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.
Nobody's Darlin' but Mine
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come lay your cool hand on my brow
And promise me that you will
Never be nobody's darlin' but mine
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
Love be honest be faithful be kind
And promise me that you will
You're as sweet as the flowers of springtime
You're as pure as the dew from the rose
I had rather be somebody's darlin'
Than a poor boy that nobody knows
Be nobody's darlin' but mine love
In The Chieftains' song "Nobody's Darlin' but Mine," the singer is pleading with his love to promise him that she will never be anyone's darling but his. He asks her to sit by his side and lay her hand on his brow as a sign of her devotion. The singer understands the pressures of society and how people can be easily swayed to become someone else's darling, but he fervently believes that his love will be honest, faithful, and kind. He then tells her how sweet and pure she is and admits that he would rather have her as his darling than be a poor boy that nobody knows.
The song's message is straightforward: love should be treasured, and one should never settle for being only someone's second choice. The plea for exclusivity and commitment is timeless, and the song's melody and lyrics work together to create a pensive and wistful mood. The Chieftains' instrumentation, specifically the gentle plucking of the strings and the soft melody of the flute, adds to the song's pastoral themes and creates an atmosphere that is both nostalgic and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Come sit by my side little darlin'
Come sit beside me, my love
Come lay your cool hand on my brow
Place your hand on my forehead
And promise me that you will
Make a vow that you
Never be nobody's darlin' but mine
Will always be my darling
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
Don't belong to anyone else
Love be honest be faithful be kind
Love me truthfully, loyally, and kindly
And promise me that you will
Make a pledge that you
Never be nobody's darlin' but mine
Will always be my darling
You're as sweet as the flowers of springtime
You're as delightful as the blossoms of spring
You're as pure as the dew from the rose
You're as innocent as the dew resting on a rose
I had rather be somebody's darlin'
I would prefer to be loved by someone
Than a poor boy that nobody knows
Than to be an unknown, poverty-stricken boy
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist