The band has recorded many albums of instrumental Irish folk music, as well as multiple collaborations with popular musicians of many genres, including Country music, Galician traditional music, Cape Breton and Newfoundland music, and rock and roll. They have performed with Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Roger Daltrey, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones, Sinéad O'Connor, James Galway, Jackson Browne, Nancy Griffith and numerous Country-western artists. In 1975, the group won praise for their playing of "Women of Ireland" for Stanley Kubrick's movie Barry Lyndon.
They have won six Grammy Awards and have been nominated eighteen times. In 2002 they were given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the UK's BBC Radio 2. The front covers of the first four albums were designed by Edward Delaney.
Paddy Moloney is the band's leader, and composes or arranges most of the band's music. While the band's members changed numerous times in the band's early history, the membership solidified in 1979 when Matt Molloy replaced Michael Tubridy.
From then until 2002, members included:
Paddy Moloney (uilleann pipes, tin whistle, button accordion, bodhrán)
Matt Molloy (flute, tin whistle)
Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals)
Seán Keane (fiddle, tin whistle)
Martin Fay (fiddle, bones) (born 1938; died 14 November 2012)
Derek Bell (Irish harp, keyboard instruments, oboe) (born 21 October 1935; died 17 October 2002)
In 2002, Fay retired from active membership. In the same year, Bell died due to complications following a minor operation. Fay died on 14 November 2012.
Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come all ye fair and tender ladies
Take warning how you court your men
They're like a star on a summer morning
They first appear and then they're gone
They'll tell to you some loving story
And away they'll go and court some other
And leave you there in grief to dwell
I wish I was on some tall mountain
Where the ivy rocks are black as ink
I'd write a letter to my false true lover
Whose cheeks are like the morning pink
Oh love is handsome, love is charming
Love is pretty while it's new
But love grows cold as love grows old
And fades away like morning dew
Come all ye fair and tender ladies
Take warning how you court your men
They're like a star on a summer morning
They first appear and then they're gone
They first appear and then they're gone
The Chieftains' song "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" is a cautionary tale for women about fickle men who will make false promises and break hearts. The song starts off by warning women to be careful in how they court their men as they are like stars that first appear in the morning and then disappear quickly. The men will tell stories that are meant to make you fall in love with them, but then they will move on to someone else, leaving the woman behind in despair.
The song then moves into a personal story of a woman who wishes she were on a tall mountain where she could write a letter to her false true lover. She describes her lover as someone with cheeks as pink as the morning sun, showing that even though she knows she's been deceived, she still holds out hope for their love. The song ends with the message that while love may seem perfect and beautiful when it's new, it can quickly fade away and leave one feeling empty.
Overall, "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" is a somber and melancholic song that resonates with many women who have experienced heartache at the hands of a fickle lover. It serves as a reminder to be cautious, but also to hold onto hope in the midst of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all ye fair and tender ladies
Attention, all you beautiful and gentle-hearted women
Take warning how you court your men
Be cautious when pursuing your male suitors
They're like a star on a summer morning
Men are like stars that are only visible briefly on a summer morning
They first appear and then they're gone
They catch your eye and disappear before you know it
They'll tell to you some loving story
Men will weave tales of love into your ears
They'll make you think they love you well
Men can make you believe they love you immensely
And away they'll go and court some other
Then they'll court someone else and leave your company behind
And leave you there in grief to dwell
Leaving you behind to suffer from the pain of heartbreak
I wish I was on some tall mountain
I desire to be on a high mountain
Where the ivy rocks are black as ink
Where the rocky surface is blackened by ivy leaves
I'd write a letter to my false true lover
I would write a letter to my lover who is unfaithful
Whose cheeks are like the morning pink
Whose blushing cheeks are reminiscent of the pinkish glow of the sunrise
Oh love is handsome, love is charming
Love can be attractive and enchanting
Love is pretty while it's new
Love appears delightful when it is fresh
But love grows cold as love grows old
However, love becomes chillier and distant as time passes on
And fades away like morning dew
Love disappears like morning dew evaporating in the sun
Come all ye fair and tender ladies
Attention, all you beautiful and gentle-hearted women
Take warning how you court your men
Be cautious when pursuing your male suitors
They're like a star on a summer morning
Men are like stars that are only visible briefly on a summer morning
They first appear and then they're gone
They catch your eye and disappear before you know it
They first appear and then they're gone
They catch your eye and disappear before you know it
Writer(s): Paddy Moloney
Contributed by Hunter Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist