In 1996 Parsons sang with folk musician Jon Hicks on his album Chasing the Bear. She then toured extensively in Europe and the USA as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, with the traditional group Arcady and with Dublin guitarist Graham Dunne, with whom she has been playing as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne since 1999. She has also appeared solo at many festivals and venues in Ireland and Great Britain. Her 2002 album "Heart's Desire" won the 2003 Association for Independent Music award.
Parsons is one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Parsons, "a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation."
It has been said that Parsons may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, but many feel she's the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Parsons's albums have been 'must-have' collector's items for any lover of songs and singing. Parsons has recorded a series of studio albums and live albums. From 1999, Parsons has been playing in a duet with Ennis-based guitarist Graham Dunne as recorded as Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne.
Growing up in Dublin, Parsons's music loving parents brought herself and her sister to the local folk club in The Old Shieling Hotel in Raheny, where the young girls were exposed to songs and singing from the likes of The Johnstons, Emmet Spiceland, Sweeney's Men, Dolly McMahon, Danny Doyle and many of the other musicians and singers that were playing in Folk clubs at that time. "My father was a great singer, and on long journeys the family used to sing in the car—I don't remember a time in my life when I was not singing—I love songs."
Parsons developed this love into a penchant for collecting songs. She is always on the lookout for songs that speak to her—listening to new albums, scouring the Traditional Music Archives in Dublin, sharing notes with a network of friends and other singers. Once she discovers a song she likes, Parsons views herself as the vehicle for the music. "For me the song is more important than listening to my voice," she says. "I consider myself more a songstress than a singer—a carrier of tradition."
Throughout her career, Parsons has performed with a wide variety of artists, and has appeared at nearly every prestigious folk festival on either side of the Atlantic. As a member of the traditional Irish band Arcady (led by De Dannan's Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh), she sang on their Shanachie recording Many Happy Returns. She appeared before President Clinton and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Capitol Hill, Washington, joined Grammy Award winner Paul Winter for an album and a summer concert in New York, and performed on "A Prairie Home Companion" when the show broadcast live from Dublin.
Parsons's recording career began as Niamh Parsons & The Loose Connections, her band of top-notch Belfast musicians she formed with songwriter and bass-player Dee Moore. The band recorded two albums of contemporary and traditional material together. Their debut recording, Loosely Connected (Greentrax, 1992) met with the highest of praise. A beautiful mix of traditional Irish and contemporary songs, it featured the memorable "Tinkerman's Daughter" and featured Brian Kennedy, piper John McSherry, guitarist Paul McSherry and a variety of wonderful Belfast musicians.
The second album, Loosen Up (Green Linnet, 1997), was another buoyant mix of originals and well-chosen contemporary ballads, like Brid Murphy's gorgeous "Clohinne Winds" and Tom Waits' "The Briar and the Rose," a powerful a cappella duet with Fran McPhail of the Voice Squad. Once again the album featured first-class musicians, including guitarist Gavin Ralston, world-renowned saxophone player Ritchie Buckley and Kilkenny accordion player Mick McAuley (now with Solas).
In 1999, Parsons took a bold step and returned to her roots with her first solo album, Blackbirds and Thrushes (Green Linnet) a collection of traditional Irish ballads gathered from over 15 years of Parsons's singing repertoire. In her words, "these songs are living in me." The album won instant acclaim as a welcome return to traditionalism. The Boston Globe declared that it "expressed the sorrow and longing of the Celtic soul more deeply than any within recent memory", and Irish Music Magazine called it "simply magnificent traditional singing."
At this stage, Parsons found her self alone, without a band, and called on the talents of her friend Graham Dunne. They formed a strong bond from the outset, and without doubt, he was the perfect foil for her voice.
Keeping in form, Parsons's next CD In My Prime (Green Linnet 2000) was another collection of mostly traditional material, and again received widespread praise. Folk Roots named it one of the top albums of the year and The Irish Voice called the album "a must-have disc for lovers of Irish song." The album was nominated for Album of the Year by BBC Radio 2 (UK) and the Association for Independent Music (US).
Over the next two years Parsons and Graham toured constantly, and Heart's Desire was released in 2002. This album furthers the tradition of Irish song with unadorned settings and heartfelt delivery. She gathered together a collection of songs drawn from both traditional sources and modern writers including Mark Knopfler and Andy Irvine. The talented musicians who play on the album include in addition to her main accompanist, guitarist Graham Dunne, accordionist Josephine Marsh and Dennis Cahill, who produced the CD, and calls it "her best work yet." Heart's Desire is dedicated to the memory of her father, Jack Parsons. "Daddy had a beautiful voice," says Parsons, "and a great ear for a good song."
In September 2005, Parsons and Dunne recorded a concert at the Fylde Folk Festival, in the UK, and released this as a live album Live at Fylde which features many favourite of Parsons's traditional songs, all on one album. The Old Simplicity is the latest CD to be released with Dunne. Produced by Dennis Cahill again this album contains songs of hunger, of danger, of death and defeat, and ultimately, of love.
This is a body of work that has proven Parsons one of the premier vocalists of her time and a keeper of the flame in Irish traditional song.
Website: www.niamhparsons.com
Rambling Irishman
Niamh Parsons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In Ulster I was born
And many happy hours I spent
On the banks of sweet Lough Erin
But to live poor I could not endure
As other of my station
To America I sailed away
And left this Irish nation
Ry tan tin-a-na, tan tin-a-na
Ry tan tin-a-noora nandy
Ry tan tin-a-na, tan tin-a-na
Ry tan tin-a-noora nandy
*all other verses same*
The night before I went away
I spent it with my darling
From 3 oclock in the afternoon
Till the break of day next morning
But when that we were going to part
we lay in each others arms
You maybe sure very sure
It wounded both our charms
*chorus*
The very first night I slept on board
I dreamt about my Nancy
I dreamt I held her in my arms
And she pleased well my fancy
But when I woke out of my dream
I found my bed was eimpty
You maybe sure, very sure
That I lay discontented
*chorus*
When we arrived on the other side
We were both stout and healthy
We dropped our anchor in the bay
Going down to Philadelphia
But to live poor I could not endure
As others of my station
To American I sailed away
And left this Irish nation
*chorus*
The Rambling Irishman by Niamh Parsons is a poignant tale of an Irishman born in Ulster who eventually sails away to America in search of a better life. The song employs the use of vivid imagery to paint the picture of the singer's struggles, joys and regrets as he leaves his homeland. The singer describes his fondness for his native land, reminiscing the happy moments he spent by the banks of sweet Lough Erin. The mention of happy hours spent by the lake symbolizes the tranquility that he once experienced, in a world that was yet to be plagued by the impact of economic hardships.
However, as much as he loves his homeland, the singer realizes that he can no longer endure living in poverty like others of his station. Inevitably, he decides to leave for America in search of a better life. The line, "And left the Irish nation" underscores the sense of longing that he felt to return but couldn't. Moreover, the use of the phrase "rambling Irishman" suggests that his journey has been a never-ending one. When he departs from his lover, he finds himself nursing deep wounds that came as a result of separation. As he tries to adjust to his new life in America, he often dreams of his sweetheart, losing sleep and being discontented with his new surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a rambling Irishman
I am an Irishman who travels frequently
In Ulster I was born
I was born in Ulster
And many happy hours I spent
I have spent many happy hours
On the banks of sweet Lough Erin
On the banks of the beautiful lake Lough Erin
But to live poor I could not endure
I cannot bear to live in poverty
As other of my station
Like others of my social class
To America I sailed away
I sailed to America
And left this Irish nation
And left my home country, Ireland
Ry tan tin-a-na, tan tin-a-na
Chorus
Ry tan tin-a-noora nandy
Chorus
The night before I went away
The night before I left
I spent it with my darling
I spent it with my beloved
From 3 oclock in the afternoon
From three o'clock in the afternoon
Till the break of day next morning
Until the morning light
But when that we were going to part
When we were about to part
we lay in each others arms
We held each other tightly
You maybe sure very sure
It is certain
It wounded both our charms
It hurt our feelings
The very first night I slept on board
The very first night I slept on the ship
I dreamt about my Nancy
I dreamt about my beloved, Nancy
I dreamt I held her in my arms
I dreamed I was holding her in my arms
And she pleased well my fancy
And it was a pleasant dream
But when I woke out of my dream
But when I woke up from my dream
I found my bed was empty
I realized she wasn't with me
You maybe sure, very sure
It is certain
That I lay discontented
That I was unhappy
When we arrived on the other side
When we arrived in America
We were both stout and healthy
We were both strong and healthy
We dropped our anchor in the bay
We anchored in the bay
Going down to Philadelphia
Heading towards Philadelphia
But to live poor I could not endure
I cannot bear to live in poverty
As others of my station
Like others of my social class
To American I sailed away
I sailed to America
And left this Irish nation
And left my home country, Ireland
Ry tan tin-a-na, tan tin-a-na
Chorus
Ry tan tin-a-noora nandy
Chorus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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