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 Loony Moon
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon is laughing everywhere
She has seen a stranger, she has
Laughing and dancing way up there
(2x)
She brings in the tide, sends us to sleep
We dream in her light and think awful deep
That only comes once in a true blue moon
High in the sky, high up there
The moon is laughing everywhere
She has seen a stranger, she has
Laughing and dancing way up there
(2x)
She brings in the tide, sends us to sleep
We dream in her light and think awful deep
Makes us loony with her mad tune
That only comes once in a true blue moon
High in the sky, high up there
The moon is laughing everywhere
She has seen a stranger, she has
Laughing and dancing way up there
1
In Karan Casey's song "The Loony Moon," the moon is personified as a lively and playful character who brings a sense of joy and madness to those who bask in her glow. The lyrics depict the moon as a witness to all the joys and sorrows on earth, and yet she remains detached and amused from her celestial perch. The chorus emphasizes this persona, as the moon is portrayed as laughing and dancing "way up there" in the sky. This serves to highlight her lack of earthly concerns and her ability to observe and enjoy life from a distance.
The second verse delves more into the moon's influence on humans, particularly on our dreams and emotions. The moon "brings in the tide" and "sends us to sleep," suggesting a natural connection between the moon and the forces of nature. In turn, the moon's light inspires us to engage in introspection and contemplation, and her "mad tune" (another instance of personification) can leave us feeling a bit disoriented and irrational. The final line of the verse emphasizes the fleeting nature of this experience, as the moon's powerful influence only comes "once in a true blue moon."
Overall, "The Loony Moon" is a whimsical and enchanting tribute to the mystical allure of the moon. Through its clever use of personification and playful imagery, the song encourages listeners to embrace the unpredictable and magical nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
High in the sky, high up there
The moon is positioned far above us, in the high sky.
The moon is laughing everywhere
The moon seems to laugh and smile down upon everything it sees in its orbit.
She has seen a stranger, she has
The moon has observed something unusual or unfamiliar in the world beneath it.
Laughing and dancing way up there
The moon is personified to express joy and expressive movement from its lofty location.
She brings in the tide, sends us to sleep
The pull of the moon guides and affects the tides of the oceans and possibly makes us sleepy as well.
We dream in her light and think awful deep
The moon affects our subconscious and inspires us to think and ponder deeply.
Makes us loony with her mad tune
The moon, with its unpredictable and mysterious effect on us, can make us feel crazy and eccentric.
That only comes once in a true blue moon
This strange and powerful effect of the moon only occurs rarely or under special circumstances, like a rare blue moon.
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.