Her international performances include membership as a principal soloist with the world renowned Irish chamber choir Anúna from 1994 to 1998, touring the United States as a soloist with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, touring South Africa with Lord of the Dance, and concerts in Japan and Korea.
Sovay
Méav Lyrics
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She dressed herself in man's array
With a brace of pistols all by her side
To meet her true love,
To meet her true love, she did ride.
As she was gallopingoverthe plain
She met her true love and bid him stand
"Stand and deliver, young man" she said
If you do not, your life I'll have.
He delivered up his golden store
She says "Kind sir, there is one thing more -
That diamond ring that I see you wear -
Oh hand it over, hand it over, and your life I'll spare".
"From my diamond ring I never would part
For it's a token from my sweetheart -
Shoot and be damned then you rogue, " said he,
"And you'll be hanged,
You'll be hanged for murdering me!"
Next morning in the garden green,
Young Sovay and her true love were seen
He spied his watch hanging by her clothes
Which made him blush,
Made him blush like any rose.
"What makes you blush, you silly young thing
I thought to haveyour diamond ring.
'Twas I that robbed you all on the plain,
So take your watch, love,
Take your watch and your gold again.
I only did it for to know
If you would be a man or no
If you hadn't been man enough," she said,
"I'd have pulled the trigger and shot you dead."
The song "Sovay" by Méav is a narrative about a woman named Sovay who dresses herself in men's clothing and arms herself with pistols to rob her own lover, only to test his bravery and loyalty. Sovay is courageous and independent, and in a patriarchal society, she stands out as an unconventional and daring character. She meets her true love, confronts him, and demands he hand over his possessions. When he refuses to give up his diamond ring, Sovay challenges his manhood and threatens to kill him. Her lover refuses to part with the ring, and instead of giving it to Sovay, he challenges her to shoot him. Sovay loses her nerve and after the meeting ends, Sovay's lover blushes when he sees that she has his watch, which means that he recognized her and was playing along with her plan from the beginning.
The song has several interpretations, but the most obvious one is about the theme of gender roles and power dynamics in relationships. Sovay's actions are a commentary on the status of women in society and how they had to disguise themselves as men to participate in activities that were otherwise forbidden. The song highlights the theme of deception and how love can sometimes be a trap, as seen in the lyrics "I only did it for to know if you would be a man or no. If you hadn't been man enough, I'd have pulled the trigger and shot you dead."
Line by Line Meaning
Sovay, Sovay all on a day
One day, a woman named Sovay
She dressed herself in man's array
She dressed up like a man
With a brace of pistols all by her side
She had two guns with her
To meet her true love,
To meet her true love, she did ride.
She rode her horse to meet her lover
As she was galloping over the plain
As she was riding quickly over the open space
She met her true love and bid him stand
She met her lover and told him to stop
"Stand and deliver, young man" she said
She demanded he give her his possessions by saying "Stop and give me your things."
And if you do not,
If you do not, your life I'll have.
She threatened to kill him if he refused
He delivered up his golden store
She says "Kind sir, there is one thing more -
That diamond ring that I see you wear -
Oh hand it over, hand it over, and your life I'll spare".
He gave her his money, and she asked for his diamond ring. She promised to let him live if he gave it to her
"From my diamond ring I never would part
For it's a token from my sweetheart -
Shoot and be damned then you rogue, " said he,
"And you'll be hanged,
You'll be hanged for murdering me!"
He refused to give up the ring because it was a gift from his lover. He called her a thief and said he would rather die than let her take it
Next morning in the garden green,
Young Sovay and her true love were seen
The next morning, Sovay and her lover were in the garden
He spied his watch hanging by her clothes
Which made him blush,
Made him blush like any rose.
He noticed that she had his watch, and it made him feel embarrassed
"What makes you blush, you silly young thing
I thought to have your diamond ring.
'Twas I that robbed you all on the plain,
So take your watch, love,
Take your watch and your gold again.
She revealed that she was the one who robbed him and took his things. She gave him back his watch and money
I only did it for to know
If you would be a man or no
If you hadn't been man enough," she said,
"I'd have pulled the trigger and shot you dead."
She did it to test his bravery. She threatened to kill him to see if he would stand up to her
Writer(s): Meav Ni Mhaolchatha, Craig Leon Copyright: Peermusic (Uk) Ltd., Atlas Realisations Music Ltd.
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.