The Ferryman
Uncle Bard and the Dirty Bastards Lyrics

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Oh the little boats are gone
From the breast of Anna Liffey
And the ferrymen are stranded on the Quay
Sure the Dublin Docks are dyin′
And a way of life is gone
And Molly 'twas part of you and me

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey

You kiss away the worries from my brow
I love you well today and I′ll love you more tomorrow
If you've ever loved me Molly love me now

'Twas the only job I knew
It was hard but never lonely
The Liffey ferry made a man of me
Now it′s gone without a whisper
Half forgotten even now
Sure, it′s over, Molly, over
Can't you see

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
You kiss away the worries from my brow
I love you well today and I′ll love you more tomorrow
If you've ever loved me Molly love me now

Now I′ll tend the yard
And I'll spend my days in talkin′
And I'll hear them whisper – Charlie's on the dole
But Molly we′re still livin′
And darlin' we′re still young
And the River never owned me heart and soul

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
You kiss away the worries from my brow
I love you well today and I'll love you more tomorrow
If you′ve ever loved me Molly love me now

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
You kiss away the worries from my brow
I love you well today and I'll love you more tomorrow
If you′ve ever loved me Molly love me now

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
You kiss away the worries from my brow

I love you well today and I'll love you more tomorrow
If you've ever loved me Molly love me now

Overall Meaning

"The Ferryman" is a song by Uncle Bard and the Dirty Bastards that reflects on the changes taking place in Dublin's docks and communities. The disappearance of the small boats and the ferrymen who worked tirelessly on the river Liffey has left them stranded and forgotten. The singer mourns the passing of a way of life and recalls his own past as a Liffey ferryman, seeing it as an essential part of his identity that has now disappeared without a trace. In the absence of his job, he is now stuck with nothing to do but talk to others and hear the whispers of his downfall. The song is addressed to his beloved Molly, whom he reassures that they're still young and that their love can still survive, even as everything else seems to be crumbling around them.

The lyrics of the song and the story itself carry a message of change and how times change; how community and personal values are lost to time and progress. The writer is in mourning for the good times of the past and is recognizing how much the world has changed before him. The meaning and message of the song is clear and rich, giving hope to lovers of this kind of traditional Irish folk music, and fueling their passion for this genre of music.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh the little boats are gone
The small boats are no longer present

From the breast of Anna Liffey
The boats are no longer in the waters of River Liffey in Dublin

And the ferrymen are stranded on the Quay
The ferry workers are stuck on the docks with no work

Sure the Dublin Docks are dyin′
The docks in the Dublin area are slowly coming to an end

And a way of life is gone
A traditional lifestyle is disappearing

And Molly 'twas part of you and me
Molly was part of the good old days

Where the strawberry beds sweep down to the Liffey
A place where strawberry beds extend to the River Liffey

You kiss away the worries from my brow
You help relieve me of my stress and anxiety

I love you well today and I′ll love you more tomorrow
My love for you grows with each passing day

If you've ever loved me Molly love me now
If there was ever love between us, express it now

'Twas the only job I knew
Ferrying was the only profession that he was familiar with

It was hard but never lonely
The job was tough, but he didn't feel alone

The Liffey ferry made a man of me
Working on the River Liffey made him feel like a proper man

Now it′s gone without a whisper
The ferry business came and went without any notice

Half forgotten even now
The memory of the ferry life is fading away

Sure, it′s over, Molly, over
There's no chance of returning to the old days of ferrying

Can't you see
Don't you understand?

Now I′ll tend the yard
He'll do odd jobs and take care of the yard

And I'll spend my days in talkin′
He'll pass the time by talking

And I'll hear them whisper – Charlie's on the dole
People will talk about him, who is now unemployed

But Molly we′re still livin′
Although things have changed, they're still alive

And darlin' we′re still young
They're still young enough to enjoy life

And the River never owned me heart and soul
The River Liffey wasn't the sole reason for his happiness

You kiss away the worries from my brow
You help relieve me of my stress and anxiety

I love you well today and I'll love you more tomorrow
My love for you grows with each passing day

If you′ve ever loved me Molly love me now
If there was ever love between us, express it now