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 May Morning Dew
The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To sit by the hob
Just listening to the barks
And the howls of the dog
Or to walk through the green fields
Where wild daisies grew
To pluck the wild flowers
In the may morning dew
When summer is coming
When summer is near
With the trees oh so green
And the sky bright and clear
And the wee birds all singing
Their loved ones to woo
And young flowers all springing
In the may morning dew
I remember the old folk
All now dead and gone
And likewise my two brothers
Young Dennis and John
How we ran o'er the heather
The wild hare to pursue
And the proud deer we hunted
In the may morning dew
Of the house I was born in
There's but a stone on the stone
And now all 'round the garden
Wild thistles have grown
And gone are the neighbours
That I once knew
No more will we wander
Through the may morning dew
The Chieftains' song "The May Morning Dew" is a beautiful and nostalgic tribute to the joys of the countryside, particularly during the spring and summer months. The lyrics convey a sense of peaceful contemplation as the singer reflects on the beauty of the natural world and memories of days gone by. The opening verses describe the simple pleasures of sitting by the fire on a winter's night, listening to the sounds of dogs barking outside, and of walking through fields in the springtime, picking wild flowers in the morning dew.
As the song progresses, the singer's thoughts turn to summer and the fresh new growth that comes with it. The birds are singing, the flowers are blossoming, and the greenery is vibrant and lush. The joyful mood is tempered somewhat by memories of loved ones who have passed away, particularly the singer's two brothers. Nonetheless, the sense of appreciation for the countryside's beauty remains undimmed, as the singer recalls long days spent running across the heather and hunting deer in the fields.
Overall, "The May Morning Dew" is a wistful and evocative song that celebrates the pleasures of the natural world and the memories that it evokes. The lyrics are simple yet profound, conveying a sense of deep-seated appreciation for the beauty of the world around us, and a sense of nostalgia for times gone by.
Line by Line Meaning
How pleasant in winter
It is delightful in winter
To sit by the hob
To relax by the fireplace
Just listening to the barks
Merely enjoying the sound of dogs barking
And the howls of the dog
As well as the noise of them howling
Or to walk through the green fields
Alternatively, wandering through lush fields of green
Where wild daisies grew
Where there were native daisies in abundance
To pluck the wild flowers
One could pick other native flowers
In the may morning dew
During the dewy mornings in May
When summer is coming
During the approach of summer
When summer is near
When summer is indeed in the offing
With the trees oh so green
Making observations about the very green trees
And the sky bright and clear
Also noting the brightness and clarity of the sky
And the wee birds all singing
The small, feathered creatures are singing together in perfect harmony
Their loved ones to woo
Their aim could be to attract mates
And young flowers all springing
New flowers are all pushing their way out
In the may morning dew
In dewy mornings during May
I remember the old folk
I can recall our senior citizens
All now dead and gone
Who have all passed away
And likewise my two brothers
As well as my siblings, Dennis and John
Young Dennis and John
My brothers, who were in their youth
How we ran o'er the heather
How we used to sprint across the moors
The wild hare to pursue
Hunting the wild, skittish hare
And the proud deer we hunted
We hunted for the majestic deer
In the may morning dew
During the dewy mornings in May
Of the house I was born in
Speaking about the home I was delivered to
There's but a stone on the stone
All that remains is a single, solitary rock
And now all 'round the garden
Around the garden, it's all different now
Wild thistles have grown
It's overgrown with unwelcome thistles
And gone are the neighbours
There are no more neighbors
That I once knew
Whom I used to know
No more will we wander
We will no longer roam
Through the may morning dew
During the dewy mornings in May
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Quinta Esencia
How pleasant in winter
To sit by the hob
Just listening to the barks
And the howls of the dog
Or to walk through the green fields
Where wild daisies grew
To pluck the wild flowers
In the may morning dew
When summer is coming
When summer is near
With the trees oh so green
And the sky bright and clear
And the wee birds all singing
Their loved ones to woo
And young flowers all springing
In the may morning dew
I remember the old folk
All now dead and gone
And likewise my two brothers
Young Dennis and John
How we ran o'er the heather
The wild hare to pursue
And the proud deer we hunted
In the may morning dew
Of the house I was born in
There's but a stone on the stone
And now all 'round the garden
Wild thistles have grown
And gone are the neighbours
That I once knew
No more will we wander
Through the may morning dew
Quinta Esencia
How pleasant in winter
To sit by the hob
Just listening to the barks
And the howls of the dog
Or to walk through the green fields
Where wild daisies grew
To pluck the wild flowers
In the may morning dew
When summer is coming
When summer is near
With the trees oh so green
And the sky bright and clear
And the wee birds all singing
Their loved ones to woo
And young flowers all springing
In the may morning dew
I remember the old folk
All now dead and gone
And likewise my two brothers
Young Dennis and John
How we ran o'er the heather
The wild hare to pursue
And the proud deer we hunted
In the may morning dew
Of the house I was born in
There's but a stone on the stone
And now all 'round the garden
Wild thistles have grown
And gone are the neighbours
That I once knew
No more will we wander
Through the may morning dew
Meghann Gervais-Lynch
Just beautiful. I have their Celtic Wedding CD, looks like I should get this one too :)
Greg Johnson
RIP Paddy Moloney (1 August 1938 – 12 October 2021) This song chokes me up every time I hear it.
chispita 72
this song reminds me of Neil Young's repertoire. Beautiful music.
Joe Power
Wow, goosebumps!
Levis the 67
A classic.
Elizabeth Flynn
Beautiful.
Drag0nW0lf10
i love this song
psyne000
I don't underestimate this music. It is centuries and centuries old. I recently put on an event for a friend for St. Patricks day. Sourcing the music became a revelation for me. I discovered what it meant to truly be an Irishman. We have travelled all over the world, some of us first generation, some second generation considered 'Plastic Paddy's' affectionately by our stateful displacement. When I heard some of the Chieftans work, I became full of love and pride for my home. We are lost in a world full of ambitious corporate animals to where we flock, bearing our talents, to make money and evolve. I can assure you this is an echo of our beloved past that calls us to mind, to bear arms, to defend our Culture and our badge of national pride. Many of our countrymen fell, lovers fathers, sons now just memories in a cool breeze, but our blood and our hearts are heavy when we hear these stories, we know what it is to lament, for we have felt the bitter the shade of man cast upon us. An Irishman will be the first to admit he has a foolish pride, but we bear much as do our Women. We are the finest of men, great lovers of art, farming, Drink, music and Women. We have built cities, been slaves and slaved, but we endure still and are grieved to hear songs such as this. So listen, its not just beauty, its cold, tough hard pure and universal.
Dan Leece
beautiful....