The Wolfe Tones, an I… Read Full Bio ↴The preferred artist name is The Wolfe Tones.
The Wolfe Tones, an Irish rebel music band, incorporate elements of Irish traditional music in their songs. They take their name from the Irish rebel and patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double entendre of a wolf tone – a spurious sound that can affect instruments of the violin family.
The Wolfe Tones began in 1963. They and have continued recording and performing to this day. They originally consisted of the brothers Derek and Brian Warfield and their friend Noel Nagle, with Tommy Byrne joining soon after. It was then that three neighbouring children from a quiet working-class Dublin suburb, Inchicore, brothers Brian and Derek and a pal Noel Nagle started playing round the fleadhs of Ireland more for fun than anything else. They used to get together at weekends playing Fleadh cheoils or music festivals, mainly as a pastime. Thoughts of fame and riches were a world apart.
Brian and Noel had taken tin whistle lessons at the Pipers Club in Thomas Street in Dublin, while Derek took up the mandolin for no better reason than his father played it.
During the summer of 1963 the four of them had hitch-hiked across Ireland, from Dublin to Kerry, for a weekend at a Fleadh Ceoil, an annual gathering of traditional Irish musicians where there's lashings of drink and non-stop music. The lads were really there for the beer although they did play and sing, but only for their own amusement.
Brian Warfield recalls what happened next: "I remember arriving in Killarney fairly late at night and looking around for somewhere to bed down. It was two o'clock in the morning as we trooped through the streets of the town and probably, because we had a few drinks in us, we started to play and sing. It was August and there were still some people on the streets. A few of them gathered around us as we sang and after a dozen tunes a fella with an American accent came up and asked us if we knew some song or other. We knew it - and played it for him."
It was later that year while they were waiting in a pub in the village of Kilrush, County Clare to catch a ferry across the estuary of the river Shannon to play in Ballybunnion, County Kerry that they named themselves "Wolfe Tones". It was in honour of the 18th Century Irish Nationalist leader who was condemned to death by the occupying British forces but cheated the hangman the night before he was to be executed by cutting his own throat. The name and the symbol it evokes in Irish history and republicanism, has inspired them since.
In 2002 Derek Warfield left the group to pursue a solo career but the rump of The Wolfe Tones still tour constantly, usually appearing at small function halls. However, 2004 was their last tour year doing that. They will continue to tour, but only at select venues according their website.
The well known rebel song, "Celtic Symphony" was written by Brian Warfield back in 1987 for the 100th anniversary of Celtic Football Club. It has been covered by countless bands around the world. Other famous songs written by the group include Joe McDonnell, a song about the life and death of the IRA Volunteer who was the 5th person to die on the 1981 Hunger Strike, which is also said to be their most popular stage song.
The band achieved an honour in 2002, when their song "A Nation Once Again" was voted the best world music song of all time by an online BBC poll.
Grace
Wolfe Tones Lyrics
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I think about these past few weeks, oh will they say we've failed?
From our school days they have told us we must yearn for liberty
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand
The love I bare for these brave men, the love for my dear land
But when Pádraic called me to his side down in the GPO
I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too
On this May morn as I walk out, my thoughts will be of you
And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know
I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose.
Oh, Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
With all my love I'll place this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
For we must say goodbye
The Wolfe Tones song "Grace" is a poignant tribute to Grace Gifford, who was the wife of Joseph Mary Plunkett, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916. The song describes the moments leading up to Plunkett's execution at Kilmainham Jail, where he and Grace had gotten married just hours before. The singer reflects on his own feelings of loss and longing, while also acknowledging the sacrifice that Plunkett and the other rebels had made in the name of Irish independence.
The first stanza sets the scene in the chapel at Kilmainham Jail, where the singer is reflecting on the events of the past few weeks. He is haunted by the possibility that their efforts may have been in vain, and wonders how history will remember them. Despite his commitment to the cause, however, he realizes that what he wants more than anything in that moment is simply to be with Grace.
The second stanza speaks directly to Grace, acknowledging the struggle she must feel in understanding her husband's dedication to the cause of Irish independence. The singer recalls how he was called to join Plunkett in the GPO, despite the fact that he was sick at the time. He recognizes the love that Grace must have for her husband, and urges her to hold onto that feeling as he faces his impending execution.
The final stanza captures the sense of heartbreak and loss that comes with the knowledge that Plunkett will soon be gone. The singer describes how he will leave a message on the wall of his cell, to let others know how deeply he loved his country and his fellow rebels. The song ends with the knowledge that there will be no time for him and Grace to share their love more fully - they must say goodbye.
Overall, "Grace" is a moving tribute to the sacrifice made by the rebels of the 1916 Easter Rising, as well as to the love and devotion shared between Grace Gifford and Joseph Mary Plunkett.
Line by Line Meaning
As we gather in the chapel here in old Kilmainham Jail
As we gather in this holy place, a prison in Kilmainham where many have been condemned to death,
I think about these past few weeks, oh will they say we've failed?
I think of the weeks we've been fighting for liberty and I wonder if history will view us as failures.
From our school days they have told us we must yearn for liberty
Since our earliest days in school, we have been taught to long for freedom.
Yet all I want in this dark place is to have you here with me
In this dark and lonely place, all I desire is your presence beside me.
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms and let this moment linger
Oh Grace, please embrace me tightly and make this moment last.
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die
At dawn, I will be executed and lose my life.
With all my love I place this wedding ring upon your finger
With all my heart, I give you this wedding ring as a symbol of my love for you.
There won't be time to share our love for we must say goodbye
We won't have time to show our love for one another because we must say farewell.
Now I know it's hard for you my love to ever understand
I understand that it's difficult for you to grasp the depth of feeling I have for these brave men and my country.
The love I bare for these brave men, the love for my dear land
I have a deep affection for these courageous men and for my beloved homeland.
But when Pádraic called me to his side down in the GPO
But when Pádraic Pearse summoned me to the General Post Office, I knew I had to answer.
I had to leave my own sick bed, to him I had to go
I had to abandon my own sickbed to answer his call.
Now as the dawn is breaking, my heart is breaking too
As the sun rises on the day of my execution, my heart is filled with sorrow.
On this May morn as I walk out, my thoughts will be of you
As I walk to my execution on this May morning, you will occupy my thoughts.
And I'll write some words upon the wall so everyone will know
I will inscribe some words on the wall so that all who see them will know.
I loved so much that I could see his blood upon the rose.
I loved so deeply that I could see his blood on the petals of a rose.
For we must say goodbye
We must say our farewells.
Contributed by Nolan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.