Song For Sunday: An Irish Lullabye

Top o' the Morning To Ya!

Actually, that saying isn't common in Ireland. It's an Irish-American thing.

 My great-grandmother was a first generation Irish-American. Her parents were born in County Cork. She (horror of horrors!) married a Scot-Protestant. Her family disowned her, but his was happy for them, so she became a Scot-Protestant, joining the Methodist Church and the auxillary of the local Scot's Society. Eventually, my grandmother reconciled with some of her siblings. Still, Scot was the heritage I learned from that side of the family. 

Today, though, we are all a bit Irish and I love to embrace the Irish part of me. In honor of the occasion I present an Irish-American classic song, written by Irish immigrant James Royce Shannon in 1914.

Over In Killarney,
Many years ago,
My Mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low;
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good old Irish way,
And I'd give the world to hear her sing
That song of hers today.

Chorus:
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Hush now don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That's an Irish lul-la-by

Oft, in dreams I wander
To that cot again.
I feel her arms a-hugging me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a humming
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door.

Chorus

Oh I can hear that music
I can hear that song
Filling me with memories
Of a mother's love so strong

Its melody still haunts me
These many years gone bye
Too ra loo ra loo ral
Until the day I die

Chorus

Is there a song from your heritage that you love? Are you Irish?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

[edit]