My Green Valleys Lyrics
Susan McCannMusic Video
My Green Valleys
The seagulls are calling, and the wind's in the sail
And we're fast moving out to the sea
On a ship bound for St. Johns, three thousand miles away
A human cargo, my comrades and me
Farewell my green valleys, God keep you the same
If in only my mind, you will be
I am sailing dark waters, to far Americay
Never more, my green valleys to see
It hurts me to think of the things I left behind
Though the famine has blackened our land
And to look for the things that I might never find
It's a problem, that now is at hand
Farewell my green valleys, God keep you the same
If in only my mind, you will be
I'm sailing dark waters, to far Americay
Never more, my green valleys to see
There's a fever a raging and the winds have died away
And the journey can no longer be
And the plague is a shadow that lingers night and day
Far across our green valleys I'll be
Farewell my green valleys, God keep you the same
If in only my mind, you will be
I'm sailing dark waters, to far Americay
Never more, my green valleys to see
Never more, my green valleys to see
Song Details
🎶 Songwriter: Glen Reid from Burk's Falls, Ontario. The following is an excerpt from mudcat.org where Glen himself has something to say about the song...
Glen Reid here; When I wrote this song I was all of 20 years old and part of an Irish folk group called Brannigan's Boys in Toronto Ontario. We needed a filler song to complete the album, preferably an immigration song... My green Valleys was born. I think last call it's been done over 30 times and I'm never gonna get rich off it, Ha Ha. Sure am glad there are folks who like it though!
GLEN
📝 Song Brief: The song is about the Great Famine of Ireland sometimes referred to as The Great Potato Famine. It was a time of mass starvation, disease and emigration in Ireland from 1845-1849. It was a desperate time in Irish history where around one million people died, and another million emigrated from Ireland to escape the ravages of disease and famine.
The song follows a group of famine‑stricken Irish emigrants sailing to St. John’s, Newfoundland, carrying only memories of the homeland they may never see again. Through vivid imagery of hunger, disease, and the perilous Atlantic crossing, the song captures the heartbreak of leaving Ireland and the uncertainty of life in “far Americay.”
📖 Glossary:- Saint John's — The capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, located on the eastern coast of the island of Newfoundland. A common destination for Irish emigrants during and after the Great Famine.
- Americay — A traditional Irish pronunciation of America, frequently used in folk songs to evoke emigration and the journey to the New World.
🍀 Genre: Irish Folk Song
👥 Covers: The Wolfe Tones, The Dublin City Ramblers, Dwain Casey, John Kerr, The Batterin' Ram, Athenrye.
🎤 Featured Artist: Susan McCann
💿 Album: Irish Favourites
Released: 2001
Country: Ireland
Format: CD
Label: Sharpe Music
