"The Ferryman", also sometimes known as "The Strawberry Beds", [1] is an Irish folk ballad, written by Pete St. John. [2]
Set in modern-day Dublin in Ireland, [1] as with other works by St. John, "The Ferryman" relates to economic change in the city. The song is a monologue, by a former pilot of a ferry on the River Liffey to his wife, Molly, as he contemplates the implications of his unemployment.[ citation needed ]
Despite the unpleasant subject matter, the song ends optimistically, with the declaration "we're still living, and ... we're still young, and the river never owned me heart and soul".[ citation needed ]
The song was recorded by the Dublin City Ramblers in the early 1980s for their EP, The Ferryman, reaching number 6 in the Irish charts in December 1982. [3] The song has also been recorded by The Dubliners, [1] Four to the Bar, The Irish Rovers, Gaelic Storm, Patsy Watchorn, and Patrick Clifford.[ citation needed ]
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"The Fields of Athenry" is a song written in 1979 by Pete St. John in the style of an Irish folk ballad. Set during the Great Famine of the 1840s, the lyrics feature a fictional man from near Athenry in County Galway, who stole food for his starving family and has been sentenced to transportation to the Australian penal colony at Botany Bay. It has become a widely known, popular anthem for Irish sports supporters.
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"Banks of the Ohio", also known as "Down on the Banks of the Ohio" and "I'll Never Be Yours", is a 19th-century murder ballad, written by unknown authors. The lyrics tell of "Willie" who invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal, and once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman.
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Pete St. John, born Peter Mooney, was an Irish folk singer-songwriter. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was best known for composing "The Fields of Athenry".
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Daniel Doyle was an Irish folk singer born in Dublin. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of the top Irish singers, regularly featuring in the Irish charts and scoring three No.1 singles. He recorded 25 albums and is known for his chart-topping songs "Whiskey on a Sunday", "A Daisy a Day", and "The Rare Auld Times".
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