Raglan Road (Irish song)
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Raglan Road is a well known Irish song made famous by such artists as The Dubliners, Sinead O'Connor, Luke Kelly and Dire Straits. The lyrics were written by the famous Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh and set to the traditional air "Fainne Gael an Lae" or "The Dawning of the Day" composed by Thomas Connellan in the 17th Century.
Lyrics
Lyrics:
- On Raglan Road of an Autumn day
- I saw her first and knew,
- That her dark hair would weave a snare
- That I might someday rue.
- I saw the danger and I passed
- Along the enchanted way.
- And I said,"Let grief be a fallen leaf
- At the dawning of the day."
- On Grafton Street in November, we
- Tripped lightly along the ledge
- Of a deep ravine where can be seen
- The worth of passion play.
- The Queen of Hearts still making tarts
- And I not making hay;
- Oh, I loved too much and by such and such
- Is happiness thrown away.
- I gave her gifts of the mind,
- I gave her the secret signs,
- That's known to the artists who have known
- The true gods of sound and stone.
- And her words and tint without stint
- I gave her poems to say
- With her own name there and her own dark hair
- Like clouds over fields of May.
- On a quiet street where old ghosts meet
- I see her walking now,
- And away from me so hurriedly
- My reason must allow.
- That I had loved, not as I should
- A creature made of clay,
- When the angel woos the clay, he'll lose
- His wings at the dawn of day.
Luke Kelly singing Raglan Road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3nADZelMVg
"On Raglan Road" was first published as a poem in the Irish Press on 3 October 1946 under the title 'Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away'. Peter Kavanagh, Kavanagh's brother says that 'It was written about Patrick's girlfriend Hilda but to avoid embarrassment he used the name of my girlfriend in the title.' The song was inspired by Hilda Moriaty.
Raglan Road is also an actual street running between Pembroke Road and Clyde Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. It is the setting of the first verse in the above song.
