My Lagan Love
Steve Baughman Lyrics
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There blows a lily fair
The twilight gleam is in her eye
The night is on her hair
And like a love-sick lennan-shee
She has my heart in thrall
Nor life I owe nor liberty
For love is lord of all.
And often when the beetle's horn
Hath lulled the eve to sleep
I steal unto her shieling lorn
And thru the dooring peep.
There on the cricket's singing stone,
She spares the bogwood fire,
And hums in sad sweet undertone
The songs of heart's desire
Nor life I owe nor liberty
For love is lord of all.
For love is lord of all.
"My Lagan Love" is a traditional Irish ballad that tells the story of a man's love for a woman who lives along the Lagan River. The song paints a vivid picture of the natural beauty of the surroundings and the deep, consuming passion that the woman has evoked in the man.
The opening lyrics describe the woman's beauty and the peacefulness of the river. The reference to the "twilight gleam" in her eye and the "night" in her hair creates a mystical image that suggests both the woman's allure and the transformative power of love. The reference to the "lenan-shee," which is a type of Gaelic fairy, adds to the magical quality of the song and reinforces the idea that the woman has completely enchanted the man.
In the second verse, the man describes how he sneaks up to the woman's cabin to get a glimpse of her. He watches her humming and tending to the fire, and imagines that she is singing songs about her longing for love. The final lines of the song repeat the idea that the man is willing to give up everything for love, emphasizing the depth of his commitment and the all-consuming nature of his infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
Where Lagan stream sings lullaby
In the place where the Lagan River sings a gentle song, creating a soothing atmosphere.
There blows a lily fair
A beautiful lily flower blooms in that location.
The twilight gleam is in her eye
The woman's eye glimmers with a soft light as the sun sets in the sky.
The night is on her hair
Her dark hair blends in with the night around her creating a beautiful contrast.
And like a love-sick lennan-shee
The woman, in the way a lennan-shee (Irish fairy) would, seems deeply in love and infatuated with someone or something.
She has my heart in thrall
The woman has captivated and ensnared the singer's heart through her beauty and allure.
Nor life I owe nor liberty
The singer feels as though he no longer possesses control over his own life or free will due to his obsession with the woman.
For love is lord of all.
The singer recognizes that love has the power to take over and rule a person's life and actions more strongly than any other force.
And often when the beetle's horn
At times when the sound of beetles can be heard during the evening hours,
Hath lulled the eve to sleep
When darkness has descended upon the land and many are asleep,
I steal unto her shieling lorn
The singer sneaks over to the woman's secluded dwelling place.
And thru the dooring peep.
He looks inside through a small crack in the door to see what she's doing.
There on the cricket's singing stone,
Within the house, on a rock where crickets chirp,
She spares the bogwood fire,
The woman keeps the fire burning using bogwood and tends to it with care.
And hums in sad sweet undertone
She sings melancholic and sweet songs in a low voice that the singer finds captivating.
The songs of heart's desire
Her songs are about deep yearnings and desires of the heart.
Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.