Isle of Innisfree

If you sang this song in Australia, New York or Boston you would bring the house down.

This version is a bit slow for me.

It was written by a garda who was on his way to give evidence in a court case.

The words came and he wrote it down. Later on someone put it to music and a big cheque landed in his letterbox. Recorded by Bing Crosby a worldwide hit. Then MORE money came in as it featured in the movie ET. It had a third wad of money, though I forget where.

Paul McCartney woke up one morning with a tune in his head. He asked the others in the studio if they had heard it before. It was a good tune, but no one knew where it came from.

Later he was sleeping in a taxi going to a hotel in Portugal with Jane Asher. When he woke up the song was complete. The music and the words came to him while he was sleep. 

This song was the biggest hit that the Beatles ever had.

Before they were the Beatles on Spotify for it all. 

So when you have a moment listen to those voices, they might be telling you something wonderful.

Isle of Innisfree

Author: words & music by Dick Farrelly
Copyright: Peter Maurice Music/EMI Music

These are the correct words given to me by Dick Farrelly's son Gerard

I've met some folks who say that I'm a dreamer
And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say
But sure a body's bound to be a dreamer
When all the things he loves are far away.
And precious things are dreams onto an exile
They take him o'er the land across the sea
Especially when it happens he's an exile
From that dear lovely Isle of Innisfree.

And when the moonlight peeps across the rooftops
Of this great city wondrous tho' it be
I scarcely feel its wonder or its laughter
I'm once again back home in Innisfree.

I wander o'er green hills thro' dreamy valleys
And find a peace no other land could know
I hear the birds make music fit for angels
And watch the rivers laughing as they flow.
And then into a humble shack I wander
My dear old home, and tenderly behold
The folks I love around the turf fire gathered
On bended knees their rosary is told.

But dreams don't last
Tho' dreams are not forgotten
And soon I'm back to stern reality
But tho' they paved the footways here with gold dust
I still would choose the Isle of Innisfree.

Theme of the film "The Quiet Man"
It is the melody and not the words that feature in the film.