Songbook/Spancil Hill

= Spancil Hill =

The song describes the homesickness of an Irish emigrant in America. The poet Michal Considine was born in the mid-19th century near Spancil Hill, which lies between Ennis and Tulla in the Clare countryside in Ireland. Although the story may be largely fictional, the places and people mentioned in the dongare real.



Spancil Hill
Lastnight as I laydreaming, of pleasant days goneby, Me mind being bent on rambling, toIreland I didfly, Istepped on board a vision, andfollowed with awill, Till thefirst I came toanchor at the cross at SpancilHill,

T'was onthe twentythird of June, the day before thefair, When Ireland's sons and daughters, andfriends assembledthere, Theyoung the old the brave the bold, theirduty to fullfill, At theparish Church nearClooney, a mile from SpancilHill.
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De-lighted by thenovelty, enchanted by thescene. Where in me early boyhood whereoften I hadbeen. Ithought I heard a murmur. Ithink I hear itstill. It's thelittle stream ofwater that flows down SpancilHill.
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To a-muse a passingfancy, I laid down on theground. And all my school companions, theyshortly gatheredround. Whenwe were home returning, wedanced with bright goodwill ToMartin Monahan'smusic, at the cross at SpancilHill.
 * 4

Iwent to see meneighbours to see what they mightsay, The old one's were all dead and gone, theyoung one's turninggrey, Imet with tailor Quigley, he's asbold as everstill, Sure heused to make mebritches when I lived in SpancilHill.
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Ipaid a flyingvisit to my first and onlylove, She's as fair as any lilly asgently as adove, Shethrew her arms around me sayingJohnny I love yestill, She wasMeg the farmer'sdaughter, the pride of SpaincilHill.
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Idreamt I knelt andkissed her as in the days ofyore Ah, Johnny you're only joking asmany the time be-fore Then thecock he crew in the morning, hecrew both loud andshrill I a-woke in Cali-fornia, many miles from SpancilHill
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