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.
In a Suzhow Garden
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where me and my true love did meet
It was there we were courtin'
My love fell off to sleep
I laid a bottle of burgundy wine
My true love she did not know
It was there I murdered that dear little girl
I drew my saber through her
It was a bloody knife
I threw her into the river
It was an awful sight
My father often told me
That money would set me free
If I would murder that poor little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly
Now he stands at his cabin door
Wiping his tears from his eyes
Gazing on his own dear son
Upon the scaffold high
My race is run beneath the sun
The devil is waiting for me
For I did murder that dear little girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly
The lyrics to "Down In The Willow Garden" tell a dark and tragic tale of murder and its consequences. The song is performed by The Chieftains and Bon Iver, and it draws from the traditional Appalachian murder ballad "Rose Connelly," which has been recorded by numerous artists over the years.
The song begins with the singer reminiscing about a meeting with his true love in the willow garden. However, the atmosphere quickly turns sinister as he reveals that he laid a bottle of burgundy wine, hinting at his premeditated plan to murder her. His true love is unaware of his intentions and falls asleep, creating an opportunity for the singer to carry out his dark deed.
The lyrics then take a grisly turn as the singer describes drawing his saber and using it as a bloody knife to kill the girl. He then throws her body into the river, leaving a chilling and gruesome scene. The motive behind the murder becomes apparent as the singer confesses that his father had told him that money would set him free if he were to murder the innocent girl named Rose Connelly.
In the final verse, the consequences of the singer's actions come to light. His father, now filled with tears and grief, watches his own son on the scaffold awaiting his execution. The singer reflects on the fact that his time under the sun is over, and he is now destined to face the devil for his heinous crime.
Overall, the lyrics of "Down In The Willow Garden" depict a tragic tale of murder, deceit, and the haunting consequences that follow.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the willow garden
In a secluded place with trees and flowers
Where me and my true love did meet
Where we had a romantic rendezvous
It was there we were courtin'
We were engaged in a loving relationship
My love fell off to sleep
My beloved fell into a deep slumber
I laid a bottle of burgundy wine
I placed a bottle of red wine nearby
My true love she did not know
She was unaware of my intentions
It was there I murdered that dear little girl
It was at that moment I took the life of a young girl
Down on the banks below
Near the river's edge
I drew my saber through her
I ruthlessly slashed her with my sword
It was a bloody knife
The weapon was soaked in blood
I threw her into the river
I disposed of her lifeless body in the water
It was an awful sight
The scene was gruesome and horrifying
My father often told me
My father frequently advised me
That money would set me free
Acquiring wealth could provide me with freedom
If I would murder that poor little girl
If I were to kill that innocent girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly
The girl whose identity was Rose Connelly
Now he stands at his cabin door
At present, he is standing by his cabin entrance
Wiping his tears from his eyes
Removing tears from his sorrowful eyes
Gazing on his own dear son
Observing his beloved child
Upon the scaffold high
On the tall structure used for execution
My race is run beneath the sun
My journey in life has come to its end
The devil is waiting for me
The evil entity is anticipating my arrival
For I did murder that dear little girl
Because I committed the heinous act of killing that innocent girl
Whose name was Rose Connelly
The girl whose identity was Rose Connelly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charlie Monroe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist