| Play/Download Music File John Renfro Davis |
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| Percy French published this song in 1902. It is based on a real incident. In 1897 a train carrying him from Ennis to Kilkee broke down. He was late for a concert and French filed suit against the railroad for "loss of profits." French won the suit and the railroad lost the appeal. When the song came out the railroad considered a libel suit but thought the better of it. |
You may talk of Columbus's sailing Across the Atlantical Sea But he never tried to go railing From Ennis as far as Kilkee You run for the train in the morning, The excursion train starting at eight You're there when the clock gives the warnin' And there for an hour you'll wait And as you're waiting in the train, You'll hear the guard sing this refrain- Are ye right there, Michael, are ye right? Do you think that we'll be there before the night? Ye've been so long in startin', That ye couldn't say for startin' Still ye might now, Michael, So ye might! They find out where the engine's been hiding, And it drags you to Sweet Corofin; Says the guard, Back her down on the siding There's the goods from Kilrush comin' in. Perhaps it comes in two hours, Perhaps it breaks down on the way; If it does, says the guard, be the powers, We're here for the rest of the day! Spoken: And while you sit and curse your luck The train backs down into a truck. Are ye right there, Michael, are ye right? Have ye got the parcel there for Mrs. White? Ye haven't, oh begorra, Say it's comin' down tomorra - And well it might now, Michael, So it might. At Lahinch the sea shines like a jewel, With joy you are ready to shout, When the stoker cries out, There's no fuel, And the fire's taytotally out. But hand up that bit of log there - I'll soon have ye out of the fix; There's fine clamp of turf in the bog there. And the rest go a-gatherin' sticks. Spoken: And while you're breakin' bits of tree, You hear some wise remarks like these - Are ye right there, Michael? Are ye right? Do ye think that you can get the fire to light? Oh an hour you'll require, For the turf it might be drier - Well it might now, Michael, So it might. |
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| From The Songs of Percy French See Bibliography for full information. |
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