In more recent times she has collaborated again with Davey (who is also her husband) and Co. Kerry based musicians (Seamus Begley, Éilís Ní Chinneide, Laurence Courtney, Daithí Ó Sé, Eoin Begley)to produce a unique body of work based on local poet Caoimhin O Cinneide's poetry which they converted into a group of songs and they now perform these as a band called Beal Tuinne. Rita has also been performing with other musicians such as Liam O'Flynn, Arty McGlynn, Neil Martin, Sean Keane, Noel Eccles and Shaun Davey in a new venture called The Funeral Band. She has also been performing in a quartet with her husband Shaun Davey and guitarist Gerry O'Beirne and concertina player Eoin Begley.
Rita has sung for and with many of the great names in Irish music including Shaun Davey, Bill Whelan, Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Christy Moore, Luka Bloom and Jimmy McCarthy. She has also sung songs for theatre, television and film including The Deer's Cry for 'Who Bombed Birmingham' and Todavia Cantamos for 'The Tailor of Panama'. She has sung in many great venues including the National Concert Hall, Dublin, The Albert Hall, London and Chicago Symphony Centre, Chicago.
Valparaiso
Rita Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singing as though in a dream
White sandy beaches
And warm gentle breeze
Palm trees that reach to
The blue southern seas
And he sang Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Softened the heart of a hard-hearted man
He was singing of days on the ocean
Of trade winds and rounding the Horn
Fair winds and foul winds
Of hard work and ease
Friends found and lost
On the great southern seas
And he sang Valparaiso, Valparaiso
When will the wind blow me down there again
Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Softened the heart of a hard-hearted man
We all sat in that hushed smokey tavern
As winter winds raged 'round the door
Ears keen and listening and eyes far away
Wishing that we could all go there someday
And we sang Valparaiso, Valparaiso
When will the wind blow me down there again
Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Softened the heart of a hard-hearted man
Rita Connolly's song 'Valparaiso' describes a man singing about the beauty and allure of the Chilean port city, Valparaiso. The lyrics allow listeners to imagine themselves in the city, feeling the soft breeze and admiring the palm trees that stretch to the blue southern seas. The singer mentions the trade winds and rounding the Horn, and the hard work and easy moments that come with life at sea. His voice is heard in a hushed, smokey tavern as winter winds rage outside, and his listeners dream of the day they too will experience the beauty of Valparaiso.
The song's lyrics are simple, yet they evoke a powerful sense of longing and nostalgia for a place that seems almost magical. The repetition of the refrain "Valparaiso, Valparaiso, when will the wind blow me down there again" reinforces this sense of longing, as the singer and his listeners yearn to be transported to the charming city. The song speaks to the universal human desire to escape the mundanity of everyday life and experience something new and exciting.
Line by Line Meaning
He was singing about Valparaiso
He sang about the city of Valparaiso.
Singing as though in a dream
He sang with a dreamy tone.
White sandy beaches
Describing the beaches with white sand.
And warm gentle breeze
Mentioning the presence of a soft warm wind.
Palm trees that reach to
Referring to the tall palm trees that extend to.
The blue southern seas
The blue ocean located in the south.
And he sang Valparaiso, Valparaiso
He repeated the name of the city in his song.
When will the wind blow me down there again
He expressed his desire to visit Valparaiso again.
Valparaiso, Valparaiso
Repeating the name of the city in his song.
Softened the heart of a hard-hearted man
The song affected a person who was previously unfeeling.
He was singing of days on the ocean
He sang of the time spent on the sea.
Of trade winds and rounding the Horn
He described the trade winds they encountered and the experience of navigating around the Horn of South America.
Fair winds and foul winds
He sang about both favorable and unfavorable winds they faced.
Of hard work and ease
He described the mix of labor and relaxation they experienced.
Friends found and lost
He talked about the companions that they gained and lost.
On the great southern seas
The experience he sang about occurred on the large bodies of water located in the south.
We all sat in that hushed smokey tavern
He described the setting where he sang his song.
As winter winds raged 'round the door
He talked about the blowing winter winds outside the tavern they were in.
Ears keen and listening and eyes far away
He expressed the way in which he was singing and performing.
Wishing that we could all go there someday
His song made listeners wish that they could also visit Valparaiso one day.
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.