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

The Keg of Brandy
Karan Casey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm always drunk and I'm seldom sober
In constant roving from town to town
But I am old now and my sporting is over
So Molly a stór won't you lay me down

(Chorus:)
Lay my head on a keg of brandy
It is my fancy I do declare

For while I'm drinking I'm always thinking
Of lovely Molly from the County Clare

The ripest apple is the soonest rotten
And the warmest love is the soonest cold
A young man's fancies are soon forgotten
So beware young maid's and don't make so bold

(Chorus)

It's youth and folly makes young men marry
It makes them tarry a long long day
What can't be cured love must be endured love
So farewell darling I am going away

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Karan Casey's song "The Keg of Brandy" tell the story of an old man who has lived a life of constant wandering and drinking. Despite his age, he still longs for the taste of brandy, and declares his love for a woman named Molly from the County Clare. The chorus reveals that he finds solace in his drunkenness, as it allows him to think of his beloved Molly.

The second verse reflects on the fleeting nature of youth and love. The man admits that young men are easily distracted and forgetful, cautioning young women to be careful with their hearts. The final verse speaks to the inevitability of time and the need to endure the trials of love. He bids farewell to his beloved, accepting that he must move on.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm always drunk and I'm seldom sober
I have a tendency to drink excessively and rarely remain sober

In constant roving from town to town
I keep moving from one town to another without settling down

But I am old now and my sporting is over
I am old and can no longer indulge in activities that I have enjoyed in the past

So Molly a stór won't you lay me down
Molly, my dear, please let me rest

Lay my head on a keg of brandy
I wish to rest my head on a barrel of brandy

It is my fancy I do declare
It is my desire, I must confess

For while I'm drinking I'm always thinking
Whenever I drink, I keep thinking

Of lovely Molly from the County Clare
Of the beautiful Molly who hails from the County Clare

The ripest apple is the soonest rotten
The fruit that is the ripest will go stale the soonest

And the warmest love is the soonest cold
The deepest love can turn cold very quickly

A young man's fancies are soon forgotten
Young men tend to lose interest easily