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Pass It On Down

by The Elders

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1.
Now Packy Kildare was a kid without a care His pal was Bucky McGrath At the age of ten they talked like men Feared by the rest of their class Sister Josephine ran a clean machine She was nobody’s fool She’d send them down below to shovel in the coal That heated all Saint Brendan’s school They spilled off a spool just too cool for school They called it a waste of time So every other day was wasted away By the river in their life of crime Packy I confess you have beaten the best With a story to tell all your own Packy go home they’re searching for your bones And your ma’s waiting up all alone Yeah your ma’s waiting up all alone Now the clever young man one day had a plan To escape the fate he had comin’ Loading every grain of coal that furnace could hold To keep that boiler hummin’ As the temperature soared to one thousand or more And the pressure continued to rise Our boys were miles away burning up another day When the blast split the mid day sky Packy I confess you have beaten the best With a story to tell all your own Packy go home they’re searching for your bones And your ma’s waiting up all alone Yeah your ma’s waiting up all alone Packy’s old man was the first in command The captain of the fire brigade But the good Father Keane was the first on the scene With the good sisters he did pray When the flames were finally out they all looked about Still searching for Packy and Buck When neither could be found they were mourned through the town As the heroes who ran out of luck Packy I confess you have beaten the best With a story to tell all your own Packy go home wait til your dad gets home Your ma’s waiting up all alone Packy I confess you have beaten the best With a story to tell all your own Packy go home they’re searching for your bones And your ma’s waiting up all alone Yeah your ma’s waiting up all alone
2.
Now the last ten years I've worked in the mines Counting the hours of the day ‘Til I could wash off the dust from my bones And spend what's left of my pay Oh I wish I was back in the company store With a local girl on my arm Where a pint and a kiss and a fiddler's reel Could keep me safe and warm It's fire in the hole man run for your life A long blue vein of coal Out of the dark and into the light A dollar a day to sell your soul And live through the fire in the hole Well I'm fumblin' now for words to say What's caught behind my tongue ‘Cus I'm shaky now 'bout all the things I knew when I was young Just dreamin' tonight that I'm wide awake A thousand feet under the ground And a thousand souls under all that weight Of heaven pressing us down It's fire in the hole man run for your life A long blue vein of coal Out of the dark and into the light A dollar a day to sell your soul And live through the fire in the hole Now a nation will rise from the work we do Making millionaires night and day So I'll sign us up with the union man To get us the rest of our pay Now we'll strike every day if it comes to that I coughed every night for a year and a half We'll meet them at the gates with bullets and some mates And a few men won't come back It's fire in the hole man run for your life A long blue vein of coal Out of the dark and into the light A dollar a day to sell your soul And live through the fire in the hole
3.
Green & Gold 03:11
Well they pass it on down the green and the gold A red headed girl with a hand to hold And if you had a son you could never grow old Well they put away their plows, they picked up their guns The O'Donnells and O'Neill's went down to Ballybun They chased 'em all the way to where the river ran dry And marked all the young with the fire in their eyes Now I know my place is where I stand In the the heart of the promised land We’ll live to tell the stories they told And pass it on down with the green and the gold It was done by the time the sun went down The boys and the men all gathered around All they had for the widows was a penny and a pound They buried the dead at the edge of town Well a hundred years pass and nothin' has changed The whisky got better but the trouble remains The lucky ones are waitin' inside of heaven's gate The rest holdin' on to the hand of fate Well a million people can't be wrong Gonna break those chains before too long And drink their fill of the stories they told And pass it on down with the green and the gold
4.
If you could only see her face one time against the green blue sea And hear the pipes at sunset I know you would believe They say she launched a thousand ships and a hundred billion tears And in this leaky boat I’ve been nye on forty years I’ve seen the light in her eyes and drowned in her mystery And I’ve seen those who gave up the ghost For the Love of the Century In this holy mercy light that shines on every man Who had a heart to give away to reach the promised land Is there any man among us a hundred thousand strong A nation full of broken hearts can all of us be wrong To climb every mountain high sail every ocean deep Spend a life roving never be holding The Love of the Century She walks the cliffs of County Cork the ocean down below Dreaming’ of a love she lost a long long time ago His legend was a captain brave that went down with his crew On the jagged rocks of Migen Head and a son he never knew He built castles in her name though she had no other need But one more chance to be safe in the arms Of the Love of the Century
5.
Buzz's Jig 03:49
Over the fields and far away spread your wings and fly away Free your body free your soul lay’er down and let ‘er roll Don’t you dare cast a blame cloudy skies are bound to rain Listen you can hear the sound tonight the boys are layin’ it down Love may be hard and love may be cruel We're almost there now don't be a fool Long dark roads that lead nowhere Give way to better days Over the fields and far away spread your wings and fly away Listen you can hear the sound tonight the girls are coming ‘round If the world could learn to dance the world would stand a better chance Let the healing song begin hand to hand and skin to skin Let the spirit take the day give yourself up to the sway Move your body to the sound lift your feet up off the ground Lay down your arms come away from the brink Open your heart and let it sing If he never intended for us to fly Why’d he give us these wings Over the fields and far away spread your wings and fly away Free your body free your soul lay’er down and let ‘er roll
6.
Well I staggered in one night fearin' for my life But the mood was just right for a kiss She sat straight up in bed swingin' at my head And she said I'd be tastin' more than this So that's what they call what you get She'll forgive and forget but first you'll regret It's the ten pound ear hole It's the ten pound ear hole The riot act is what you'll be read You'd rather have a slap upside the head So spare me your whole life story At least we'll get home with the glory I went down to the local to get my fill Over two three I did linger A long winded clown laid his filibuster down With a boast and a toast and a bender I suggested he clam up he thought I said stand up And that was the last I remember It's the ten pound ear hole It's the ten pound ear hole The chapter and verse is what you'll be fed You'd rather have a slap upside the head So spare me your whole life story At least we'll get home with the glory Well I got my courage up I'm not sure for what And I made my way to confession He said come right in I said father I have sinned But I swear that I've learned my lesson Then he read it all to me and said pray the rosary A hundred times in succession It's the ten pound ear hole It's the ten pound ear hole The chapter and verse is what you'll be fed You'd rather have a slap upside the head So spare me your whole life story At least we'll get home with the glory
7.
A thousand miles of ocean between us now my friend If anyone could build a bridge they'd never reach the end A hundred thousand sails couldn't get you in time Those deep and icy waters would not ease your bitter mind It's a sorry bit of history I'll try to soldier on We met up with some prisoners their rum was halfway gone We traded lies and tales of home and letters from both sides I hope you change the world someday and think of me sometime A message from the battle zone it just might be the last In case the big one hits us I'll tell my story fast Just do the job you have to do before they call you home And pay up with your flesh 'n blood and bone We like our heroes simple we like our leaders dumb So every man can understand how dirty deals are done They choke on lies that linger and curl around their thumb ‘Til the hooks are sinkin' in while they quickly bite their tongue A message from the battle zone it just might be the last In case the big one hits us I'll tell my story fast Just do the job you have to do before they call you home And pay up with your flesh 'n blood and bone I dreamed I saw the ocean spread out from sky to sky And seven ships they came for us and hung us out to dry They gave us each a medal and told us we were tough But the ones who really saw it all don't talk about it much A message from the battle zone it just might be the last In case the big one hits us I'll tell my story fast Just do the job you have to do before they call you home And pay up with your flesh 'n blood and bone
8.
Help me God, to kill the Devil’s tongue The sins of father, sins of the son You really had a plan when you cursed every man With everything he had to have but one A bullet that could kill the Devil’s tongue They say what goes in is bad enough, but what comes out is death Let’s hunt it down and kill it before it takes another breath It’ll sew the seeds of darkness, sew the seeds of doubt And block the truth from ever getting out If you had a chance to take it back you’d lay your money down With a fighting chance to offer up forgiveness by the pound We’ve all been down that street before and up that creek as well Just running from what we can’t ever tell So help me God, to kill the Devil’s tongue The sins of father, sins of the son You really had a plan when you cursed every man With everything he had to have but one A bullet that could kill the Devil’s tongue Some times she’s just a whisper with whiskey on her breath Like a smoke ring through the key hole creeping in like death Sometimes she is a fog horn, sounding in the dark Drowning all the darkness in her heart So help me God, to kill the Devil’s tongue The sins of father, sins of the son You really had a plan when you cursed every man With everything he had to have but one A bullet that could kill the Devil’s tongue
9.
Someday Soon 03:41
Someday soon will come the day we’ll do what heroes do Someday soon will be time to tell the story How we hoisted up the sails boys what else could we do Set the wheel between the sky and the glory Someday soon I’ll find the kin that I’m suppose to be If the whiskey and the cigarettes don’t get me first Someday soon you’ll be as free as the ghost of Henry Lee And you’ll find the man to drown that mighty thirst. A thousand miles from any land Rebels each and every man What else are we good for but laying down in vain Someone said the king was dead They put a price on every head Never are we goin’ back again Someday soon I’ll be home in that County Wicklow town Someday soon the queen will never find me If we make it all the way we’ll collect a little pay Keep a bullet in my pocket to remind me We’ll be at home in the promise land Just like the one that I had planned Be pullin’ on the line my friend there’s weather off the bow You’re telling me the end was near Goin’ on now twenty years But here we are still standing some how Here we are still standing some how
10.
Here we are my friend, a vanishing breed Kissed by the curse of then case we plead To follow the truth and follow your heart And never let a good time tear us apart Well the walking dead they rule the world If you’re breathin’ you know what I mean Don’t know how they can live with the secrets they keep If only they was dogs we could put them to sleep So turn off your damn television And sing like a man on a mission One more glass for the boys in the band Don’t let this time go to waste It’s a night that’ll turn some boy to a man And he’ll always remember the taste And the friends who are keepin’ the faith Now that girl knows just what she wants in a man The best damn provider she can stand If you got you a house and a car and a cow And all the cash that the law will allow If she hits you with something strong You can crawl back here where you belong It’s one more glass for the boys in the band Don’t let this time go to waste It’s a night that’ll turn some boy to a man And he’ll always remember the taste And the friends who are keepin’ the faith Now I got my ticket and I got my bail Just in case we end up in the clink It’s a grateful crowd that’ll sing us to jail If we make ‘em all dance they might buy us a drink If the wind turns cold tonight out on the sea Say a prayer for the man who’s prayin’ for me Well it’s one more glass for the boys in the band Don’t let this time go to waste It’s a night that’ll turn some boy to a man And he’ll always remember the taste And the friends who are keepin’ the faith
11.
Highlands 04:32
Ten years on Van Dieman’s island poor ol' Irish soul Dreamin' of the girl in the black velvet gown And the promise of pirates gold Wait for me my queen of diamonds wait in a northern town Until I see the great white steed and the long black velvet gown Ride me high tonight my Patty ride me on your way Bring your lace and diamonds I'll marry you some day Ride the wind tonight oh Patty away from a northern town Fly me home to the highlands and I'll lay thy body down Sing the song of the blackbird for we fly in a murder of crows Sing the song of the blackbird sing it soft and low Free from prison island where my faith oh it never did roam Far from the girl in the black velvet gown who calls the highlands home Ride me high tonight my Patty ride me on your way Bring your lace and diamonds I'll marry you some day Ride the wind tonight oh Patty away from a northern town Fly me home to the highlands and I'll lay thy body down We raid the seven seas for glory searching high and low All in the name of St. Patrick whiskey guns and gold Pray for me fair maiden for the years shall come and go Wait for me in a northern bay at the corner castle stone Ride me high tonight my Patty ride me on your way Bring your lace and diamonds I'll marry you some day Ride the wind tonight oh Patty away from a northern town Fly me home to the highlands and I'll lay thy body down
12.
He use to be a lucky man everybody called him friend He traveled the world all over around and back again The finest girl on every street would wind up on his arm All well to do and beautiful too with a race horse in the barn Then he stumbled in to the valley of sin And everybody there claimed they knew him when He went down in a blaze of glory He went down in a burst of flame Just like an old familiar story Some things are never gonna change If we had a rowboat in the middle of a angry sea With a anchor ‘round our ankles to drown our misery We’d say a toast to the memory of the saints who died in vain And smash that whisky on the rocks if we ever got back again Well it’s not so easy when a man’s got to choose Between nothin’ left and nothin’ left to loose Goin’ down in a blaze of glory Goin’ down in a burst of flame Like the ones who came before me Wouldn’t have it any other way You and I well we could light the sky Just like a flash from the brightest star in the night Let's go down in a blaze of glory We'll go down in a burst of flame Like a heart breaking story Maybe someday we’ll meet again
13.
When the party hit full swing I saw you come reelin' in Had that six-pack in a stranglehold Now you swagger, now you sway, why don't ya fall the other way I've got somethin' here worth more than gold Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands They don't mend with sticky tape and glue Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands That's my very best advice to you Call me precious, I don't mind 78's are hard to find Just can't get good shellac since the war This one's the Beltona brand finest label in the land They don't make 'em like that any more Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands They don't mend with sticky tape and glue Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands That's my very best advice to you Darlin' though you’re twice my size I don't mean to patronize Honey let me lead you by the hand Find a lap or find a chair you can park it anywhere Just don't rest your cheeks against my man Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands They don't mend with sticky tape and glue Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands That's my very best advice to you No shindig is half complete without that famous polka beat That's why they invite me I suppose Waltzes, strathspeys, eights and reels Now you know how good it feels Crank the handle boys away she goes

credits

released August 1, 2002

All songs written by Brent Hoad, Steve Phillips, Ian Byrne, Norm Dahlor & Michael Bliss © Elders Pub Music 2002 EXCEPT "Don't Sit on My Jimmy Shands Written by Richard Thompson

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The Elders Kansas City, Missouri

The Elders were founded in 1998 by six musicians with a passion for music rooted in Irish jigs & reels & American folk rock. Their original songs offer delightful story lines, with vibrant narratives that explore history, legends, tall tales and true-life experiences ... more

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