Charlotte Church - My Lagan Love

From the Voice of an Angel Concert in 1999 at age 13. Apple-so-lutely wonderful! And, oh, that haunting harp.

Where Lagan stream sings lullaby
There blows a lily fair
The twilight gleam is in her eye
The night is on her hair
And like a love-sick lennan-shee *
She has my heart in thrall (enthrall)
No life I owe, nor liberty
For love is lord of all.

And often when the beetle's horn
Hath lulled the eve to sleep
I steal unto her shieling lorn
And through the dooring peep.
There on the cricket's singing stone,
She spares the bogwood fire,
And hums in sad sweet undertone
The song of heart's desire

* In Scottish Gaelic a "leannan-sidhe" is a Faery Lover. This type of Faery Lover often takes a person's love and then leaves. He or she goes back where they came from (Faery Land?) leaving the human pining for their lost love. The poor mortals in the tales of leannan sidhe often died of sorrow.

"The leánan sídhe (fairy mistress) mentioned in the song is a malicious figure who frequently crops up in Gaelic love stories. One could call her the femme fatale of Gaelic folklore. She sought the love of men; if they refused, she became their slave, but if they consented, they became her slaves and could only escape by finding another to take their place. She fed off them so her lovers gradually wasted away - a common enough theme in Gaelic medieval poetry, which often saw love as a kind of sickness. Most Gaelic poets in the past had their leanán sídhe to give them inspiration. This malignant fairy was
for them a sort of Gaelic muse.

A study of the lyrics:

http://tinyurl.com/d9e43a

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Charlotte
• Church
• celtic
• music

[zapme9]

I'm right with "ulstermourne," regarding the comment made. If you really want to hear a version that truly does "justice" to this song (along with Sinead O'Connor), type in the search section for Dusty Springfield and Kate Bush, along with the song title.

[BandBoxParade]

@zapme9 - Sorry, I can't get past Sinead's bald head. 

[ulstermourne]

Oh no oh no oh no!!!! her way of singing does NOT fit this song..it is too over decorated..ruins this song totally. No one will do it better than Sinead O'Connor.

[BandBoxParade]

@ulstermourne, you might be too stuck in your groove. In other words, you have heard this tune too often by someone else to appreciate a different style and artist.

[zapme9]

@JoyousinJesus

Listen to "50 Words for Snow" from Kate Bush, and tell me that.

There's always a critic stuck in one groove~ aag.

[JoyousinJesus]

@zapme9 Kate's voice sounds like someone has stepped on a cat.

[rickyseabra]

this really is one of the most stunning melodies ever written.

[ratsnacage1]

She is stunning. Thank you!! Charlette. ;_)

[theoneandonlymagnum]

@ulstermourne I couldn' t disagree more... I guess it's just a matter of taste :P

[SirJamesBloodfang]

I have heard quite a few good versions of this song but I still can't find one where the singer has a very haunting quality to their voice. I feel this song is a beautifully haunting song.

[entacoman]

who is sinead o conner?

[coirpeach1]

@zapme9 I agree with you Sinead O Conner sings this song beautiful

[coirpeach1]

@BandBoxParade Well at least Sinead is a woman of Ireland and has passion and history to sing this beautiful song instead of our English Invaders singing it with no meaning..Charlotte Church me hole

[coirpeach1]

Rubbish.My Lagan Love" is a traditional Irish song from the 15th to 16th century found in Donegal.It was written during a time in Irish history when it was forbidden to write openly about Ireland, or express love, devotion, or nationalism towards the country.The Irish had decided to write songs that indirectly would reference their love for their mother country; they would refer to Ireland as a beautiful woman. Hence.She is singing about something she hasn't a clue about