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Farewell Green Erin / My Charming Mary

[ Roud 2900 ; Ballad Index BdErGre3 ; trad.]

Maureen Melly sang Farewell Green Erin to Peter Kennedy and Sean O’Boyle on 2 August 1953. This BBC recording 19355 was included in 2014 on the Topic anthology of traditional songs, airs and dance music in ulster, The Flax in Bloom(The Voice of the People Volume 27).

John Maguire of Tonaydrumallard, Co. Fermanagh sang My Charming Mary to Robin Morton in 1970. This recording was released in 1973 on his Leader album Come Day, Go Day, God Send Sunday and was printed in Morton’s John Maguire biography of the same name.

Lyrics

Maureen Melly sings Farewell Green Erin

Farewell, green Erin, I now must leave you
To cross the sea to a foreign clime.
Farewell to friends and to kind relations,
To my aged parents I leave behind.

My heart is breaking all for to leave you,
Where I spent many a happy day
With lads and lasses and flowing glasses,
And now we’re bound for Amerikay.

“O, lovely Willie, pray do not leave me.
I love you dearly; right well you know.
If you should leave go to foreign nation,
And have me pining in grief and woe.”

“I love you dearly, true and sincerely,
If you prove constant and ever true,
And do not mourn, love, for I’ll return, love,
And bring you over to Amerikay.”

John Maguire sings My Charming Mary

Farewell dear Erin, I now must leave you
And cross the seas to a foreign clime.
Farewell to friends and kind relations,
and ’til my parents I left behind.

Farewell green hills, and your sweet lovely valleys,
Where with my love I did of times roam,
And fondly told her I ne’er would leave her,
While walking in yon silent grove.

But I must leave you my charming Mary,
Where we spent many’s the happy day,
With lads and lasses and sporting glasses,
But now I’m bound for Americay.

O charming Willy you do not leave me,
I loved you dearly right well you know.
Pray do not stray to a foreign nation,
To leave us here love in grief and woe.

I know right well that the times they’re changed love,
It causes thousands to go away,
But if you’ll wait unto the next season,
We’ll both sail off to Americay.

My dear have patience, my charming Mary,
You’ll crown my labour, believe what I say.
I will return love with gold and store
And I’ll take you off to Americay.

And when I’m rolling upon the ocean,
Sweet Mary dear you are in my mind.
So do not mourn love, for I’ll return love,
If you prove constant, sure I’ll prove kind.

So my dear have patience, my charming Mary,
And fare ye well love, I must away.
For I do intend it, let none prevent it,
To seek the adventures of Americay.

Unknown ’til parents friends and relations,
My dearest Willy with you I’ll roam.
For I have plenty to take us over,
As you won’t consent love to stay at home.

He gave consent then straightway they went it, And soon got married without delay. One hundred pounds then she did leave down, Sayin’ love we’ll be crowned in Americay.