> Folk Music > Songs > The Emigrant’s Farewell / Farewell to Old Ireland /The Green Fields of Americay

The Emigrant’s Farewell / Farewell to Old Ireland / The Green Fields of Americay

[ Roud 15034 ; Henry H743 ; Ballad Index HHH743 ; DT GRNFLDAM ; trad.]

Gale Huntington, Lani Herrmann, John Moulden: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People

Len Graham sang The Green Fields of Amerikay on his 1977 Topic album Wind and Water. He noted:

This is one of the numerous traditional songs of emigration in which Derry is mentioned. Derry was a major port serving most of Ulster and parts of Connacht during the main ‘waves’ of emigration to the United States of America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I got this song from three sources—Mary Magill, Ballinacaird, Co. Antrim, the late Paddy Maguire, Mullalun, Co. Fermanagh and Tom Anderson, Clooney, Co. Derry.

Andy Irvine sang Come to the Land of Sweet Liberty and Farewell to Old England as the first two parts of his The Emigrants trilogy on his 1980 album Rainy Sundays…Windy Dreams. He noted:

The first of this trilogy of songs comes from a song I heard Len Graham singing. I think he calls it The Green Fields of Amerikay. I have used just one verse as an introduction to the next two songs. It has a fine melody which is structured similarly to Farewell to Old Ireland which follows it. This I got from the Sam Henry collection which is made up from a daily newspaper column edited by Sam Henry in the Coleraine Constitution in the 1920s and 30s. The person or persons who are the subject of this song appear fairly optimistic at their prospects in Canada and the song exhorts those with the courage, to emigrate. Courage, indeed, was needed. Some 59 emigrant ships were lost at sea between 1847 and 1853. Treatment, by crews and captains on Emigrant packets was often of a savage nature and the chances of catching Typhus and Cholera were high among under nourished emigrants.

Susan McKeown sang Sweet Liberty as the title track of her 2004 album Sweet Liberty. She noted:

Mick Moloney asked me to perform songs of emigration at Washington Square Church on 11 October 2003 for a concert to commemorate the tenth anniversary of New York University’s Ireland House. At short notice Eamon [O’Leary] and Dana [Lyn] learned the songs I researched on the theme, and we so enjoyed the music that I asked them to record two of them for this album. This one I found in Sam Henry’s Songs of the People under the title The Emigrants’ Farewell.

Lyrics

The Emigrant‘s Farewell in Sam Henry’s Songs of the People

Farewell to old Ireland, the land of my childhood,
Which now and forever I am going to leave;
Farewell to the shores, the shamrock is growing,
It’s the bright spot of beauty and home of the brave.
I will think on its valleys with fond admiration,
Though never again its green hills will I see,
I’m bound for to cross o’er that wide sweling ocean,
In search of fame, fortune and sweet liberty.

It’s hard to be forced from the lands that we live in,
Our houses and farms obliged for to sell,
And to wander alone among Indians and strangers
To find some sweet spot where our children might dwell.
I’ve got a wee lassie I fain would take with me,
Her dwelling at present lies in County Down,
It would break my sad heart for to leave her behind me,
We will both roam together the wide world around.

So come away, Bessie, my own blue-eyed lassie,
Bid farewell to your mother and then come with me,
I’ll do my endeavour to keep your mind cheery
Till we reach the green fields of Americay.
Our ship at the present lies below Londonderry,
To bear us away o’er the wide swelling sea;
May heaven be her pilot and grant her fair breezes
Till we reach the green fields of Americay.

Our farmers, our artists, our tradesmen are going
To seek for employment far over the sea,
Where they will get riches with care and industry;
There’s nothing but hardship at home if you stay,
So cheer up your spirits, you lads and you lasses,
There’s gold for the digging and lots of it, too,
And success to the hearts that have courage to venture,
And misfortune to him or to her that would rue.

There’s brandy in Quebec at ten cents a quart, boys,
The ale in New Brunswick’s a penny a glass,
There’s rum in that sweet town they call Montreal, boys,
At inn after inn we will drink as we pass,
We’ll call for a bumper of ale, wine and brandy,
And we’ll drink to the health of those far away;
Our hearts will all warm at the thought of old Ireland
While we’re in the green fields of Americay.

Andy Irvine sings Come to the Land of Sweet Liberty

Our ship at the present lies in Derry harbour,
To bear us away o’er the wide swelling sea;
May heaven be her pilot and grant her fond breezes
Till we reach the green fields of Americay.
O come to the land where we will be happy,
Don’t be afraid of the storm or the sea.
And it’s when we get over we will surely discover
That place is the land of sweet liberty.

Andy Irvine sings Farewell to Old Ireland

Farewell to old Ireland, the land of my childhood,
Which now and forever I am bound for to leave;
Farewell to the shores, the shamrock is growing,
It’s the bright spot of beauty and home of the brave.
I will think on her valleys with fond admiration,
Though never again her green hills will I see,
I’m bound for to cross o’er that wide sweling ocean,
In search of fame, fortune and sweet liberty.

It’s hard to be forced from the lands that we live in,
Our houses and farms we’re obliged for to sell,
And to wander alone among Indians and strangers
To find some sweet spot where our children may dwell.
O I have a wee lassie I fain would take with me,
Her dwelling at present lies in County Down,
It would break my poor heart for to leave her behind me,
We’ll both roam together the wide world around.

So it’s come along, Bessie, my own blue-eyed lassie,
Bid farewell to your mother and then come with me,
And I’ll make all endeavour, my love, to maintain you
Till we reach the green fields of Americay.
So it’s lift up your glasses, you lads and you lasses,
There’s gold for the winning and lots of it, too,
Here’s health to the hearts that have courage to venture,
Bad luck to the lad or the lass that would rue.

There’s brandy in Quebec at ten cents a quart, my boys,
The ale in New Brunswick’s a penny a glass,
There’s wine in that sweet town they call Montreal, boys,
At inn after inn we will drink as we pass,
And we’ll call for a bumper of ale, wine and brandy,
And we’ll drink to the health of those far far away;
Our hearts will all warm at the thoughts of old Ireland
While we’re in the green fields of Americay.