The Foggy Dew

In honor of St. Patrick, here's a fairly simple song, almost harder to sing correctly than play.

There are other verses around not shown here but this is the way Sinead O'Connor sang it with the Chieftons.

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The Foggy Dew
words and music by Father P. O'Neill
[Background: From the Easter Uprising of 1916, Ireland]

KEY Am:

Am G C Am
Am G C Am
C G C Am
Am G C Am

Am                                G
'Twas down the glen one Easter morn
C                 Am
To a city fair rode I.
Am                         G
When armed line of marching men
C                             Am
In squadrons passed me by.
C                             G
No pipes did hum, no battle drum
C            Am
Did sound its loud tattoo
Am                                G
But the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey's swell
C                       Am
Rang out in the foggy dew.

Right proudly high over Dublin town
Hung they out a flag of war.
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud el Bar.
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurrying through;
While Brittania's huns with their long range guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew.

The bravest fell, and the solemn bell
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide
In the springing of the year.
And the world did gaze with deep amaze
At those fearless men, but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light
Might shine through the foggy dew.

As back through the glen I rode again
and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
whom I never shall see more.
But to and fro in my dreams I go
and I kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, when
you fell in the foggy dew.