Makem was born and raised in Keady, County Armagh (the "Hub of the Universe" as Makem always said), in Northern Ireland. His mother, Sarah Makem, was an important source of traditional Irish music, who was visited and recorded by, among others, Diane Guggenheim Hamilton, Jean Ritchie, Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle. His father, Peter Makem, was a fiddler who also played the bass drum in a local pipe band named "Oliver Plunkett", after a martyr of the Cromwell age. His brother and sister were folk musicians also. Young Tommy Makem, from the age of 8, was member of the St. Patrick's church choir for 15 years where he sang Gregorian chant and motets. He didn't learn to read music but he made it in his "own way".
He started to work at 14 as a clerk in a garage and later he worked for a while as a barman at Mone's Bar, a local pub and as a local correspondent for The Armagh Observer.
He emigrated to the United States in 1955, carrying his few possessions and a set of bagpipes (from his time in a pipe band). Arriving in Dover, New Hampshire, he worked at Kidder Press, where in 1956 his hand was accidentally crushed by a press.[4] With his arm in a sling, he left Dover for New York to pursue an acting career.
The Clancys and Makem were signed to Columbia Records in 1961. The same year, at the Newport Folk Festival, Makem and Joan Baez were named the most promising newcomers on the American folk scene. During the 1960s, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed sellout concerts at such venues as Carnegie Hall, and made television appearances on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. The group performed for President Kennedy. They also played in smaller venues such as the Gate of Horn in Chicago. They appeared jointly in the UK Albums Chart in April 1966, when Isn't It Grand Boys reached number 22.
Makem left the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career. In 1975, he and Liam Clancy were both booked to play a folk festival in Cleveland, Ohio, and were persuaded to do a set together. Thereafter they often performed as Makem and Clancy, recording several albums together. At a concert in 1977, Tommy noticed an audience member having a good time and exclaimed, "What have you been smoking? Good whatever you have, pass it around to the rest of them we'll all get goin'!" He once again went solo in 1988. Throughout the 70's and 80's Makem performed both solo and with Liam Clancy on The Irish Rovers various television shows, which were filming both in Canada and Ireland.
In the 1980-90s, Makem was a principal in a well-known Irish music venue in New York City, "Tommy Makem's Irish Pavilion." This East 57th Street club was a prominent and well-loved performance spot for a wide range of musicians. Among the performers and visitors were Paddy Reilly, Joe Burke, and Ronnie Gilbert. Makem was a regular performer, often solo and often as part of Makem & Clancy, particularly in the late fall and holiday season. The club was also used for warm-up performances in the weeks before the 1984 reunion concert of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem at Lincoln Center. In addition, the after-party for Bob Dylan's legendary 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden in 1992 was held at the Irish Pavilion.
In 1997 he wrote a book, Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland, and in 1999 premiered his own one-man theatre show, Invasions and Legacies, in New York. His career includes various other acting, video, composition, and writing credits. He also established the Tommy Makem International Festival of Song in South Armagh in 2000.
Makem was married to Mary Shanahan, a native of Chicago, for 37 years, and had four children - daughter Katie Makem-Boucher, and sons Shane, Conor and Rory. They also had two grandchildren, Molly (Dickerman) Makem and Robert Boucher. Mary died in 2001.
Makem's three sons (who perform as "The Makem Brothers") and nephews Tom & Jimmy Sweeney continue the family folk music tradition.
Makem died in Dover, New Hampshire on August 1, 2007, following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He continued to record and perform until very close to the end. Paying tribute to him after his death, Liam Clancy said, "He was my brother in every way" He is buried next to his wife at New Saint Mary Cemetery in Dover.
Makem was a prolific composer/songwriter. His performances were always full of his compositions, many of which became standards in the repertoire. Some, notably "Four Green Fields", became so well known that they were sometimes described as anonymous folk songs. During the fall of the Iron Curtain, Makem often proudly told the story that his song "The Winds Are Singing Freedom" had become a sort of folk anthem among Eastern Europeans seeing a new future opening before them.
Makem's best-known songs include "Four Green Fields", "Gentle Annie", "The Rambles of Spring", "The Winds Are Singing Freedom", "The Town of Ballybay", "Winds of the Morning", "Mary Mack", and "Farewell to Carlingford". Even though many people mistakenly believe that Makem wrote "Red is the Rose", it is a traditional Irish folk song.
Makem had a gripping stage presence – the result of years of public performance, a charismatic personality, and a bard's voice. An army of friends and fans attended his frequent concerts, many recognizing each other at far-flung venues. Performances frequently included the following familiar elements:
Original Makem compositions; the first set often began with "The Rambles of Spring"
The standard repertoire of folk and Irish music, both well-known and little-known (but never "Danny Boy", "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", "Toorah Loorah Looral", or other forbidden requests)
Oddball songs, such as "Bridie Murphy and the Kamikaze Pilot" (Colm Gallagher) or "William Bloat" (Raymond Calvert)
Poetic recitations, often as introductions to songs; a frequent source was William Butler Yeats. (Thus "Gentle Annie" usually began with "When You Are Old and Grey", and Four Green Fields usually began with Seamus Heaney's "Requiem for the Croppies".)
Jokes, often silly, made funnier through repetition:
"If your nose is running and your feet smell, you're upside down."
Rarely: monologues, such as Marriott Edgar's "The Lion and Albert"
Exhortations, nearly always successful, for the audience to join in the singing
He received many awards and honours, including three honorary doctorates: one from the University of New Hampshire in 1998, one from the University of Limerick in 2001, and one from the University of Ulster in 2007; as well as the World Folk Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. With the Clancy Brothers he was listed among the top 100 Irish-Americans of the 20th century in 1999.[10]
A bridge over the Cocheco River on Washington Street in Makem's long-time home of Dover, New Hampshire, was named the Tommy and Mary Makem Memorial Bridge in 2010.
Butcher Boy
Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A butcher boy, I loved right well
He courted me, my life away
But now with me, he will not stay
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I was a maid again
A maid again I ne'er will be
I wish my baby it was born
And smiling on its daddy's knee
And me poor girl to be dead and gone
With the long green grass growing over me
She went upstairs to go to bed
And calling to her mother said
"Give me a chair 'til I sit down
And a pen and ink 'til I write down"
At every word she dropped a tear
And at every line cried "Willie dear
Oh, what a foolish girl was I
To be led astray by a butcher boy"
He went upstairs and the door he broke
He found her hanging from a rope
He took his knife and he cut her down
And in her pocket, these words he found
Oh, make my grave large, wide and deep
Put a marble stone at my head and feet
And in the middle, a turtle dove
That the world may know, that I died for love
The Butcher Boy is a traditional Irish folk song that has been interpreted by many performers over the years. The song is a classic example of a ballad - a song that tells a story. The song tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with a butcher boy. The two of them court for a while, but then the boy leaves her. The girl is devastated and wishes that she could turn back the clock and be a maid again. She also wishes that their child was born and smiling on its father's knee. However, she feels that she will never be a maid again until cherries grow on an apple tree.
The girl then goes upstairs to bed and decides to write a letter to her former lover. She drops tears at every word and cries out for him. However, in her letter, she admits that she was foolish to be led astray by the butcher boy. The lyrics indicate that they had a sexual relationship that led to her falling pregnant. It is evident that she lost her life as a result of her love for the butcher boy. She took her own life, and the boy found her hanging from a rope. He cut her down and discovered the letter that she had written. The lyrics indicate that she had requested a large, wide and deep grave with a marble stone and the carving of a turtle dove. The ballad suggests that she died for love.
In conclusion, the Butcher Boy is a tragic ballad that explores the theme of love and loss. The lyrics reveal the emotional complexities of unrequited love and the pain of losing someone you love. The song has been interpreted by various performers over the years, and it remains a classic example of traditional Irish folk music.
Line by Line Meaning
In London city where I did dwell
I lived in London city
A butcher boy, I loved right well
I was in love with a butcher boy
He courted me, my life away
He pursued me with great passion
But now with me, he will not stay
But he no longer wants to be with me
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I hope, I hope, I hope in vain
I wish I was a maid again
I wish I could go back to being a young, unmarried woman
A maid again I ne'er will be
I'll never be a young, unmarried woman again
'Til cherries grow on an apple tree
Until something impossible happens
I wish my baby it was born
I wish my baby was already born
And smiling on its daddy's knee
And happy while sitting with its father
And me poor girl to be dead and gone
And for me to be dead and gone
With the long green grass growing over me
With the grass growing over my grave
She went upstairs to go to bed
I went upstairs to go to bed
And calling to her mother said
And called out to my mother
"Give me a chair 'til I sit down
"Give me a chair to sit in
And a pen and ink 'til I write down"
And pen and paper so I can write something down
At every word she dropped a tear
I cried with every word I wrote
And at every line cried "Willie dear
And at every line, I cried for Willie
Oh, what a foolish girl was I
"I was such a foolish girl
To be led astray by a butcher boy"
To be deceived by a charismatic, but untrustworthy, young man
He went upstairs and the door he broke
He went upstairs and broke down the door
He found her hanging from a rope
He found me hanging by a noose
He took his knife and he cut her down
He used his knife to free me
And in her pocket, these words he found
And he found these words in my pocket
Oh, make my grave large, wide and deep
"Make my grave big, wide, and deep
Put a marble stone at my head and feet
"Put a stone at my head and feet
And in the middle, a turtle dove
And in the middle, a symbol of love
That the world may know, that I died for love
So that everyone will know that I died for love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mollymcnerney6668
In London city, where I did dwell,
a butcher boy I loved right well.
He courted me, my life away,
but now with me, he will not stay.
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain.
I wish I was a maid again.
A maid again, I ne’er will be
‘til cherries grow on an ivy tree.
I wish my baby, it was born
and smiling on its daddies knee.
And me poor girl, to be dead and gone
with the long, green grass growed over me.
She went upstairs to go to bed.
And calling to her mother, said,
“Give me a chair ‘til I sit down,
and a pen and ink ‘til I write down.”
And every word, she dropped a tear
And every line cried “Willie, dear,
oh, what a foolish girl was I
to be led astray by a butcher boy.”
He went upstairs, and the door he broke,
he found her hanging from a rope.
He took his knife and he cut her down,
and in her pocket, these words he found:
“Oh, make my grave large, wide and deep.
Put a marble stone at my head and feet,
and in the middle, a turtle dove,
that the world may know that I died for love.”
@edejan
I'll never forget the first time I heard Tommy Makem sing this song. His voice was so mellow and beautiful and his delivery perfect. I'm glad to see it stands up to time. God Bless Tommy Makem and all the Clancy's
@patsyod
God bless you Tommy, what a voice, there must be some choir in Heaven now!
@goofy79248
Great remark Pat !!
@foggydew3614
@@goofy79248 mate Tommy's voice's just perfect like an angel's voice....
@goofy79248
i agree very much! Thanks Foggy!
@loveanimals969
Beautiful voice, and a sad, emotional song.
@ghostofireland-anbard4279
It should be noticed the care in which Tommy Makem put his banjo to rest, carefully and with tenderness.
@debrahamann3131
What a marvelous tone to his voice.....Pure magic!
@janetaylor5500
Or pure sheep. (: But my dad loves the song so...
@jennifershelley6938
Tommy Makem had such a beautiful voice!