Song Lyrics

TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY

There was a CD of songs, produced mainly for family and friends, but this is now out of print:
This CD was engineered and produced by Alan Kirkpatrick (Copyright Redwine Music 2003).

The songs that were recorded are:

The Hiring Fair
The Broom of Cardenknowes
Lakes of Pontchartrain
A Simple Man
Summer Girl / Irish Girl (a two part musical story of the life of Dylan Thomas)
Nowhere Man
Song for Ireland

Although no longer available, it is hoped that some of the music can be included on a privately produced CD for release later this year.

My grandmother she at the age of eighty-three
One day in May was taken ill and died;
And after she was dead, the will of course was read,
By a lawyer as we all stood by his side;
To my brother it was found, she had left a hundred pounds,
The same unto my sister I declare,
But when it came to me, the lawyer said, "I see,
She has left to you her Old arm chair."

CHORUS
And how they titter'd! how they chaff'd!
How my brother and sister laugh'd,
When they heard the lawyer declare,
Granny had only left to me her Old arm chair.

I tho't it hardly fair, still I said I did not care,
And in the ev'ning took the chair away;
The neighbors they me chaff'd my brother at me laugh'd
And said "It will be useful John some day;
When you settle down in life, find some girl to be your wife,
You'll find it very handy I declare,
On a cold and frosty night, when the fire is burning bright,
You can then sit in your old arm chair."

(CHORUS)

What my brother said was true, for in a year or two,
Strange to say I settl'd down in married life;
I first a girl did court, and then the ring I bought,
Took her to church and when she was my wife;
The old girl and me, were as happy as could be,
For when my work was over I declare,
I ne'er abroad would roam, but each night would stay home,
And be seated in my old arm chair.

(CHORUS)

(But this was how 'granny' fooled us..)
One night the chair fell down, when I pick'd it up I found,
The seat had fallen out up[-]on the floor;
And there to my surprise I saw before my eyes,
A lot of notes, two thousand pounds or more;
When my brother heard of this, the fellow I confess,
Went nearly mad with rage, and tore his hair,
But I only laugh'd at him, then said unto him
Don't you wish you had the old arm chair?"

(CHORUS)

"GRANDMOTHER'S CHAIR" (1880)

As Sung with great applause by Tony Pastor.
Written, Composed and sung by John Read. Arranged by Dr. W. J. Wetmore.

I sowed the seeds of love
I sowed them in the spring
I gathered them up in the morning so clear
When the small birds so sweetly sing
When the small birds so sweetly sing

The gardener was standing by
I asked him to choose for me
He chose for me the violet, the lily and the pink
But those I refused all three
But those I refused all three

The violet I did not like
Because it bloomed so soon
The lily and the pink I really over-think
So I thought I would wait till June
So I thought I would wait till June

In June there was a red rose bud
That is the flower for me
I often times have plucked that red rose bud
Till I gained the willow tree
Till I gained the willow tree

The willow tree will twist
The willow tree will twine
I often have wished I was in the young man's arms
Who once had the arms of mine
Who once had the arms of mine

I sowed the seeds of love
I sowed them in the spring
I gathered them up in the morning so soon
When the small birds so sweetly sing
When the small birds so sweetly sing