studied jazz at Long Island University. When she encountered Irish traditional music sessions in New York she started singing Irish traditional music again. During this time she mostly sang in bars and locals. For most of 1994 she sang with a group called Atlantic Bridge. At the end of the year she joined Seamus Egan and others in Solas. She sang five songs on their first album in 1996. In the same year she sang in Tramps club in Manhattan, accompanied only by a percussionist. They mixed jazz and folk. In 1997 she recorded a solo album, Songlines, inspired by the novel of the same name by Bruce Chatwin. It was produced by Seamus Egan and included several members of Solas. There were a few traditional songs and some contemporary folk songs.

In 2000 Karan collaborated with several other singers on "Seal Maiden - A Celtic Musical". It was a musical version of the film "The Secret of Roan Inish", designed for children. It concerns the mythical creature called the selkie - a seal-woman. Since then Karan has recorded three further solo albums released in 2001, 2003 and 2005. In a salute to her Celtic roots, several tracks were recorded in her native Irish tongue. She also features on the DVD "Solas Live".

Her 2005 album Chasing the Sun includes a number of songs Casey wrote herself. Her records are released by Shanachie Records in the United States and Vertical Records in Europe.

Karan is now living in County Cork, and is married to Niall Vallely, a composer and player of traditional Irish music.

Solo albums
* Songlines (1997)
* Seal Maiden (2000)
* The Winds Begin To Sing (2001)
* Distant Shore (2003)
* Chasing The Sun (2005)

Recordings with Solas
* Solas (1996)
* Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers (1997)
* The Words That Remain (1998)
* Reunion: A Decade of Solas (2006, CD and DVD)

As session musician
* Dancing at Lughnasa (film) (1998)
* Waking Ned Devine (film) (1999)
* "Celtic Solstice" by Paul Winter

Freedom Song
Karan Casey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I think of you each day
Although you're far away
I try to understand
How it is in a foreign land

I wonder if you sleep
Your mind can find no ease
Your heart can still be free

To dream of liberty

(Chorus:)
I'll sing for you this song
I'll sing it to keep your heart up
I'll sing it to give you strength
Oh I'll sing it for freedom
Oh freedom, precious freedom

If you can see the sky
The skylark he flies high
He leaves his spirit there
Out upon the air

His dreams they sing on
Like the stars they burn through
Our voices they will soar
Until injustice is no more

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Karan Casey's "Freedom Song" speaks of love, distance, and hope for a better future. The song is about a person who is far away, possibly in a foreign land, and the singer tries to understand what they might be going through. The song is written in a way to suggest that the person who is far away is not free, and their heart and mind might be restless, but they can still dream of liberty. The chorus of the song highlights the main message of the song, which is to sing for freedom.

In the second verse, the song goes on to talk about the skylark and his soaring dreams. The skylark is a symbol of hope and freedom, and the singer suggests that their voices will soar until injustice is no more. The song is written in a way to give hope to those who might be struggling, and it is a call to action to those who can speak up against injustice. The song suggests that even though the person who is far away might not be able to enjoy freedom, their dreams and hope for a better future can live on through the power of music.

Line by Line Meaning

I think of you each day
I remember you every day

Although you're far away
Even though you're distant from me

I try to understand
I attempt to comprehend

How it is in a foreign land
What it's like in a different country

I wonder if you sleep
I ponder if you're sleeping

Your mind can find no ease
Your thoughts are restless

Your heart can still be free
Your emotions can still be liberated

To dream of liberty
To aspire towards freedom

I'll sing for you this song
I'll perform this song for you

I'll sing it to keep your heart up
I'll sing it to uplift your spirits

I'll sing it to give you strength
I'll sing it to bolster your resolve