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
Love Is Pleasing
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until that morning when he stepped in
He sat down and I sat beside him
And then our troubles they did begin
Oh love is pleasing and love is teasing
And love is a pleasure when first it's new
But love grows older and grows quite colder
There is an alehouse in yon town
And there my love goes and he sits down
He takes a strange girl upon his knee
And tells her what he once told me
I wish my father had never whistled
I wish my mother had never sung
I wish the cradle had never rocked me
I wish I'd died, love, when I was young
The lyrics of Karan Casey's song Love Is Pleasing describe the painful experience of lost love that comes with growing older. The singer never expected her love to leave her, but one morning he did. The image of the two of them sitting down together with their troubles beginning to unfold is a powerful one. The verses that follow contrast the joy of a new love with the eventual fading of that love over time. The refrain of "love is pleasing and love is teasing" is particularly poignant, as it captures the paradoxical nature of love, which can be both wonderful and painful at the same time.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to the singer's love, who has moved on to a new relationship. She paints a vivid picture of him sitting in an alehouse with another woman, telling her the same things he once told the singer. This image is a powerful one that speaks to the pain of jealousy and the sense of betrayal that comes with seeing someone move on.
The final verse is particularly heartbreaking, as the singer expresses her wish that she had never been born. This sense of despair and hopelessness underscores the sense of loss and pain that permeates the song. Overall, Karan Casey's Love Is Pleasing is a haunting and powerful meditation on lost love and the struggles that come with growing older.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought that my love would leave me
I did not expect my partner to leave me, but it happened.
Until that morning when he stepped in
It was the day when he walked in and changed everything.
He sat down and I sat beside him
We started talking and we were sitting close to each other.
And then our troubles they did begin
From that moment, things started to get complicated between us.
Oh love is pleasing and love is teasing
Love can be both enjoyable and frustrating.
And love is a pleasure when first it's new
Love is particularly exciting and fun in the beginning.
But love grows older and grows quite colder
However, love can become less enthusiastic and less satisfying as time passes by.
And it fades away like the morning dew
Eventually, love can disappear just like dew evaporates when the sun shines.
There is an alehouse in yon town
In that town, there is a tavern.
And there my love goes and he sits down
That's where my partner goes and sits with others.
He takes a strange girl upon his knee
He holds and whispers to a woman he does not know.
And tells her what he once told me
He shares intimate stories that he previously shared with me, with this new girl.
I wish my father had never whistled
I regret certain decisions made by my father.
I wish my mother had never sung
I wish my mother never did certain things.
I wish the cradle had never rocked me
I have regrets about my childhood.
I wish I'd died, love, when I was young
I wish I had died when I was young and did not get involved with love.
Contributed by Carter C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.