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
Who Put the Blood
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Son tell it unto me
A fishing and a fowling in the fields and in the forest
|: I am weary mother let me be :|
Who put the blood on your right shoulder
Son tell it unto me
‘Its the blood of a hare that I killed yesterday
The blood of a hare it would never be so red
Son tell it unto me
It's the blood of a boy that I killed yesterday
|: I killed most manfully :|
What was between yourself and the boy
Son tell it unto me
It was mostly the cutting down of a rod
|: That never would come to a tree :|
What will you do when your daddy finds out
Son tell it unto me
I will put my foot on board of a ship and sail away
Sail to a foreign country
And sail to a foreign country
What will you do with your lovely wedded wife
Son tell it unto me
She can put her foot onboard of a ship and follow me
|: Follow after me :|
What will you do with your two fine babes
Son tell it unto me
I'll give one to my father and the other to my mother
|: To keep them company :|
What will you do with your house and your lands
Son tell it unto me
I will lay them bare to the birds and the air
|: There's no more welcome for me :|
What will you do in the Winter of your life
Son tell it unto me
Like a sally in the rock I will bend in the wind
And pray for the Gods mercy
Oh and pray for the Gods mercy
The song "Who Put the Blood" by Karan Casey is a haunting piece that tells the story of a young man who has recently killed and is confessing to his mother. The song is set in an old world Irish countryside where the singer has been out fishing and hunting all day. However, when his mother notices a bloodstain on his shoulder, she asks him where the blood came from. The son first tells her it is from a hare that he had killed, but the mother can discern from the color of the blood that it is not from a hare's veins as much as that of a young boy.
The song is structured in a question-answer style, where the mother continually asks the son about the source of the blood and the son responds with defiance and almost pride. As the song progresses, the severity of the son's actions become more evident, and his mother presses him on what he will do next. When asked what he will do when his father finds out, he responds that he will sail away to a foreign country- a reference to the historical pattern of fleeing as an outlaw. Ultimately, the son thinks he has nothing left for him in his homeland as he plans to give away his children and lay his lands bare.
The song is masterful in its storytelling, revealing the complexity of the son's character and his deep sense of regret. It raises questions about morality, justice, and the consequences of one's actions. The mother provides a sense of catharsis through her questioning, but ultimately the son must own up to what he has done.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have you been all along summer's day
Son, where have you been all day?
A fishing and a fowling in the fields and in the forest
I have been hunting and fishing in the fields and forests all day.
I am weary mother let me be
I am tired, mother. Let me rest.
Who put the blood on your right shoulder
Who left the bloodstain on your shoulder?
'Its the blood of a hare that I killed yesterday
It's the blood of a hare that I killed yesterday.
I killed most manfully
I killed the hare with skill and bravery.
The blood of a hare it would never be so red
The blood of a hare would never be this red.
It's the blood of a boy that I killed yesterday
It's the blood of a boy that I killed yesterday.
What was between yourself and the boy
What happened between you and the boy?
It was mostly the cutting down of a rod
We mostly just argued and fought.
That never would come to a tree
We could never agree or find common ground.
What will you do when your daddy finds out
What will you do if your father finds out?
I will put my foot on board of a ship and sail away
I will leave and sail to a foreign country.
Sail to a foreign country
I will leave this place and start anew elsewhere.
What will you do with your lovely wedded wife
What will happen to your wife?
She can put her foot onboard of a ship and follow me
She can come with me, if she chooses.
Follow after me
She can follow me on this journey.
What will you do with your two fine babes
What will happen to your two children?
I'll give one to my father and the other to my mother
I will give one to my father and the other to my mother, to keep them company.
To keep them company
So that they will have someone to care for in my absence.
What will you do with your house and your lands
What will happen to your property?
I will lay them bare to the birds and the air
I will leave them to nature.
There's no more welcome for me
I am no longer welcome here and must leave everything behind.
What will you do in the Winter of your life
What will happen to you in your old age?
Like a sally in the rock I will bend in the wind
I will weather the changes of life, like a tree bending in the wind.
And pray for the Gods mercy
And hope for mercy from a higher power.
Contributed by Brody E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rita Ferreira Matos
Lindas a música e voz de intérprete.
ikky kano
thank you for the video, I used to listed to this and other great Casey´s songs in her website, but often the player crashed my computer. I´d love a proper video of her performing dunlavin green...
Savage McCabbage
Found this from looking for the Lankum cover of the song. This is an amazing version of the song, I really like it.
Some amazing playing and singing.
Celtic Musings
You're welcome! :D I looked for it on youtube when I discovered it. I couldn't find it and I thought it needed to be shared, it's such a great song!
Titus Oliphant
Finally! I've been trying to find this on youtube for so long. Thanks
Dylan Lalonde
thanks for this :)
Nick Jones
are there dots moving on the screen.. or am i just really high??? upper right hand corner.. 0.0
Rooney
I noticed it too. I think it's like a cool dust effect
Beth
it moved for me !! I have the flu though.. ??