Come To The Bower lyrics
The Wolfe TonesWill you come to the bower o'er the free boundless ocean
Where the stupendous waves roll in thundering motion,
Where the mermaids are seen and the fierce tempest gathers,
To loved Erin the green, their dear land of our fathers.
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
Will you come to the land of O'Neill and O'Donnell
Of Lord Lucan of old and immortal O'Connell.
Where King Brian drove the Danes and Saint Patrick the vermin
And whose valleys still remain most beautiful and charming?
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
[You can visit Benburb and the storied Blackwater,
Where Owen Roe met Monro and his Chieftains did slaughter
Where the lambs skip and play on the mossy all over,
From those bright golden views to enchanting Rostrevor.]
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
You can see Dublin city, and the fine groves of Blarney
The Bann, The Boyne, The Liffey and the Lakes of Killarney,
You could ride on the tide or the broad majestic Shannon
You can sail round Loch Neagh and see storied Dungannon.
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
You can visit New Ross, gallant Wexford, and Gorey,
Where the green was last seen by proud Saxon and Tory,
And the soil sanctified by the blood of each true man
Where they died satisfied, their enemies would not slew them.
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
And the air will resound with hosannahs to greet you
On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you.
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
Song Details
Writer: Unknown
Please Note: In this version by The Wolfe Tones the 3rd verse is omitted, but it has been included in brackets.
Brief: The song is a homecoming call to Irishmen and exiled Irishmen abroad to return to their home country to fight for freedom from oppression and tyranny. It was particularly aimed at the American supporters of the Fenian movement founded in the US in the 19th century to fight for an independent Ireland.
References:
Erin - Irish word for Ireland .
O'Neill and O'Donnell - Gaelic Irish chieftains who fought in The Nine Years' War (Tyrone's Rebellion) which took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603 in the fight against English rule in Ireland... more at Wikipedia
Lord Lucan - (help needed)
Daniel O'Connell - referred to as The Liberator or The Emancipator - an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century who campaigned for Catholic emancipation.
King Brian - an Irish king from 1002–1014 who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill.
St. Patrick - 5th century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland.
Benburb - a hamlet and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Blackwater - a rural village in County Wexford, Ireland.
Owen Roe O'Neill - a 17th century soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster in Ireland.
Monro - a famous Scottish General - commanded the Scottish Covenanter army during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641 - 1653).
Rostrevor - a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Blarney - a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland.
The Bann (River Bann) - the longest river in Northern Ireland.
The Boyne (River Boyne) - a river in Leinster, Ireland emanatiing from County Kildare.
The Liffey (River Liffey) - a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin.
Killarney - town in County Kerry, SW Ireland.
Shannon - the longest river in Ireland at 360.5 km (224 miles).
Loch Neagh - freshwater lake in Northern Ireland.
Dungannon - a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
New Ross - a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland.
Wexford - the county town of County Wexford, Ireland.
Gorey - a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland.
Saxon - a person of English or Lowland Scots birth or ancestry as opposed to one of Irish, Welsh, or Highland Scots birth or ancestry.
Tory - outlaw
slew - past tense of slay
Category: Irish Rebel Song
Covers / Albums: The Dubliners (Best of Folk), The Canny Brothers Band (One Drop of Whiskey), Shane Macgowan & the Popes (The Crock of Gold), Luke Kelly (The Performer), Sean Dunphy (My Wild Irish Rose), The Ramblers Two (Legends of Irish Music), Belfast Express (Cigarettes & Bayonets), Blarney Folk (Traditional Irish Pub Songs), Johnny McEvoy (25 Most Requested Irish Ballads), Patsy Watchorn (The Craic Was Ninety), Paddy Reilly (Best of Irish Pub Songs), The Flying Column (Favourite Irish Rebel Ballads)...
Album: The Best of Irish Ballads - The Wolfe Tones (Feb 4, 2014).
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