Molly Bán lyrics
by The Chieftains & Alison KraussCome all ye young fellas
That handle a gun
Beware of night rambling
By the setting of the sun
And beware of an accident
That had happened of late
To young Molly Bán
And sad was her fate
She was going to her uncles
When a shower came on
She went under a green bush
The shower to shun
Her white apron wrapped around her
He took her for a swan
But a hush and a sigh
Was his own Molly Bán
He quickly ran to her
And found she was dead
And there on her bosom
Where he soaked, tears he shed
He ran home to his father
With his gun in his hand
Saying "Father dear father
I have shot Molly Bán"
Her white apron wrapped around her
He took her for a swan
But a hush and a sigh
'Twas his own Molly Bán
He roamed near the place
Where his true love was slain
He wept bitter tears
But his cries were in vain
As he looked on the lake
A swan glided by
And the sun slowly sank
In the grey up sky
Song Details
Music & Lyrics: Traditional
Titles: The song has many different titles including Polly Vaughan, Polly Vaughn, Molly Bawn, Molly Ban (featured), Molly Bender, Molly Bond, Molly Vaughan, Molly Van, Polly Von, The Shooting of His Dear, As Jimmie Went A-Hunting, The Fowler... imagine if all songs had that many titles!
Brief: A young man goes out hunting for birds one rainy night. He sees something white in the bushes and thinking it was a swan, he took a shot. He heard a hush and a sigh and ran over to find that he had shot dead his love, Molly Ban. She was on her way to visit her Uncle and took shelter from the rain under the bushes where she was shot. Shedding bitter tears, the desperate young man runs home to tell his father what had happened.
Category: Irish Folk Song
Covers: John McCormack, Seamus Ennis, The Dillards, Peter Paul and Mary, The Dubliners, The Chieftains with Alison Krauss from the album A Hundred Miles Or More (pictured).
