The Chieftains are a Grammy winning Irish musical group founded in 1962 (Du… Read Full Bio ↴The Chieftains are a Grammy winning Irish musical group founded in 1962 (Dublin, Ireland), known for performing and popularizing Irish traditional music.

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.

Whole Heap of Little Horses
The Chieftains Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go to sleep, go to sleep
Go to sleep you little baby
When you wake, get some cake
Ride them pretty little horses

Black and bay, sorrel and gray
Whole heap of little horses
Black and bay, sorrel and gray

Whole heap of little horses

Little ole horse, little ole cow
Amblin' around the old hay mow
Little ole horse, he took a chew
Darned if I don't, said the ole cow too

Go to sleep, go to sleep
Go to sleep you little baby
Black and bay, sorrel and gray
Whole heap of little horses

Go to sleep, go to sleep
Go to sleep you little baby

Black and bay, sorrel and gray
Whole heap of little horses

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Chieftains' song, "Whole Heap of Little Horses," speak of a lullaby that a parent or caretaker is singing to a baby. The first few lines invite the baby to go to sleep with reassurance and comfort, promising that they will wake up to delicious cake and a ride on some pretty little horses. The song then goes on to describe the various horses that the baby can ride - black and bay, sorrel and gray. The repetition of "whole heap of little horses" emphasizes the abundance and variety of the options available to the baby.

The following lines introduce a little old horse and a little old cow who amble around the old hay mow. The horse takes a chew, and the cow comments that she will do the same. This banter between the two animals is a playful addition to the lullaby and adds a touch of humor to the song. The song ends with another repetition of the invitation to sleep and the description of the horses.

Overall, the lyrics of "Whole Heap of Little Horses" create a soothing atmosphere for a baby to fall asleep to, with the added touch of whimsy and playfulness in the descriptions of the horses and the interactions between the horse and cow.

Line by Line Meaning

Go to sleep, go to sleep
Close your eyes and drift off into slumber

Go to sleep you little baby
Relax and rest, oh little child

When you wake, get some cake
After resting well, indulge in some sweetness

Ride them pretty little horses
Take a ride on those beautiful tiny ponies

Black and bay, sorrel and gray
Horses of various colors, such as black, brown, and gray

Whole heap of little horses
An abundance of small horses

Little ole horse, little ole cow
A small horse and cow wandering around

Amblin' around the old hay mow
Moving gracefully around the dusty old barn

Little ole horse, he took a chew
The small horse begins to chew on something

Darned if I don't, said the ole cow too
The cow also decides to chew along with the horse

Black and bay, sorrel and gray
Horses of various colors, such as black, brown, and gray