When apples still grow in November When Blossoms still bloom from each tree When leaves are still green in December It's then that our land will be free I wander her hills and her valleys And still through my sorrow I see A land that has never known freedom And only her rivers run free I drink to the death of her manhood Those men who'd rather have died Than to live in the cold chains of bondage To bring back their rights were denied Oh where are you now when we need you What burns where the flame used to be Are ye gone like the snows of last winter And will only our rivers run free? How sweet is life but we're crying How mellow the wine but it's dry How fragrant the rose but it's dying How gentle the breeze but it sighs What good is in youth when it's aging What joy is in eyes that can't see When there's sorrow in sunshine and flowers And still only our rivers run free
Living in Scotland and wanting Independence I feel this song was written for both Ireland and Scotland but people around the world feel that its for them too so that is what makes this song Universal :) Alba gu brath
Ireland, what a beautiful creation, bitter sweet, glory and pain, struggle and joy, hope and sadness, if ever there was a nation that has a sense of the Ying and the Yang , Eire, the ancient old land battered by a million million Atlantic waves sure has had her fair share,,,,,,
My favourite song of all time.Im 30 and ive been listening to this since i was a kid when my dad would play ballads on a sunday afternoon.This song was always repeated a few times too.
i have always loved this soulful heartfelt song it brings back so many happy memories oddly enough of the 70s with my pals meg mo and maddy we loved this song and raggle taggle gypsy we used to sing this at the top of our voices with tears rolling down our cheeks what a song says it all really
Thanks for the comments guys, just sharing what we all know are truly fantastic songs, sung by amazing people. Our little country is still struggling, but in a different way in today's world.
Mickey is one of the greatest songwriters I have heard. Check out his other songs like The Redheaded Anne, Supermarket Wine and Peter Pan And Me is the best song I have heard about the Troubles.
Thank you for all you are absolutely great and Planxty to!!!! ❤ All my time in Co cork coming in return when I hear your music thanks for all ❤ Forever in my heart
Having lived on the west side of the Atlantic since the 1620's, I nevertheless find this bringing out my family's Irish pride, from the southeast of Ireland!
Il est des Hymnes qui ne passeront jamais, "Only our rivers run free" il n'y a que nos rivières qui courent librement ... Sans commentaires Ther are song who will never be obsolete This is an Hymn to LIBERTY
First heard this song in Sean O Caseys pub about 25 years ago. Means so much to me now as it did then. It should be our National Anthem. Thanks for the video and Christy.
Ironically it holds true to today, we just had our independance 50 odd years after 5 centuries of struggle, and our new leaders in the establishment gave it away to Brussels.
I drink to the death of her manhood Those men who'd rather have died Than to live in the cold chains of bondage FUCK those lines just blow me away every single time...
Wat has happened to our Irish pride, do wee need to be our knees to to the young people of Eire to get the tougher generation back a bit of pride I'm not been in disirpestifull
I know what you mean and well done for speaking out. You're dead right of course but in fairness I think the song must have been written retrospectively, harking back to the bad old days when the Brits were certainly not in favour of Irish freedom.
This just shows what you know. For your information 6 counties still remain under UK rule and we will never be free until the crown leaves our shores for good. All the crown has ever done wherever it has gone is take what does not belong to it. If you do not like the video please keep scrolling on by and leave your uneducated comments somewhere else.
What a lot of rubbish for a modern song. The Republic of Ireland is a free, democratic country. Northern Ireland is also perfectly free and democratic. No-one in either state is a slave. The North may not yet be part of the Republic (as I would like it to be), but it is certainly not unfree. If a majority of NI citizens voted to join the Republic and the UK prevented that, then it would not be free, but only then. I'm a nationalist, but this leaves me cold and a little angry.
You do realize this song was wrote by Mickey McConnell over 50 years ago?? That would be like saying any song from Dean Martin, Roy Orbison or The Beach Boys is modern music.
