Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
So good luck to those people and safe may they land
They are leaving their country for a far distant strand
They are leaving old Ireland, no longer can stay
And thousands are sailing to America

You brave Irish heroes wherever you be
I pray stand a moment and listen to me
Your sons and fair daughters are now going away
And thousands are sailing to America

The night before leaving they are bidding goodbye
And it's early next morning their heart gives a sigh
They do kiss their mothers and then they do say
Fare thee well, dearest father, we must now go away
Their friends and relations, their neighbours also
When the trunks they are packed up all ready to go
The tears form their eyes they fall down like the rain
And the horses are prancing going off for the train

When they do reach the station you will hear their last cry
With handkerchiefs waving and bidding goodbye
Their hearts will be breaking on leaving the shore
Fare thee well, dear old Ireland, we will ne'er see you more
So I pity the mother that rears up the child
And likewise the father who labours and toils
To try to support them he will work night and day
And when they are reared up they will go away

(as sung by Andy Irvine)

[1981:] I have a lot of songs about emigration in my repertoire, not so much because I like singing about it but because there are so many fine ballads on the subject I can't resist them. This one always strikes me as being different! Most emigration songs are highly subjective. The unfortunate hero sings of saying goodbye to sweetheart and country - this one appears to have been written by a poet or ballad-maker who stands apart and views the subject objectively. For me this gives it a very modern feel. The late Eddie Butcher of Co. Derry sang a version of this song one day when I went to visit him. Subsequently I heard another version sung by Robin Morton and Cathal McConnell which they had from John Maguire of Co. Fermanagh. I juggled the words about a bit, wrote a few more and put it to a tune of my own. (Andy Irvine, notes 'Folk Friends II')

See also John Moulden, Thousands are sailing: a brief song history of Irish emigration (Ulstersongs, Portrush 1994) - go to http://members.aol.com/jmoul81075/ulstsong.htm and click on "books"