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.
Lily Love
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies
High, high on a hill, my little lily love
West wind in your hair, tied up in golden daisies
She's chasing you down, my little lily love
You hide and seek high and low
In every corner of my soul
I almost hear the sound of your heart beating
Oh, like it's my own, my little lily love
You hide and seek every day
You just get farther away
What, what kind of world
Would take a sweet wild flower
And pull it up from the ground
My little lily love
Oh, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies
I'll never forget my little lily love
The Chieftains' song "Lily Love," featuring Civil Wars, is a melancholic piece that speaks of a lost love. The lyrics paint a picture of a blooming love between two people, represented by the flower of a lily. The first two lines describe the location of their meeting, with the sea and the hills as the backdrop. They also establish the image of a crown of daisies, perhaps symbolizing the flourishing relationship.
As the song progresses, the singer reminisces about the moments they've shared, from the playful game of hide and seek to the familiarity of each other's hearts. He compares the sound of her heart beating to his own, emphasizing their closeness. However, the tone then shifts as the lyrics question what kind of world would take a sweet wild flower, representing his love, and pull it from the ground. The ending repeats the image of the crown of daisies by the sea, but with a sense of loss and remembrance for his little lily love.
Overall, "Lily Love" is a touching ode to a past love that's now gone. The contrast between the joyful memories and the melancholic present emphasizes the depth of the singer's feelings. The lyrics also use nature as a reflection of their love, which gives the song a poetic touch.
Line by Line Meaning
Down, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies
The location down by the sea is adorned with daisies in a circular shape.
High, high on a hill, my little lily love
My precious lily love is situated on a hill, elevated above everything else.
West wind in your hair, tied up in golden daisies
The wind from the west has intertwined itself with lily love's hair, wrapped around her golden daisies.
She's chasing you down, my little lily love
Someone or something is in pursuit of lily love, who is considered small and dear.
You hide and seek high and low
Lily love conceals herself in various locations, including elevated spots.
In every corner of my soul
Lily love has infiltrated the depths of the singer's being, filling them entirely.
I almost hear the sound of your heart beating
The singer senses the rhythmic pulsating of lily love's heart within their own being.
Oh, like it's my own, my little lily love
It's as though the pulsations of lily love's heart are the artist's own, and they cherish her dearly.
You hide and seek every day
Lily love continues to conceal herself on a daily basis, playing a game of hide-and-seek with the artist.
You just get farther away
Over time, lily love moves farther from the artist's reach, becoming increasingly challenging to find.
What, what kind of world
The singer expresses confusion and disbelief towards the world's nature.
Would take a sweet wild flower
The world has the capability of taking possession of a pure and untamed blossom.
And pull it up from the ground
The world could uproot the flowers without a second thought, eradicating its natural beauty.
My little lily love
The singer is fixated on their love, expressing endearment towards them.
Oh, down by the sea, there is a crown of daisies
The later line repeats the earlier statement, bringing the lyrics full circle and emphasizing the beauty of the daisy crown by the seashore.
I'll never forget my little lily love
The artist vows to never forget their love, remaining devoted to their memory.
Writer(s): WHITE JOHN PAUL, WILLIAMS JOY ELIZABETH
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist