The Parting Glass
"The Parting Glass" is an Irish traditional song, often sung at the end of a gathering of friends. It was allegedly the most popular song sung in both Scotland and Ireland before Robert Burns wrote "Auld Lang Syne".
The Irish song is thoughtful and quiet, though the old Scottish version, "Good Night and Joy Be With You All," is quite lively and uses roughly the same melody, an old type of tune called the Scots Measure.
The celebrated Irish folk song collector, Colm O Lochlainn,[1] pointed out that The Parting Glass shares its melody with Sweet Cootehill Town. This is another traditional farewell song, this time involving a man leaving Ireland to go to America.
However, the lyrics are quite different from The Parting Glass. One of the strengths of the Parting Glass is that it is never made clear why the person singing has to leave. He may be leaving the area or the country. It may even be that he fears he does not have long to live. The vagueness leaves each listener free to interpret the song in their own way..
Contents |
[edit] Lyrics
Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm I've ever done,
Alas! it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.
Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.
If I had money enough to spend,
And leisure time to sit awhile,
There is a fair maid in this town,
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips,
I own she has my heart in thrall,
Then fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.
[edit] History
The song was printed as a broadside in the 1770s, and first appeared in book form in "Scots Songs" by Herd.[2] An early version of the song is sometimes attributed to Sir Alex Boswell. The Irish version is usually considered more suitable for modern listeners. It is also the song that the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem would often sing to finish off their concerts.
The song is doubtless older than its 1770 appearance in broadside, as it was recorded in the Skene Manuscript, a collection of Scottish airs written at various dates between 1615 and 1635.[3] It was known at least as early as 1605, when a portion of the first stanza was written in a farewell letter, as a poem now known as "Armstrong's Goodnight", by one of the Border Reivers executed that year for the murder in 1600 of Sir John Carmichael, Warden of the Scottish West March.[4]
"Armstrong's Goodnight"
This night is my departing night,
For here no longer must I stay;
There's neither friend no foe of mine
But wishes me away.
What I have done through lack of wit,
I never, never can recall;
I hope you're all my friends as yet;
Good night. And joy be with you all.
[edit] Notable Recordings
- 1959 - The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem Tradition Records Come Fill Your Glass with Us
- 1964 – Bob Dylan used the melody for "Restless Farewell" from the album The Times They Are A-Changin' with new verses of his own, based on the original lyrics
- 1979 – Ronnie Drew performed the song on The Dubliners' album Together Again
- 1981 – Robin Williamson recorded a version for his Songs of Love & Parting album
- 1985 – The Pogues released it as a single. It appeared on their 2004 re-release of Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
- 1993 – The Voice Squad closed "Good People All" with an a cappella version.
- 1995 – Ronnie Browne sang the song on the album Scottish Love Songs
- 1998 – Steeleye Span recorded the song on Horkstow Grange
- 1998 - Liam O'Maonlai recorded the song in the soundtrack of the movie Waking Ned Devine
- 2002 – Sinéad O'Connor recorded the song on Sean-Nós Nua
- 2002 – Pierce Brosnan sing the song on the movie called Evelyn
- 2003 - The Tossers recorded the song as a hidden track on their album Purgatory
- 2004 – The Cottars featuring John McDermott on their 2004 album On Fire
- 2004 – The Wailin' Jennys recorded the song on their debut album 40 Days
- 2006 – Shaun Davey, soundtrack for film Waking Ned. Titled "Fill To Me The Parting Glass"
- 2007 – Mark Seymour recorded a version on his album Titanic
- 2008 – The Holy Sea released the song on their album A Beginner's Guide to the Sea
- 2008 – The High Kings released a version of the song in 2008
- 2009 – Cara Dillon released the song on her album Hill of Thieves
- 2009 – size2shoes recorded it for their pop/folk album titled size2shoes
- 2009 – The Spooky Men's Chorale close their EP 'De-ep' with a full choir arrangement of the song
- 2010 – Luke Macfarlane's fictional character Scotty Wandell sings a version of this song during the end of an episode of Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)
- 2010 - The Swell Season performed the song on their 2010 North American tour.
- 2010 – Loreena McKennitt recorded the song for her The Wind That Shakes the Barley album of traditional Celtic songs.
- 2010 - The song was featured on the Australian TV show Rake, where it was sung at the funeral wake of one of the characters, Joe Sandilands.
- 2011 – Celtic Woman performed it as their finale for Believe which was filmed for PBS and DVD release.
- 2011 - Ed Sheeran included the song as a hidden track at the end of his debut album "+" after his song Give Me Love
- 2011 - Ryan Robbins as his character Henry Foss, sang the final verse of the song in the musical episode "Fugue" of Syfy Network's show Sanctuary (TV Series).
[edit] References
- ^ Irish Street Ballads, Colm O Lochlainn, Pan 1978, pp225
- ^ The Parting Glass
- ^ George Grove & John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The Macmillan Company, 1908, pg. 479.
- ^ George MacDonald Fraser, Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers, Harper Collins: London, 1995, ppg. 140-143.
2007 Thea Gilmore Recorded The Parting Glass on The Threads EP, sold only at gigs
