The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee lyrics
Seán O SéHow oft do my thoughts in their fancy take flight
To the home of my childhood away,
To the days when each patriot's vision seem'd bright
Ere I dreamed that those joys should decay.
When my heart was as light as the wild winds that blow
Down the Mardyke through each elm tree,
Where we sported and play'd 'neath each green leafy shade
On the banks of my own lovely Lee,
Where we sported and play'd 'neath each green leafy shade
On the banks of my own lovely Lee.
And then in the springtime of laughter and song
Can I ever forget the sweet hours?
With the friends of my youth as we rambled along
'Mongst the green mossy banks and wild flowers.
And then, when the evening sun's sinking to rest
Shed its golden light over the sea
The maid with her lover the wild daisies pressed
On the banks of my own lovely Lee,
The maid with her lover the wild daisies pressed
On the banks of my own lovely Lee
'Tis a beautiful land this dear isle of song
Its gems shed their light to the world
And her faithful sons bore thro' ages of wrong,
The standard St. Patrick unfurled.
Oh! would I were there with the friends I love best
And my fond bosom's partner with me
We'd roam thy banks over, and when weary we'd rest
By thy waters, my own lovely Lee,
We'd roam thy banks over, and when weary we'd rest
By thy waters, my own lovely Lee.
Oh what joys should be mine ere this life should decline
To seek shells on thy sea-gilded shore.
While the steel-feathered eagle, oft splashing the brine
Brings longing for freedom once more.
Oh all that on earth I wish for or crave
Is that my last crimson drop be for thee,
To moisten the grass of my forefathers' grave
On the banks of my own lovely Lee,
To moisten the grass of my forefathers' grave
On the banks of my own lovely Lee.
Song Details
Writers: Dick Forbes and J.C. Shanahan
Brief: The song is also referred to as the Cork anthem where the author shares his thoughts about the love of his hometown from his childhood days through to adulthood - the beauty of the countryside and special moments spent with friends and loved ones - a town steeped in history where his forefathers fought and died for freedom.
My own lovely Lee refers to the River Lee:
It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's city centre is built, and empties into the Celtic Sea at Cork Harbour on the south coast, one of the largest natural harbours in the world... read more at Wikipedia.
Category: Folk Song
Covers: Elle Marie O Dwyer, Joe Lynch, Glen Curtin, The Davey Brothers, Sean Dunphy, Derek Ryan, Brian Dullaghan, Brendan Bowyer, Frank Patterson, Tony Stevens, Brendan Shine.
Album: Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee (1977).
