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.
I'll Tell Me Ma
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boys won't leave the girls alone.
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
Well that's alright till I go home.
She is handsome. She is pretty.
She is the bell of Belfast City.
She is courtin' one, two, three.
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
Albert Mooney say's he loves her.
All the boy's are fighting for her.
They knock at the door and ring at the bell
Sayin' "Oh my true love, are you well"?
Out she comes as white as snow,
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes.
Ole Jenny Murray says she'll die
If you don't get the fella
With the roving eye.
Let the wind and the rain and hail blow high
And the snow come tumbling from the sky,
She's as nice as apple pie.
She'll get her own lad by and by.
When she gets a lad of her own,
She won't tell her Ma when she gets home.
Let them all come as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still.
I'll tell me Ma when I go home,
The boys won't leave the girls alone.
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
Well that's alright till I go home.
She is handsome. She is pretty.
She is the bell of Belfast City.
She is courtin' one, two, three.
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
The Chieftains's song "I'll Tell Me Ma" is a traditional Irish folk song that tells the story of a young woman from Belfast who is being courted by multiple suitors. The opening lines indicate that when the singer goes home, she will tell her mother about the boys who won't leave the girls alone. She laments that the boys pull her hair and stole her comb, but she seems to take it all in stride.
The chorus is a series of praises for the young woman in question. She is described as "handsome" and "pretty" and referred to as "the bell of Belfast City." It's clear that many young men are drawn to her, as the lyrics suggest that she is "courtin' one, two, three" suitors at the same time. One of these suitors is named Albert Mooney, who claims to love her. The other boys are fighting for her attention and constantly knocking on her door and ringing her bell to see if she's well. Ole Jenny Murray is concerned that she will die if the young woman doesn't choose the right suitor, warning her to avoid the one with the roving eye.
The song ends with a hopeful note, as the singer declares that she will eventually find her own lad. When this happens, she "won't tell her Ma when she gets home" - implying that she's found someone who is worth keeping away from her overprotective mother. The song emphasizes the beauty and desirability of the young woman in question and the chaotic, competitive nature of courtship in a small community.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell me Ma when I go home,
I'll let my mother know when I return home that the boys won't leave the girls alone and they have been teasing me.
The boys won't leave the girls alone.
The boys are aggressively pursuing the girls and are not letting them be.
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
The boys are mischievous and are doing things like pulling girls' hair and stealing their combs during their pursuit.
Well that's alright till I go home.
The girl is not bothered by the mischievous acts because she knows that they will stop once she reaches home.
She is handsome. She is pretty.
The girl being pursued is very good-looking and beautiful.
She is the bell of Belfast City.
The girl is very popular and well-known in Belfast City.
She is courtin' one, two, three.
The girl has multiple suitors and is engaged in courtship with three of them.
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
The singer is asking for the identity of the girl being talked about.
Albert Mooney say's he loves her.
One of the suitors, Albert Mooney, claims to be in love with the girl.
All the boy's are fighting for her.
All the boys are trying to win the affection of the girl.
They knock at the door and ring at the bell
The boys are constantly trying to meet the girl and establish contact with her.
Sayin' "Oh my true love, are you well"?
The boys are concerned for her well-being and ask if she is okay.
Out she comes as white as snow,
When the girl comes out, she is very pale and white due to her nervousness and confusion about handling all the suitors.
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes.
The girl is wearing rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, which is a symbolic representation of her being courted by many suitors.
Ole Jenny Murray says she'll die
An old lady named Jenny Murray claims that she will die if the girl does not choose the right suitor.
If you don't get the fella, With the roving eye.
Jenny Murray believes that the girl should not choose a suitor who is not committed to her and is still looking for other options.
Let the wind and the rain and hail blow high
The girl is not affected by external disturbances such as bad weather or stormy conditions.
And the snow come tumbling from the sky,
The girl remains unbothered even if it is snowing heavily.
She's as nice as apple pie.
The girl is very sweet and kind-hearted like an apple pie.
She'll get her own lad by and by.
The girl believes that she will eventually find the right suitor for herself and eventually settle down with him.
When she gets a lad of her own,
Once the girl finds her own partner, she will not bother to inform her mother about it.
She won't tell her Ma when she gets home.
The girl will not share any details about her love life with her mother once she finds someone.
Let them all come as they will, For it's Albert Mooney she loves still.
Despite all the suitors, the girl still loves Albert Mooney the most and is committed to him.
Lyrics © Edition JA, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: . DP, . TRADITIONAL, ALAN E BRANCH, DONAL LUNNY, KIERAN KIELY, SINEAD O'CONNOR, STEPHEN PATRICK WICKHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yasminhelenendangeredspecies
Happy St. Patrick's Day 🍀
~ in the later years
sometimes all the comfort of the soul can be found in the music from younger
happier days
far more hope filled days
days that held beginnings and
allowed for accomplishments
days that held no fear
& how the Irish drumbeat the Irish spoons played on the knee are like a whirlwind like a gale of ocean green fields cold sea air
and her heart as if recognizing the lost ones of her ancestry rises so to beat anew
and the dreamscape can arrive
the dreamscape can stampede its way thru the darkness
wild horses running thru the wet dark rainy streets of her mind
the despair the hopelessness of her
situation
the questions posed to God
what shall i do with these impossible
chances that lead me down and down and down
no answer
the only solace
he gives to her
the comfort of the dream
the little yellow dog is older now
so old
walking beside you and the light in your eyes still there so light & blue
we walk thru fields as you tell me your stories you tell me you understand my pain
we both know we are together and not alone in finding no solutions to the outrageous monster of racism that rages through this world wreaking still more and more havoc
Oh God how i Loved You!
how i was so certain i recognized that true person on the inside and that you saw me too!
my compass it must be broken because it just kep on pointin towards you
i tried to turn it away towards someone else anyone and it just kept on swingin back to you and you and you
now i dream of you like a spirit who walks me past the nightmares saying
there, there
you take on the spirit of my dog sending me large doses of love
tonight your little yellow dog is licking chicken flavored frosting from the container as we laugh and you saying
if an old dog can't have some Chicken then it's a terrible thing
there is so much comfort in your voice you tell me to walk away from the people who are treating me bad
just walk away
you were my regal Lion
you were my Irish King
i loved you like no other
and then the cold hard fact
that my dream was in reality
not your dream.
still the trees sing back to me their fables and hymns in the cool darkness they reach out their leaves and i go to them
i still see you with an old yellow dog on the cabin porch in the sunlight in the middle of a green forest
no matter where you are
my heart longs to be with you ~
@nisiafarronato551
I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb
Well, that's alright till I go home
She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast City
She is courtin' one, two, three
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
Albert Mooney say's he loves her
All the boy's are fighting for her
They knock at the door and ring at the bell
Oh my true love, are you well?
Out she comes as white as snow
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Ole Jenny Murray says she'll die
If you don't get the fella with the roving eye
Let the wind and the rain and hail blow high
And the snow come tumbling from the sky
She's as nice as apple pie
She'll get her own lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own
She won't tell her ma when she comes home
Let them all come as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still
I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb
Well, that's alright till I go home
She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the bell of Belfast City
She is courtin' one, two, three
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb
Well, that's alright till I go home
She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the bell of Belfast City
She is courtin' one, two, three
Please won't you tell me, who is she?
@sohosean
+Marlene Leighton What's your problem
Someone so ignorant that she doesn't know what a question mark is used for.
Try using "?" when you are writing a question.
? is your friend.
? will help you when you communicate with others who have no way of otherwise knowing what you are blethering about.
@forrestcrummey709
It is old, but it is beautiful... 🎶 😏
@amcmenemy5647
@@badgerbojangles3015 it was worn at Derry, Aughrim, Enniskillen and the Boyne.
@TSPH1992
Brings back great memories from me childhood.
My dad played this CD when we were travelling through Spain in 2001.
@sheamuswalsh2972
TheSporehacker same with me my dad used to play this cd when i was growing up in Jacksonville Florida i was born in Ireland and so was my dax
@stnz908
I was 25 when I first heard this album. It had just came out. I was drunk as fuck.
@holly9474
My Dad played this album when we were travelling in Ireland appropriately lol. Lovely memories of him and holidays.
@thomashull7669
this album and song are legendary
@lyonslaforet
Irish Heartbeat = Van Morrison's finest album of the eighties!
@johncook7281
@lyonslaforet, Or a chieftain album with more singing than usual. Otherwise your point is well taken. Maybe Paddy Maloney and company kept him in a good mood.
@TheComptonassmike
@@johncook7281 but he never once smiled lol