Mary Beth Carty - Òran Boisdale (Fail ì Fail ò)

In the old days, songs were passed from person to person through oral tradition. The memory of who the author may have been was often lost in transmission. Nowadays, certain songs will rise up out of their archival beds and grab hold of a singer like me, cling to us and ask to be sung. Perhaps the ghosts of their unknown authors are there in the background trying to get a word in while we drink tea by the mailbox with our friends.

From the album Crossing the Causeway AVAILABLE PRE-ORDER NOW : https://found.ee/marybethcartynewalbum

No but really... do you like ghost stories? This recording just happened to turn ghostly when singer and Gaelic speaker Robyn Carrigan whispered her vocals into my portable microphone during a recording session in her Sydney kitchen after breakfast one day. It was fun to layer synthesizers and cricket sounds and place a backwards cymbal crash at the end of this track. It's my favorite song on the album... I hope you like it too!

Taing do Steiseag NicIlleathain, Catrìona Parsons, agus Sìne-Màiri MacDougall airson cuideachadh leis a’ Ghàidhlig!

Filmed and edited by David Overmars, Shoebox Studios
on October 22 2022 in the aftermath of post-tropical storm Fiona
in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Cast : Stacy Doiron, Lilly Carty , Rollie

Bradley Murphy : Piano, vocals | Colin Grant : Fiddle | Robyn Carrigan : Vocals | Sìne Maìri MacDougall : Vocals | Mary Beth Carty : Guitar, Accordion, Percussion, Vocals, Synthesizer, Cricket Samples

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Mike Shepherd at Lakewind Sound Studios with additional recording by Mary Beth in her portable studio.

Supported by funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency through the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative and the Music Nova Scotia Investment Program and The Province of Nova Scotia.

Learned from a recording of Margaret MacLean of Boisdale, Cape Breton Co. recorded by John Shaw on May 31, 1982. The archival tape is located in St.F.X.’s Gael Stream / Sruth nan Gaidheal.

More notes on the song :

"Margaret MacLean was known as Mairead Bean Ruairidh. Her maiden name was MacDonald and she lived in Boisdale in a big green house on a hill known as “Aite an Dohmnalich.” She was the wife of Rodrick MacLean, a relative of Flora MacLean. She only sang in the house, and didn’t sing at milling frolics. She spoke a raw Barra dialect, and this song has that regular, plodding rhythm typical of Barra milling songs. Sometimes this song might begin with the words “Latha dhomh na beinn a cheathaich.”"

This information was related to me by Catrìona Parsons. I translated the lyrics with her help.

‘N àm dhomh teàrnadh Beinn a’ Cheathaich

Fail ì, fail ò
O hìrì horo éro
Fail ì, fail ò

Cò thachair rium ach na fearaibh

Bha ann Dòmhnall Òg ‘ic Ailein

Agus Aonghas Mòr na h-Àirigh

Sin an sgeul a rinn mo charadh

‘S goirt a’ chis tha ‘n diugh air m’aire

Tha mo rian air leam gach latha

Chan fhaigh mise tàmh no cadal

Ach aig gruagach cinn gun amas

Dh’fhàg mo ghràdh air long na mara

Nam biodh agamsa bat’ aiseig

Agus gillean gion na fairge

Shiùbhlainn an cuan uain’ air m’aineoil

Approximate English translation :

When I was descending the Misty Mountain
Who should I happen upon but the men
Young Donald, son of Allan was there
And Big Angus of the sheilling.

What happened next is what is distressing me
The painful reminder is on my mind today
I think about it every day
I can’t find rest or sleep
Like a young distant waif with no control

My love is away on the ship on the sea
If I had a ferry
And beloved boys of the sea
We would sail the unknown green seas

Traduction français approximative :

En descendant la montagne des brumes
Par hasard je rencontre les gars
Jeune Donald, fils d'Allan,
Et Grand Innes des hautes terres

Ce qui s'est passé ensuite m'afflige
Le souvenir douloureux pèse sur mon esprit aujourd'hui
Et j'y pense à tous les jours
Je ne peux pas trouver de repos ni de sommeil
Comme une jeune orpheline éloigné, hors contrôle

Mon amour est parti à la mer sur un vaisseau
Mais si j'avais un traversier,
Et des jeunes mariniers biens-aimés,
Nous naviguerons les océans vertes inconnues.
credits

released October 28, 2022

To hear the archival version of this song : stfx.cairnrepo.org/islandora/objec…v%5Boffset%5D=0
Why Mary Beth wears a bindi : https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-a-bindi-is-not-an-exa_b_5150693

Related categories: • Celtic

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