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 Yellow Furze
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The daisies in the long grasses sway
Before I stepped into his domain
My heart soared and sang with the wind
I stood in by the ditch where the primroses lay
And thought of my good friend Jane
Who has turned her life around for herself yes for herself
They had to hand it to her
She's done well so they couldn't complain
They waited for the fall and
All the pain to come through
With hearts already too broken
Only to be frozen over in misery.
They never said about the baby born in the barn
About finding her twisted and wound up with their scorn
Or the months she spent many miles oh many miles away
Or the dark sunglasses worn on a winter's day
We had nowhere to turn to but the skies
So we followed our star around the world
Now we wave and walk on each bent in our own wind
The trees lean in and listen
They had to hand it to her
She's done well so they couldn't complain
They waited for the fall and
All the pain to come through
With hearts already too broken
Only to be frozen over in misery
(Repeat first verse)
The Yellow Furze is a song that conveys the beauty of nature and how it can steal one’s heart in an instant. The opening lines of the song talk about how the yellow furze, which is a type of shrub, captured the singer’s heart once again. The following lines describe the setting of long grasses swaying in the breeze, illustrating the peace and serenity one feels in nature. The singer’s heart sang with the wind as they stepped into the domain of the yellow furze.
The song then takes a turn by discussing the singer’s friend Jane and how she has turned her life around. Despite the shame and judgement from others, Jane persevered and succeeded. The song implies that others were waiting for Jane to fail, but she proved them wrong. The last few lines of the song describe how the singer and Jane had nowhere to turn but to the skies, and they followed their star around the world. Now they each walk their own paths, but the trees lean in and listen to their stories.
The song masterfully combines imagery from nature with the theme of overcoming adversity. It shows how the beauty and peacefulness of nature can help one overcome struggles and hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
The yellow furze stole my heart again today
The beauty of nature and its mesmerizing essence captured my heart.
The daisies in the long grasses sway
The wildflowers dance with the gentle breeze in the countryside.
Before I stepped into his domain
Before entering the man-made space, I was immersed in the natural environment.
My heart soared and sang with the wind
The feeling of pure joy and freedom overcame me.
I stood in by the ditch where the primroses lay
I paused by the path and admired the beautiful primroses in the field.
And thought of my good friend Jane
At the sight of the flowers, memories of a loved one named Jane came to mind.
Who has turned her life around for herself yes for herself
Jane had the strength and courage to make a positive change in her life for her own benefit.
Despite the shame of it all
Even though others tried to shame and judge her, she persevered.
They had to hand it to her
Others couldn't deny the progress and success she had achieved.
She's done well so they couldn't complain
Her dedication and progress left no room for others to criticize.
They waited for the fall and
Despite her successes, some people hoped for her to fail.
All the pain to come through
They wanted her to suffer the consequences of her actions.
With hearts already too broken
Their own emotional state made it difficult for them to see the positivity in others.
Only to be frozen over in misery
Their reluctance to see the good in others made them unhappy and unfulfilled.
They never said about the baby born in the barn
Those same people didn't acknowledge the birth of a child in a barn.
About finding her twisted and wound up with their scorn
Instead, they judged and criticized her for her choices.
Or the months she spent many miles oh many miles away
They were ignorant of her struggles and travels to overcome her challenges.
Or the dark sunglasses worn on a winter's day
They never knew the true emotions hiding behind her facade.
We had nowhere to turn to but the skies
During tough times, we found solace and comfort in the vastness of the universe and nature.
So we followed our star around the world
We traveled the world and followed our dreams without any hesitation.
Now we wave and walk on each bent in our own wind
We continue to move forward uniquely and independently.
The trees lean in and listen
Nature is always present and willing to listen.
Contributed by Bailey H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.