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.
The Lowlands of Holland
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And upon my marriage bed
There all came a bold sea captain
And he stood at my bed-head
Sayin', ?Arise, arise, young wedded man
And come along with me
To the lowlands of Holland
Now then Holland is a lovely land
And upon it grows fine grain
Sure it is a place of residence
For a soldier to remain
Where the sugarcane is plentiful
And the tea grows on each tree
Well, I never had but the one sweetheart
And now he's gone far away from me
I will wear no stays around my waist
Nor combs all in my hair
I will wear no scarf around my neck
For to save my beauty there
And never will I marry
Not until the day I die
Since these four winds and these stormy seas
Came between my love and I
The Chieftains’ song “The Lowlands of Holland” tells the story of a newly-wed man who is visited on his wedding night by a sea captain who invites him to join the navy and fight for his country. The song captures the sadness and loss experienced by the man’s wife as he leaves her behind to go to war in a foreign land. The lyrics mention Holland as a beautiful place, where sugarcane grows plentifully and tea is found in every tree. However, for the soldier’s wife, it is a desolate place without her husband. She is determined to wait for his return and not to marry anyone else, even if it takes his whole life.
The song portrays the life of seafarers and their partners and the challenges they faced in the course of their service. It highlights the sacrifices they had to make and the sense of duty and patriotism they displayed. The imagery in the song is vivid and powerful, showing the sea as a separator of lovers, and the longing and pain of those left behind. The mood of the song is somber yet beautiful, and the music lends itself to the sorrowful tones of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
On the night that I was married
The story starts with the singer's wedding day.
And upon my marriage bed
The captain arrived when the singer and their spouse were in bed.
There all came a bold sea captain
A brave captain visited them in their bedchamber.
And he stood at my bed-head
The captain positioned himself at the head of the artist's bed.
Sayin', ?Arise, arise, young wedded man
The captain identified the artist as a young and newly-wed man, then urged them to get up.
And come along with me
The captain invited and encouraged the singer to join him.
To the lowlands of Holland
The captain mentioned they would go to Holland, a place with low altitude.
To fight the enemy?
The main purpose of the captain's invitation was to fight the enemy.
Now then Holland is a lovely land
The artist describes Holland as a beautiful and fascinating country.
And upon it grows fine grain
Holland has fertile soil that grows high-quality crops.
Sure it is a place of residence
Holland is a suitable home for someone who is a soldier.
For a soldier to remain
Soldiers can easily stay in Holland due to its favorable weather and conditions.
Where the sugarcane is plentiful
Holland has abundant growing sugarcane.
And the tea grows on each tree
The environment in Holland allows tea to grow on every tree.
Well, I never had but the one sweetheart
The singer had one beloved spouse and nobody else.
And now he's gone far away from me
The artist's love is away in a distant place.
I will wear no stays around my waist
The artist decides not to wear waist stays, garment that constrains the waist with stiff material.
Nor combs all in my hair
The singer rejects wearing hair combs.
I will wear no scarf around my neck
The singer opposes wearing neck scarfs.
For to save my beauty there
These decisions were made to preserve the artist's beauty.
And never will I marry
The hardships that the artist went through made them decide that they won't marry again.
Not until the day I die
The artist plans not to marry ever again, not even for the rest of their life.
Since these four winds and these stormy seas
The strong winds and the rough sea waves caused the separation between the singer and their loved one.
Came between my love and I
The sea ride between Holland and the home of the artist and their love, caused the distance and separation between them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tom canterbury
on North Amerikay
the great accapella version by kevin on tribute to their harpist