Banks Of The Roses
The Dubliners with Luke Kelly Lyrics
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On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
When I was a young one I heard me father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
"The Banks of the Roses" is a traditional Irish folk song that tells a story of a young couple in love, as they sit by the banks of the river. They are enjoying each other's company while he plays his fiddle and she listens with a smile. However, her father is not supportive of their relationship and would rather see her buried in the ground than married to a runaway. The young man argues that he is not a runaway and promises to make it known that he is responsible enough to take care of her. He declares that he can take or leave alcohol and if her father does not approve, he'll find someone else to love. He tells her that they will marry in May among the green leaves and gay meadows, where they can sit and play on the banks of the roses.
This song is a classic example of Irish folk music with its upbeat rhythm, and an emotional theme. The Banks of the Roses touches on the idea of forbidden love, and the struggle to be with someone you love against all odds. The lyrics convey an understanding of the complexities of love and relationships, as well as the societal expectations that can impede on them. The song has been covered by various artists throughout the years, including The Dubliners and Liam Clancy.
Line by Line Meaning
On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
My lover and I sat down on the banks of the Roses
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
I took out my fiddle to play a tune for my lover
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
As I played the tune, my lover smiled and said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
Johnny, my love, please don't leave me
When I was a young one I heard me father say
When I was young, I heard my father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
He'd rather see me dead and buried than married to a runaway
Sooner than be married to any runaway
He'd rather die than see me marry a runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
Near the beautiful, sweet banks of the roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
But I am not a runaway, and I will soon prove it
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
I can handle drinking and won't get carried away
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
If her father disapproves, he can prevent her from leaving home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
If my lover's father doesn't approve of me, I'll find another companion
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When I eventually get married, it will be in May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
When the leaves are green and the fields are lively
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
My true love and I will sit and enjoy the surroundings
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
Near the beautiful, sweet banks of the roses
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARNEY MCKENNA, CIARAN PADRAIG MAIRE BOURKE, LUKE KELLY, RONALD JOSEPH DREW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JB-cq8is
#On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me #
When I was a young one I heard me father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
Sooner than be married to any runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
##
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
##
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
##
@eoinbarrett3579
Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
When I was a young one I heard me father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
Sooner than be married to any runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks
@traviswilliams9204
On the Banks of the Roses me love and I sat down
And I took out me fiddle for to play me love a tune
And in the middle of the tune-o she smiled and she said
Ere Johnny, lovely Johnny won't ya leave me
When I was a young one I heard me father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
Sooner than be married to any runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
And then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
That I can take a bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn't like it he can keep his daughter at home
And young Johnny will go rovin' with some other
And when I get married t'will be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and me true love we'll sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
@georgiasmith9672
Love this by Luke he cannot make mistake every one of his songs are great that voice
@NiSiochainGanSaoirse
one of the finest songs ever written, along with a song for Ireland, whistling gypsy rover, aww sweet jaysus all Irish music is first on the Lord's own playlist, but luke Kelly is definitely the first volume.
@AB0VETHALAW
Its Jesus show respect
@BrianWallChess
My Dad raised me on Irish songs - Thanx for posting these
@opaldove
IMO We should respect the wonderful Luke Kelly's memory as the great singer he was...and respect Sean as the great singer he still is. Luke is my favourite singer of all time but I can still enjoy others too.
@opaldove
Lovely to see that picture of the Dubs when they were younger. Excellent singing there by Luke as usual :o))
@daisypeters3216
Oh, Luke I miss you very much. Your voice and you singing. You are allways insuperable and unforgetttable singer and person.😍😗😚💖🇮🇪
@MrBillgreaves
Ilive in DONEGAL but I well remember Sean as a non drinking folk singer from my younger days in Manchester ,where he was a great crowd puller on the folk circuit -and what a nice unassuming guy he was ! Cheers !
@mariafarrugia-harrison4491
the very best. LUKE KELLY the irish minstrel. r.i.p. legend
@cheerydavie
I had the original album now worn but its still one of my favourites