The album was recorded on dates from September to December 1987 and in January 1988 at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin. The Chieftains and Van Morrison had met years before at the Edinburgh rock festival. They joined up in Belfast during Morrison's No Guru tour and afterwards, Morrison and Paddy Moloney discussed recording an album together during a walk. They each had a list of songs and reached a consensus to cover two of Morrison's previously released tracks (the title track was one) and the rest from traditional Irish songs. In October 1987 they performed together at Balmoral Studio in Belfast. The concert was broadcast on St. Patrick's Day in 1988.
Carrickfergus
Van Morrison & The Chieftains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only for nights in Ballygrand,
I would swim over the deepest ocean,
The deepest ocean to be by your side.
But the sea is wide and I can't swim over
And neither have I wings to fly.
I wish I could find me a handy boatman
My childhood days bring back sad reflections
Of happy days so long ago.
My boyhood friends and my own relations.
Have all passed on like the melting snow.
So I'll spend my days in endless roving,
Soft is the grass and my bed is free.
Oh to be home now in Carrickfergus,
On the long road down to the salty sea.
And in Kilkenny it is reported
On marble stone there as black as ink,
With gold and silver I did support her
But I'll sing no more now till I get a drink.
I'm drunk today and I'm rarely sober,
A handsome rover from town to town.
Oh but I am sick now and my days are numbered
Come all ye young men and lay me down
The lyrics of Carrickfergus are about the longing for home and lost love. The singer expresses their desire to be with a loved one in Carrickfergus, and even though they would swim across the ocean to be with them, they are unable to. The singer's childhood brings back memories of happier times, but they are now lonely, wandering aimlessly. The final verse reveals that the singer is drunk and dying, and they call out to young men to bury them.
The line "But the sea is wide and I can't swim over, and neither have I wings to fly" is particularly poignant. Even though the singer would do anything to be with their loved one, they are powerless to close the gap between them. This feeling of powerlessness in the face of love is a universal one, and the song speaks to this common human experience.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and melancholic reflection on love, loss, and the longing for home. Its haunting melody captures the mournful tone of the lyrics, making it a favorite of music lovers for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
I wished I had you in Carrickfergus,
I long for you to be with me in Carrickfergus
Only for nights in Ballygrand,
Just for a few nights in Ballygrand
I would swim over the deepest ocean,
I would cross the deepest ocean
The deepest ocean to be by your side.
Just to be with you
But the sea is wide and I can't swim over
But the ocean is too wide and I can't swim it
And neither have I wings to fly.
And I don't have wings to fly
I wish I could find me a handy boatman
I wish I could find a boatman to take me
To ferry me over to my love and die.
To take me to my love and die there
My childhood days bring back sad reflections
I think of my childhood with sadness
Of happy days so long ago.
Of the happy days that are long gone
My boyhood friends and my own relations.
My childhood friends and family members
Have all passed on like the melting snow.
Have all passed away like melting snow
So I'll spend my days in endless roving,
So I'll spend my days wandering aimlessly
Soft is the grass and my bed is free.
The grass is soft and I have no worries
Oh to be home now in Carrickfergus,
How good it would be to be home in Carrickfergus
On the long road down to the salty sea.
On the long road to the sea
And in Kilkenny it is reported
People say in Kilkenny
On marble stone there as black as ink,
On a black marble stone
With gold and silver I did support her
I supported her with gold and silver
But I'll sing no more now till I get a drink.
I won't sing anymore until I get a drink
I'm drunk today and I'm rarely sober,
I'm drunk today and not often sober
A handsome rover from town to town.
I wander from town to town
Oh but I am sick now and my days are numbered
But I'm sick now and don't have long left
Come all ye young men and lay me down.
All young men, come and bury me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@annevogle
I lost my older brother to alcoholism,He gave me the love of song,He took in anyone needing a place to stay,To those who knew Tom, We miss you , it’s been years. And I will never stop missing him
@Rose4Hilary
for the ones who stayed, for the ones who left, for the ones who were lost.
@evelinegordon5619
For all our glorious dead
@laceymariemusic6109
My mom passed away from aspiration pneumonia one week ago. She was only 57, but she was a proud Irish woman. Yesterday this played at her funeral in Toronto. What a moment it was. ❤️
@brianbyrne3003
@ Lacey Sorry to hear of your wonderful moms passing. Way too young to go! I'm an Irish guy and I lived in T.O. for a couple of years and was blown away with how amazing the Irish community is there. Such comraderie in the community. I loved Canadians.
@johnarkle7916
<3
@Badvibesdude
My condolences.
@jamesbell1982
Condolences from Australia
@janhensley5410
Sincere condolences ❤🙏
@thomasmcculey7942
I love Van's rendition of this great Irish ballad. Lost my older bro a wk ago , he was a big Rory fan.