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
Where Are You Tonight I Wonder
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where are you tonight, I wonder?
Where will you be tonight when I cry?
Will sleep for you come easy
Whilst I alone can't slumber?
Will you welcome the morning
At another man's side?
And left me with a shadow the sun can't dispel
For I built for you a tower full of love and admiration
But I built it so high I could not reach it myself
The view from my window is a world full of sadness
The face in my mirror is the one face I know
You have taken all that's in me, so my heart is in no danger
Oh my heart is in no danger, but I'd still like to know
(Chorus)
There is a silence and it cannot be broken
There is a pure heart, it's there I will go
Time will work its healing, and my spirit will grow stronger
But in the meantime, I would still like to know
(Chorus)
1
In Karan Casey's song "Where Are You Tonight I Wonder," the singer is questioning the whereabouts and actions of a past lover. The chorus repeats the central question of the song, asking where the person is and if they will be able to sleep while the singer cannot. The second verse describes how the singer built a "tower of love and admiration" for their lover, but ended up isolating themselves in the process. The third verse acknowledges the pain and sadness the singer is experiencing, but also recognizes the potential for healing and growth in the future.
One interpretation of these lyrics is that the song is about the aftermath of a painful breakup or separation. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that they no longer have their partner in their life and is haunted by the question of where that person is and what they are doing now. The tower of love and admiration could represent the singer's idealized image of their partner, which ultimately became a burden they could not sustain. The final verse suggests that healing and growth will come with time, but the pain is still present in the present moment.
Overall, Casey's poetic lyrics capture the complex emotions and thoughts that can arise after a significant romantic relationship comes to an end. The repetition of the chorus highlights the ongoing sense of uncertainty and longing that can accompany such a loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are you tonight, I wonder?
I am wondering where you are tonight
Where will you be tonight when I cry?
I am curious about where you will be when I cry tonight
Will sleep for you come easy
Whilst I alone can't slumber?
I am wondering if you will sleep easily while I am having trouble sleeping alone
Will you welcome the morning
At another man's side?
I am wondering if you will wake up with another man tomorrow morning
How easy for you the years have slipped under
And left me with a shadow the sun can't dispel
It seems like the years have been easy for you, but they have left me with a sadness that I can't shake
For I built for you a tower full of love and admiration
But I built it so high I could not reach it myself
I tried to love and admire you so much, but I ended up building a wall that I couldn't climb over
The view from my window is a world full of sadness
The face in my mirror is the one face I know
When I look out my window, I feel only sadness and when I look at myself in the mirror, I see only myself
You have taken all that's in me, so my heart is in no danger
Oh my heart is in no danger, but I'd still like to know
You have taken everything from me, so my heart can't be hurt anymore, but I still want to know where you are tonight
There is a silence and it cannot be broken
There is a pure heart, it's there I will go
Time will work its healing, and my spirit will grow stronger
But in the meantime, I would still like to know
There is a silent pain that can't be fixed, but I will find solace in my pure heart. Time will heal me, but for now, I still want to know where you are tonight
(Chorus)
Repeating the opening verse
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.