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 Labouring Man's Daughter
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the beautifulest girl in the nation
No counsel would he take, but journeys he'd make
Through Ireland to seek this fair creature
'Twas seven long years he searched here and there
'Til he came to the place where he'd meet her
He opened the door and she stood on the floor
I never have seen you but once in my life
And that was in a dream, you lay by me
And now you're beside me, by the look in your eyes
I know that you ne'er will deny me
And what's your desire, pray tell me, kind sir
That you're so afraid of denial?
Although I am poor, no scorn will I endure
Do not put me under such trial
No scorn will I bring, nor any such thing
And he took out a ring as a token
Oh love is a thing which does hang on a string
But between us it ne'er will be broken
And if I should consent your bride for to be
Your parents would both be offended
Besides they would always be frowning on me
Because you are highly descended
For father and for mother I have none in this world
I have none but myself and a brother
And as for my friends, they will not frown on me
So we can but love one another
So now they has gained what love and delight
And they are living in joy and plenty
The laboring man's daughter has married a knight
Heaven protect them both together
The Labouring Man's Daughter by Karan Casey is a love story about a nobleman's son who dreams of the most beautiful girl in the country. He journeys through Ireland for seven years to find her without any counsel. When he finally reaches the place where she lives and meets her, he realizes that she is a laboring man's daughter. He confesses that he had dreamt of her once, and now that he has finally found her, he knows she will never deny him. She questions him about his intentions, and he takes out a ring to show his commitment. Despite his high standing and the fear of his parents being offended, they decide to get married and live in joy and plenty.
The song conveys the message that love knows no boundaries, and it does not discriminate between people of different social classes. The nobleman's son is willing to marry the laboring man's daughter despite the objections from his parents and society. The Laboring Man's Daughter is a representation of the idea that true love is selfless and transcends societal expectations.
The song has a beautiful melody that reflects the sentiment of the lyrics. It starts with a slow pace and gradually becomes upbeat, signifying the happiness of the couple. It is a popular traditional Irish song and has been covered by many artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
A nobleman's son, he dreamed such a dream
The son of a nobleman had a dream about the most beautiful girl in the nation.
Of the beautifulest girl in the nation
The dream was about the most beautiful girl in the whole country.
No counsel would he take, but journeys he'd make
He didn't listen to any advise and went on a journey to find her.
Through Ireland to seek this fair creature
He searched all over Ireland to find the girl from his dream.
'Twas seven long years he searched here and there
It took him seven years to finally find her.
'Til he came to the place where he'd meet her
He finally found the place where he would meet the girl from his dream.
He opened the door and she stood on the floor
When he entered the room, she was standing there on the floor.
She was a laboring man's daughter
The girl he had been searching for was the daughter of a laborer.
I never have seen you but once in my life
He had only seen her once before, in his dream.
And that was in a dream, you lay by me
He dreamed that she was lying next to him.
And now you're beside me, by the look in your eyes
Now she is actually standing next to him, and he can see the look in her eyes.
I know that you ne'er will deny me
He knows that she will never refuse him.
And what's your desire, pray tell me, kind sir
She asks him what he wants from her.
That you're so afraid of denial?
She wonders why he is afraid of being rejected.
Although I am poor, no scorn will I endure
She assures him that she will not be ashamed of being poor.
Do not put me under such trial
She asks him not to test her like that.
No scorn will I bring, nor any such thing
He promises not to judge her or treat her badly because of her social status.
And he took out a ring as a token
He gives her a ring as a symbol of his love.
Oh love is a thing which does hang on a string
Love is something fragile and vulnerable.
But between us it ne'er will be broken
Their love will never be broken.
And if I should consent your bride for to be
If she agrees to marry him...
Your parents would both be offended
His parents would be upset because she is from a lower class.
Besides they would always be frowning on me
His parents would look down on her.
Because you are highly descended
He comes from an upper class family.
For father and for mother I have none in this world
She explains that she doesn't have any parents.
I have none but myself and a brother
She only has herself and a brother for family.
And as for my friends, they will not frown on me
Her friends will not judge her or dislike her for marrying into an upper class family.
So we can but love one another
They can only love each other and ignore the expectations of their families.
So now they has gained what love and delight
They have found love and happiness together.
And they are living in joy and plenty
They are now living a comfortable and happy life.
The laboring man's daughter has married a knight
The former laborer's daughter has married a knight from an upper class family.
Heaven protect them both together
May they always be happy and safe together.
Contributed by Henry J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.