You Rambling Boys of Pleasure - Andy Irvine

[jfsfrnd]

This is so beautiful. Andy's voice is haunting. I think we must have all been Irish in a past life somewhere.

[pianoblack13]

this was actually the original song. yeats was inspired by a mis-remembered version of this song sung by some old peasant lady. you can check out the wiki page on Down By the Salley Gardens, if you wish. regardless both poems/songs are quite beautiful

[hammerboi87]

@pianoblack13 I actually just came from Wikipedia: A beautiful Norwegian lullaby use “Down By The Salley Gardens” as it's melody, and from there came the link to the Rambling Boys of Pleasure.

[MrCajunmojo]

This is just brilliant.

[MrCajunmojo]

This is an absolutely perfect performance.

[TheRakishPaddy]

I love Andy so much.

[astrolog7000]

Interesting how the Irish accent sits on the "r," as we do in the US. The English kind of leave it out, not prounouncing it, as they do in Massachusetts and the rest of New England.

Interesting the melismatic trills with which he sings. They sound so beautiful. His voice is so mellow and sweet, and the high tenor notes don't sound like falsetto.

Wonderful instrumentation! Gorgeous! Andy, if I had been your "darling girl," I would not have "changed my mind."

[astrolog7000]

A line in this song is the same as Yeat's poem, "Down by the Salley Gardens."  "She bade me take love easy, just as the leaves fall from the trees, But I being young and foolish, With my true love did not agree."

[SpanneredSpoons]

@astrolog7000 It was always said that this (Rambling Boys of Pleasure) is the original song, which Yeats had heard and "misremembered". But then, I may be mistaken.

[bradthebadd]

i work with a guy called Andy Irvine and he looks just like this... weird!

[Raithbheartaigh]

I'll be seeing Andy play this Sunday (driving 150 miles to the gig), and the following Thursday and Friday (about a mile away), down here in Victoria Australia...a genius, and a lovely bloke to boot. Can't wait.

[mikesamwild]

Great , I'd rather sing this than The Sally Gardens , similar tune. I think it stems from the singing of the great Paddy Tunny.

[maddogbravo713]

This makes me want to listen with all of my being. What amazing playing and singing.

[bobo6991]

Ok its over 150 years ago but it wiped out the superstructure of Ireland ,making it ready for English colonistation .Much of the music of Ireland is about this ,the subsequent loss of land ,emigration,grief .

To have someone talk about dirty fingernails ,just feels extremely small in the scheme of things .

I,m sure you miight notice ,(although I woudnt ,the music is too good )the fingernails of the great blues musicians

Anyway all the best ,didnt mean any harm

[noclass33]

so you didn't notice the fingernails of the blues musicians but u are pointing them out to me?that doesn't make sense...i think u do notice it and it turns u on...check out irish history b4 u make dumb statements-we were colonised for hundreds of yrs b4 the famine.mick hanly is from a middle-class background-i bet it was prop dirt he applied b4 the gig just to gain credibility from tools like u,u fingernail-filth fetishist...don't be so precious about music and try to grow a sense of humour!

[pvuf431]

@bobo6991 Don't forget the tudor actions in Ireland, and then the civic war, Cromwell, the Scottish Covanenters sent by the Scottish parliament in 1647, Catholicism, religious conflict, the infighting of the resident aristocracy, who sometimes supported the crown and sometimes rebelled against it but all the times hung onto their own bastard feudalism.

[prunch72]

So your sayin its not a Sound Technician he needs before a gig but a Nail Technician ? i didn't even notice until you mentioned it, i was focusing more on the tune and the notes/chords etc... maybe Mick was doing a bit of gardening before the gig?

[bobo6991]

go and watch some soap commercials .its a song about saying farewell to belfast town ,and his love,that he will never seeagain ,heartwrenching to say the least

and all ur worried about is his fucking nails

get over it .ireland had the famine ,and more

go and have a nice wash

[fannymcslap]

@noclass33 Jesus man it was far from clean fingernails ye were raised.

[prunch72]

what can you say to that except... superb! allmost brought a lump to my throat, thinkin' back on past loves and care free pennyless days a-roavin'.

I had the honour and pleasure to mix sound for Andy 3 or 4 times in the OLD Roisin Dubh in Galway (new place bears the same name but has lost all its intimacy and charm) Andy was one of the most easy-going, cool, and modest musicians to ever darken the stone archway into the venue. Saol fada duit.

[noclass33]

bobo...in the same sentence as u tell me to 'get over it' u also invoke the famine which happened over 150 years ago-these days ireland is one of the richer nations of the world&its obscene for us to be harping on about gorta mor while so many are starving in other countries RIGHT NOW!i love this performance (and i certainly don't need an eejit like u to explain what the song is about)but the fact remains-U COULD GROW POTATOES IN MICK HANLY'S FINGERNAILS!try a sense of humour transplant,u tool!

[joeygsmom]

amazing, love his voice and style, true "bard" if ever I saw one!

[harmonioushand]

is this available on a DVD ?

[kathleentherose]

These are the REAL  BARDS, Go raibh míle mhaith agait lads!!

[NameNotaNumber]

Love the way they harmonize it at around 2:21

[footstompin1]

Brilliant!

[moiliryc]

does anybody know how Irvine usually tunes his cittern and if there are tabs of his song available somewhere?

[harmonioushand]

also looking for guitar tabs

[moiliryc]

google it and you probably find the guitar part, unfortunately for me cittern tabs are very very rare!

[peetellu]

let your soul absorb the folk music hehe love andy

[wickmay]

fantastic talent, have seen Andy 3 times in concert, he is a legend

[sailorjerrytattoos]

Just saw Andy in Buenos Aires.

Absolutely amazing...

:)

[festnoz10]

pure gold!

[robingillan]

A truly beautiful song .Sweet sadness isnt't that what soothes us all in the hard times

[addisb8]

Fantastic. Ain't Andy and Mick just brilliant. So many memories of the 70's flooding back. Thanks for making those days so full of memories of great gigs lads. And thanks Bilko for posting this. Appreciated.

[Cavanpiper]

I'm going to see Andy, August 5th in Michigan. If he plays this song it will be amazing to say the least. What a gem.

[bollix13]

If any of you use Bebo, look up the Andy Irvine Appreciation Group on there. Can't post the link here but just use the Bebo search engine...

[Kailas108]

Absolutely beautiful song ! great Andy and many thanks Bilko !!

[squeakymonkfish]

Lovely, one of my favourite songs.

[SWFLFiddler]

Simply fantastic. Andy Irvine is the uncrowned King of Irish sad ballads.

[sneakyam]

You are right. But check out Mick Hanley.

[lucabez]

It's impossible don't feel this music!!...

[lorgain2]

This is real soul singing.

[NameNotaNumber]

This is just incredible. What a treasure.

[celticbardm]

It's incredible to be able to view and listen to this vintage clip of Andy Irvine singing "You Rambling Boys of Pleasure". In time he would record the incomparable version with PLANXTY on AFTER THE BREAK, one of the great recordings in Irish music; one to break your heart and the repeat button on your DVD player. Masterful. But this one comes close.

[Paulmanorbier]

Andy Irvine was just on Lyric talking about his musical influences - Enjoyed the programme so I'm really pleased to have found this film - Thanks for posting it.

[spoombung]

this is really beautiful

[Cavanpiper]

A song of true feeling that evokes the best of emotions.

[eoin55]

I've seen both of them live they're both a credit to folk music and both posess a unique style of performing.

[6079eoin]

Mick Hanly is a very underated guitarist, what a pity that they never recorded as a duo

[shaskeen1]

Quite right there! his 2 'trad' albums are absolutely ace!

[monthebrook]

Thanks bilko I just play these videos over and over they are all super

[wahwahwoody]

Brings back great memories. Thanks for posting. I agree, Andy and Mick was a very special duo!

[mikemckv]

Bold and true :))

[weemalky]

Excellent. Any info about what show this was recorded for?

[cesbass]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

[shaskeen1]

Lovely stuff (as always) from Andy - this was a great duo, shame they never recorded an album

[festnoz10]

What can you say....Great song, Andy with a fantastic performance as ever & the duo with M Hanly was something else!

[helmar1a]

The man's a genius

[PamBeatabet]

I'm running outta superlatives!

[dickdujour]

thats true bilko! i wait for ur vids like a drug! i think i am addict! andy irivine is so inventive thanx

[lau03229]

Bilko you are a legend! thanks so much for putting all these amazing vids up. if only more people watched them..