The Girl With The Beret – Album
Rising Men Down
Mother said go with her, walk with your sister down
Your brother has gone with his gun and the fight is on
Tear up the sheets, get your kit and your uniform on
The boys have gone to be men and the fight is on
They are Rising Men Down
Rising Men Down
Alice, she went with her friend off to Liberty Hall
But I was drawn to the men and their marching call
Past old Tom’s, Mr. Clarke nine days later he would fall
To the sound of the firing squad by the prison wall
They are Rising Men Down
Rising Men Down
They are Rising Men Down
Rising Men Down
“Katy go home, we’ll tell Paddy on you” they said
But the girl with the hound at her feet was calling ahead
And under the gaze of Hibernia, sad and tall
The boys of 1916 began to fall
As Mercury guided them in through the doors
Bathed and dressed and absolved
In the presence of the Lord
Liam he fell by the phones with the war in his hands
And the boys now men I held in my arms
They are Rising Men Down
Rising Men Down
They are Rising Men Down
Rising Men Down
Lay
Here I come, hold your fire
Here I run, hold your fire
Here I come, don’t shoot me down
Here I run, you offered me safe passage
If I could lay, lay my head down
Lay, lay my head down
Here I come, I am the messenger
I run through streets on fire for you
Through alleyways and barricades
The fear of God is in me but I’ll stay true
If I could lay, lay my head down
Oh lay, lay my head down
Is it the unrelenting drive to meet requests?
Or the kindness of the woman who offers rest?
That makes us more than hand maidens?
If I could lay, lay my head down
Lay, lay my head down
Here I come, hold your fire
Here I run, hold your fire
The Girl With The Beret
Hair wound thick round the note that he wrote
Safe and hidden and bound by a ribbon
Of pink silken courage, a stalwart array
Wrapped in the tale of a velvet beret
Laced with a blessing in Gaelic of old
She took her instruction and did what was told
But she couldn’t help notice what hung from his hand
A strange golden bangle the colour of sand
What kind of man would wear such a thing
A man of great wealth or maybe a king
Or maybe a lover who wants to remember
The reason he fights for his Grace full defender
For he was a poet, a scholar of prose
Immersed in a language of one who hopes
Hopes for the tempest that roared up and broke
His mad heart that died when his wild love awoke
The girl with the beret knew not of despair
On the day that she carried his note in her hair
To the men on guard at the gates of the courts
Delivered with pride, a message of force
And on her way back through the streets under fire
She climbed to the top of a look out tower
And the whistling sound of a bullet did pass
By her head as she watched through the looking glass, the looking glass
Two holes left in the beret that she wore
That carried the note from the man on the floor
With the strange golden bangle the colour of sand
A gift from his lover in turn for his hand
But the joy for the young girl’s narrow escape
Was shrouded in sorrow by a cruel twist of fate
As the kindness of mercy that spared her that day
Surrendered the love of the poet who lay
In the grave of his marriage to the woman that he loved
For they wed in the chapel just hours before
The young Joseph Plunkett was shot in the head
And the strange golden bangle was all that was left
And the girl with the beret… (through the looking glass) She remembered
Oh Mother
Oh Mother, Oh Mother
What could you do when they called you?
And how can we tell the story from the truth?
But know that your love was greater than it all
Larger than our lives and stronger than the fall
Oh Mother, Oh Mother
We’d follow you to the ends of this earth
Where the souls that you fed now rest
Your name shall not be engraved
On the walls of Rome or the ruins of Greece
But in our hearts,
Every broken piece
Oh Mother, Oh Mother
We’d follow you
We’d follow you
The Walls
If the walls could speak on North Richmond Street
I wonder what they’d say
Would the speak of places hidden deep
Where unknown secrets lay
On borrowed time
Someone’s loss enshrined
In dirt and grime
A dead man’s fate defined
If the walls could speak on North Richmond Street
I wonder what they’d say
Would they whisper of the gatherings
Where frightened faces prayed
On borrowed time
Someone’s loss enshrined
In dirt and grime
A dead man’s fate defined
And all the time they hold
The secrets of the fold
And all the time they hold
The story that she told
The Still Beyond – Album
Painted Lady
She flies in the face of danger
No one knows exactly where she goes
Guided by the wind her journey takes her
To a land where the sweet nectar grows
Oh Oh Oh
Burning orange bright all eyes are on her
Slender is the essence of her might
Her fragile beauty is her only armour
To steer her through the perils of her flight
Oh Oh Oh
When the north wind whispers to her softly
Primal is the knowledge of her plan
For there she finds the promise of her fortune
And wings of gold the continents shall span
Oh Oh Oh
My Dear
There’s a place deep inside of me
That smiles when you’re around
There’s a place deep inside of me
That feels safe and sound
Oh my dear
When you are here
As rare as a bird
That sings among the flowers
My heart blooms as you wile away the hours
Oh my dear
When you are here, when you are here
Oh Oh Oh
And when you are gone
Like winter so long
Tears freeze my heart which burns
And waits for your return
Oh my dear
When you’re not here
When you’re not here
There’s a place deep inside of me
That smiles when you’re around
There’s a place deep inside of me
That feels safe and sound
Oh my dear
But you’re not here
You’re not here, you’re not here
Left In Disbelief (Lament for John)
They say you’re gone
You never told me, never
And how long?
You never told me, never
And tears fall from weeping stars
To fill the ocean up with grief
Your lovely Rose
Left in disbelief
Was the water cold my love?
Oh was the water cold?
A heavy moon hangs in the sky tonight my love
For you
May the constant light that beckons to your soul
Guide you home
They say you’re gone
You never told me, never
And how Long?
You never told me, never
And tears fall from weeping stars
To fill the ocean up with grief
Your lovely Rose
Left in disbelief
Was the water cold my love?
Oh was the water cold?
Reverie of a Radiant Knight
Won’t you marry me please
Said the boy on his knees
You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen
Won’t you come with me
We could run away together
Far away from here
Over the blue mountain heather
With nothing to fear
Oh how beautiful life will be
Oh how beautiful life will be
So won’t you come with me
My fair maiden be
You my love at first sight
And I your radiant Knight
Oh how beautiful life will be
Oh how beautiful life will be
When we are older
And wiser and taller
And all of our world seems a little bit smaller
We’ll talk to each other and remember when
I was 13 and you were just ten
So won’t you marry me please
Said the boy on his knees
You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen
Oh won’t you be my queen.
Don’t Think So
He says he’s always thinking of you
The world would be an empty place without you
And there’s nobody quite like you
He’d give the moon and stars to have you
Do you really think it’s true?
Do you really?
Do you really think it’s true?
I don’t think so, Oh oh oh
She says you’re her one and only
So smart, good-looking and so funny
And she loves everything about you
You’re the best boy she’s ever had
Do you really think it’s true?
Do you really?
Do you really think it’s true?
I don’t think so, Oh oh oh
These are the lies that we spin to avoid going there, oohh…..
She says she was just about to call you, oh yeah
It’s ok honey it happens all the time
And he says you’re still as lovely as the day he met you, mmm mm
Sure darling, that dress looks fine
Do you really think it’s true?
Do you really?
Do you really think it’s true?
I don’t think so, oh oh oh
Oh no, Oh no I don’t think so!
Feel
You were there, I was there, we had it
The want, the desire, the lust
Oh I felt it, you felt it, we just never said it
I lay with your friend and you with mine
What a strange thing to happen considering time
Oh I remember the warmth of your skin
and the touch of your hand on the back of my neck Oh
You were the wild child, too cool for school
Your Daddy met his fate in a public park
And your Mammy well she just went crazy
All alone you were left on your own
And you needed someone to be close to
Oh I remember the warmth of your skin
and the touch of your hand on the back of my neck Oh
And you make me
You make me
You make me Feel
You make me Feel
You make me …..Feel
Oh I remember the warmth of your skin
and the touch of your hand on the back of my neck Yeah
Jackal
Changing rooms to fit the mood
Which fill your thoughts like empty food
You crave but never satisfy
Nothing can survive on
The Jackal hides he waits until
The wave on which you ride subsides and
Crashes to the ground on which your
Very being lies in pieces
Waiting for the next sweet moment to arrive
And you, you think you know me
And you, you’ll never know me
Words contrived to fit the lines of
Morphine dosed dependent rhymes the
Syncopated chimes
No rhyme or reason
For paradise is never what
It seems for those with dreams that float on
Little boats out on the sea
Filled with cargo fueled by the
Nectar of your next sweet moment about to arrive
And you, you think you know me
And you, you’ll never know me
So the jackal crawls out of the darkness
Weighing up the heart that lies
In the place that follows happiness from
Sweet sweet highs
He bears a grin that shows the teeth
Which puncture in like rotten meat and
Rip the fragile soul that hides
Within the cradle of despise and
Lies, lies oh sweet lies
And you, you think you know me
And you, you’ll never know me (x2)
You’ll never know me
Coldness At Dawn
Sittin here with your broken head
The left over wine from the night you’d rather forget
A heaviness which fills the air
Reminds you of all that you said you’d rather forget
And the cold morning frost that creeps under your door
Chills you to the bone
Sittin here with your broken heart in the house that you once called home
And you will rise again
And You will rise again
You go outside to clear your head
The tracks of her car still in the ground where she drove away
And standing here in the morning sun
You wonder how you will go on in the clear light of day
And all the kings horses and all of his men
They couldn’t bring her back to you
And the coldness at dawn cries softly what you always knew
And all the kings horses and all of his men
They couldn’t bring her back to you
And the coldness at dawn cries softly what you always knew
Undone (A Song for Anna Parnell, 1852 – 1911)
Take me by the hand and lead me down
To the river you waded in your gown
To the man who carried you across
To the ones you faithfully lost
When all was said
You came undone (x2)
To understand the battles that you fought
To bear the heavy burden of your thoughts
Standing on the graves of those less strong
You prayed for wretched souls who had been wronged
When all was said
You came undone (x2)
For you were never one to settle down
Pay homage to the man or his crown
Never one to compromise
To want for something more your heart did lie
When all was said
You came undone (x2)
Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh
Shadowed by the notions of your kin
A life of solitude you drowned within
Lonely was the soul who gave a damn
The greatness of their deeds were but a sham
When all was said
You came undone (x4)
You Said
You said nothing stays the same
You said we all have to change
And time stands still for no one
You said just gotta move on
Ooh Ooh Ooh
Bright lights of a city left behind
Time for those stars to re-align
I know, I know it is hard
Sometimes just gotta let go
Just gotta let go
‘Cos nothing stays the same
People they change
Yeah people they change
Nothing the same
Ooh Ooh Ooh
You said nothing stays the same
And you said we all have to change
And time stands still for no one
You said just gotta move on
Beholder
This is what we do when we age
We exercise and de-rage
Neuroticise over size
Over condemn those that lie
Shallowness lies in the beholder (x2)
This is the time to lie
This is the time to cry
Why do I feel so compelled to fight?
Why do I feel so compelled to bite?
Shallowness lies in the beholder (x2)
We rob the hours at night
Bewitching hours of love and fright
Not wanting to let go, see the light
And start all over again
To You – EP
She Cries
Baby baby don’t you cry for me
I don’t know how this is supposed to be
We don’t talk about this kind of thing
I’m in the dark floundering
She Cries, She cries
Love never dies but we do, we do
Tell me tales about the man in the moon
Sing me a song with a soothing tune
Hold me close so I can feel your skin
Forgive me Father for I have sinned
She Cries, She cries
Love never dies but we do, we do
Lay me down on a bed of briar
Give my body to the raging fire
Spirits soar to the great unknown
I’m like a bird, I’ve finally flown
She Cries, She cries
Love never dies but we do, we do
All You Can Be
I need this, I need this,
All around here is blue
All reminds me of you
I need this, I need this,
Take what you will,
All you can fill,
Rid yourself free to be,
All, all, all…All you can be.
All around here is blue,
All reminds me of you.
Well Runs Dry
Ten in the bead and the little one said
What lies ahead
But the others didn’t care for the little ones despair
They’re all over-fed
Water, water all around
The death fires dance at night
Water like a witches oil
Watcha gonna do when the well runs dry?
Horsemen came in the middle of the night
Set Darfur alight
Towns ablaze as the killers raged
Not a drop in sight
Water, water all around
The death fires dance at night
Water like a witches oil
Watcha gonna do when the well runs dry?
Cars and planes
Fancy goods and sugar cane
Lands a flood as the deserts grow
All for greed and the rich man’s gain
Water, water all around
The death fires dance at night
Water like a witches oil
Watcha gonna do when the well runs dry?
To You
All the fish in the sea
All the birds in the sky
All the time on our hands
To question why
All the years gone by
All the tear’s we’ve cried
All the choices we’ve made
It brings me to you
There’s a clock on the wall
There’s a cup on the floor
There’s a key to the door
That brings me to you
To you, To you
All the fish in the sea
All the birds in the sky
All the time on our hands
To question why
All lyrics written by Kate O’Callaghan ©2016 ©2013 ©2010
(with the exception of Well Runs Dry chorus – an excerpt from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)