In 1968, the predecessor of the Juno’s named The Irish Rovers Canada’s, “Folk Group of the Year”, and the following year, they received a Grammy nomination for “Folk Performance of the Year”.
As hosts of three national television series in Canada and Ireland, through the 1970's and 80s, The Irish Rovers increased the popularity of Irish music by way of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Canada's Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, personally asked the band if they could “please become Canadian” so that they could officially represent Canada throughout the world. Since then, they have represented Canada at no less than five world Expos, and in recognition for a quarter century of contributions to the International music world, The Irish Rovers won the Performing Rights Organization's (PROCAN) 'Harold Moon Award'.
Although all members of the band hail from Ireland, a number of their biggest hits were often "non-Irish". Their own rousing, traditional Irish compositions, however, do comprise the bulk of their music.
By the 90’s, their songwriting was even more prolific than their early years, and production of albums wasn’t about to slow down. Since they desired the freedom that as a younger band, they could not afford, in ’93 The Irish Rovers established their own record company, Rover Records. Their songs tell the story of the Irish, whether it’s a lost love, a sailor on leave, or the simple good taste of a Guinness. Rover Records has put out their last eleven albums, including Celtic Collection, Come Fill Up Your Glasses, Down by the Lagan Side, Another Round, Still Rovin', a Christmas album, and their greatest hits, 40 Years A-Rovin'.
Founding member George Millar is from Ballymena, original member Wilcil McDowell is from Larne, John Reynolds from Belfast, Sean O'Driscoll from Cork, Ian Millar from Ballymena, and percussionist Fred Graham is also from Belfast.
Former members include founding member Jimmy Ferguson who passed away in 1997 and Joe Millar.
And the Sun It Still Rises
The Irish Rovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a pain worse than I've ever known.
And I can't bear to think of bein' without her,
as in days when I wandered alone.
She was my inspiration and lover.
We shared all the laughter and tears.
And I never again will find true love,
should I live for a hundred more years.
and her skin was as white as the snow.
Her eyes were as green as the shamrock,
that around Erin's Island those grow.
Her nature was gentle and charmin',
and her smile was beguilin' and shy.
All others did heil at her beauty,
whenever she passed them by.
From the first time I spied this there lassie,
I knew she was meant to be mine.
One look in her eyes and I'd fallen.
She had stolen my heart for all time.
Our love, it was sweeter than honey,
and warm as some tropical breeze.
As soft as the due in the mornin',
and as wild as the waves of the sea.
I thought we had more years together,
but yet, it was not meant to be.
And I can't understand, and I wonder,
had the wisdom then took her from me?
And now I will go on some journey,
but no matter where I chance to roam,
I will never forget that cold mornin',
when the Gods called my sweet angel home.
And the sun it still rises each mornin',
and the nightingale sweetly still sings,
and the flowers still bloom in the meadow,
but no joy to me do they bring.
The Irish Rovers' song "And the Sun It Still Rises" is a poignant ballad about lost love and heartbreak. The lyrics speak of a man who is heartbroken and lonely after losing the woman he loved, who was his inspiration, lover, and soulmate. He reminisces about her beauty, describing her red hair, white skin, and green eyes. He recalls how gentle and charming her nature was and how he fell in love with her at first sight. Their love was sweet and strong, but it was not meant to be. She was taken from him too soon, and he is left wondering why the gods took her away. The song ends on a sad note, with the man saying that no matter where he goes, he will never forget the love he lost.
The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and convey the depth of the man's sorrow and loss. They are also a tribute to the enduring power of love, even when it is cut short by tragedy. The use of natural imagery, such as the sun, flowers and the sea, reinforces the idea that life goes on even in the face of heartbreak and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Here am I, broken hearted, and lonely.
I am currently experiencing deep sadness and isolation.
With a pain worse than I've ever known.
The level of emotional anguish I am feeling is beyond any grief I have previously experienced.
And I can't bear to think of bein' without her,
The mere thought of life without my beloved is unbearable.
as in days when I wandered alone.
Similar to the days before I met her, I feel lost and aimless.
She was my inspiration and lover.
She was both the source of my creativity and passion.
We shared all the laughter and tears.
Together, we experienced both moments of great joy and deep sorrow.
And I never again will find true love,
I strongly believe that I will never again find love that is genuine and true.
should I live for a hundred more years.
Even if I lived for another hundred years, I do not think I would find a love like hers.
Her hair had the sheen of red roses,
Her hair had a glossy, shiny quality, much like that of a rose in bloom.
and her skin was as white as the snow.
Her skin was pale in color, resembling the whiteness of freshly fallen snow.
Her eyes were as green as the shamrock,
Her eyes were a bright, vivid green, much like the color of the shamrock plant.
that around Erin's Island those grow.
The shamrock, a national symbol of Ireland, thrives across the country, including around the Island of Erin.
Her nature was gentle and charmin',
Her character had an endearing and captivating quality about it.
and her smile was beguilin' and shy.
Her smile was both enchanting and modest.
All others did heil at her beauty,
Many people recognized and admired her physical appearance.
whenever she passed them by.
Whenever she walked by, people took notice of her.
From the first time I spied this there lassie,
From the very moment I first laid eyes on her,
I knew she was meant to be mine.
I had a strong feeling that fate intended for us to be together.
One look in her eyes and I'd fallen.
With just one glance into her eyes, I was immediately smitten with her.
She had stolen my heart for all time.
She captured my heart so completely that it would be hers forever.
Our love, it was sweeter than honey,
The love we shared was incredibly sweet, much like honey.
and warm as some tropical breeze.
Our love was also very warm and comforting, like a gentle tropical breeze.
As soft as the due in the mornin',
Our love had a gentle quality, similar to the softness of morning dew.
and as wild as the waves of the sea.
However, at times our love was also powerful and intense, comparable to the wildness of an ocean wave.
I thought we had more years together,
I had hoped that we would have many more years to spend together.
but yet, it was not meant to be.
Despite my wishes, our time together was cut short, seemingly by fate.
And I can't understand, and I wonder,
I am struggling to comprehend and find myself questioning why this had to happen.
had the wisdom then took her from me?
I am wondering if some higher power, guided by wisdom, intentionally took her away from me.
And now I will go on some journey,
I will continue on with my life, though it will be a new path.
but no matter where I chance to roam,
Regardless of where I may end up along the way,
I will never forget that cold mornin',
I will always remember that particularly painful morning,
when the Gods called my sweet angel home.
when it seemed that some greater force had decided to bring my beloved home to another realm.
And the sun it still rises each mornin',
Despite my personal tragedy, the world continues to turn and the sun still rises each day.
and the nightingale sweetly still sings,
Nature itself continues to carry on, including the joyous song of a nightingale.
and the flowers still bloom in the meadow,
Flowers continue to grow and flourish in the meadows.
but no joy to me do they bring.
However, these otherwise beautiful and happy sights no longer bring me the same sense of joy they once did.
Contributed by Ethan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian Burt
on Bluenose
You have missed out a verse.