It is thanks to the great singer and song collector Sean Corcoran that I have this song. It can be found in James N. Healy's book 'Irish Ballads and Songs of the Sea'.
I must also thank Jack Talty for taking the time to record it in his studio last year and Marcel Cornu for making the upcoming video to accompany the song. 
This is the first in a collection of recordings that i'll be posting over the coming months in preparation for my solo album. Hope you enjoy.

Captain Thompson

Time Is Short But Free

I wrote this song about a great friend of my dads who I'd always heard epic stories about while growing up. When I finally met him the cancer had nearly taken him, but i could still see he was still very strong at heart. To Big Finbar Pender.

If You Only Knew

Welcome Poor Paddy Home

I recorded this song today just to add to the Trad Connect songwriter showcase.

It's one I wrote very recently on the topic of domestic violence. It's a bit of a taboo subject and one not often sang about. Sailing Through History is taken from the perspective of a wife having to live through regular abuse over a century ago. When finally she summons up the courage to defend herself, it's she who ends up on trial. I was inspired to write it after hearing the backwards views of some who in today's society still think that the victims should never speak out. Hopefully that type of mindset will soon just be sailing through history.

(V1)
Her father had been a fine sailor
Happiest when out on the sea
Now suck on the land, he's but half a man
Sailing through history.

(V2)
She's Margret, the wife of Old Taylor.
Was married off young by decree
With bucket in hand, she's out on the land
Milking sweet memories

(V3)
Old Taylor's confessions were seasick
Confined to that box and a screen
He'd play out the night of trashing his wife
To start counting rosary beads.

(V4)
Their son had got caught in the crossfire
He died on the road to Belize
Shur a vagabonds life, tis but half the price
And he paid for the days he'd spent free

(V5)
But Taylors condition continued,
Continued at such a degree
When Margret lay there with blood in her hair
She'd whisper a song of the free

(V6)
No he had not a rhyme nor a reason
So she hid from the light to confound
And with the coming of night, she took out a knife
Fumbling, she cut him down.

(V7)
Old Taylor, begrudged and disgruntled
looked upwards to face Femme Fatale
And from there in the dirt, his coffin of earth
His life was, but death not beguiled.

(V8)
Margaret's voice it was trembling
But a melody flowed out somehow
But her song was cut short, with gallows in accord
With the rights of Old Taylor allowed.

(V9)
Her father had been a fine sailor
When he heard of the death of Margie
He took out his boat, and with her did float
Sailing through history.


Song summary:
(V1) The song is about a unfortunate lady called Margret and I introduce her in the song firstly through her father, who is an elderly seafarer living in the past through his memories.

(V2) She was forced into the marriage of 'Old Taylor' at a young age and is having a hard life working in the fields and like her father is surviving on her only happy past memories.

(V3) Here we find out Old Taylor is repenting for his weekly abuse of his wife Margret and a simple decade or two of the rosary suffices to keep him content in the knowledge that his soul is cleansed. 

(V4) Margret and Old Taylor have had a son who had ran away from the violence in the family. He had since paid the price and died on his journey looking for a safe home. I'm trying to convey that running away from these type of problems doesn't always help.

(V5) Even with the loss of their son Old Taylor is relentless in his abuse of Margret. It's reaching tipping point. Margret now has sickeningly become accustomed to the routine and sings to keep from going mad.

(V6) Old Taylors actions are unprovoked and one night when Margret is waiting and expecting the predictable beating, she snaps. She has had enough and will end it. She will strike before he does tonight.

(V7) Old Taylor, in shock. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought it would lead to this, death by his wife's hands. Now looking clearly at his past life, it was charmed, he had it easy, and now with it at an end he realizes the harrowing situation he has landed himself in. He caused this to happen with his actions.

(V8) It seems as though Margret is free and finally finding her voice in the world. But no, she's living in world where men make all the laws and she has no voice there. She is sentenced to death for the murder of Old Taylor and hung. No plea of self defense granted. 

(V9) I use Margret's father, the sailor, to top and tail the story. At the beginning his mind is far removed from the present time. But on finding out that Margret had been sentenced along with the reasons behind it, he sees himself as being responsible. If he had been living in the moment and not in the past, he may have been able to help his daughter. A family member turning a blind eye on abuse. In his mind now, the only option is to sail with Margret into death.


Sailing Through History

I wrote this song about a good friend of my dads who I had grown up hearing amazing stories about. A hero of a man. When I finally met him the cancer had taken hold. He bought me my first pint and his impression on me was lasting. He died a few months later. For Finbar Pender.

If You Only Knew (Acoustic)

An acoustic performance of 'Once For All'.
New album release coming 2016

Subscribe to Aodán’s channel: http://bit.ly/SubToAodánCoyne

Download on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-iTunes
Buy CD here: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-Album
Buy via Amazon: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-Amazon
Buy via Google Paly: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-GPlay

Follow on -
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aodanc
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aodancoyne
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aodancoyne
Official Website: http://aodancoyne.com

Director & Cinematographer: Ruairi Mythen

Producer & Live audio recording: Aodán Coyne
Location: Ballyalla lake, Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland

Lyrics:

(V1)
If you have one true friend, you’ve more than your share
I had crossed my heart and you were aware
But you had anger on show
With reasons for lying and rules
Advertising friendship for fools, oh
Advertising friendship for fools

(Chorus)
Just let me know if you are willing to talk about it
Just let me know and I’ll call, 
We’ll sort this once for all

(V2)
It was not easy to go but you kicked me
Then you locked me out without a key
I’ll leave but not let it lie low
And I’ll sheath with the passions of plenty
We lot what many would envy, oh
We lot what many would envy

(Chorus)
(V3)
But did we just deem things uninviting
Like clouds at mornings dawn coinciding
Consider the afterglow
Just sigh when life’s off beat
Don’t take it as defeat, oh
Don’t take it as defeat

(Inter)
There are days we’d laughed for hours
Not caring where the time went as we knew
With every drop of drizzle and every shower.
You had me as cover and I had you

(V4)
Ya, we had had our reasons I’ll grant you
And I was far from pure that’s tried and true
These days the clock ticks in tow
But do you now want what I do?
If not then déjà vu, oh
If not then déjà vu

(Chorus x2)

Once For All [Live Version]

New album release coming 2016
The first of many new live originals, watch the Youtube video here - http://bit.ly/SheCalledItSleeping

Subscribe to Aodán’s channel: http://bit.ly/SubToAodanCoyne

Download on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-iTunes
Buy CD here: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-Album
Buy via Amazon: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-Amazon
Buy via Google Paly: http://smarturl.it/IfWeOnlyKnew-GPlay

Follow on -
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aodanc
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aodancoyne
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aodancoyne
Official Website: http://aodancoyne.com

Director & Cinematographer: Marcel Cornu
https://www.instagram.com/lecramunroc73/

Producer & Live audio recording: Aodán Coyne
Location: Glór Theater, Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland

Lyrics:

(V1)
Could I have been that faceless fool?
Could I have please, a world where you are not you?
And the deepest stains of blue
Have been strip away so I no longer feel them
Not that I haven’t learnt from
The colors of love
A work that looked so neat but

(Chorus) 
She’d been cheating
She called it sleeping while I
Had been dreaming
I can no longer see her though.

(V2) 
Would it be fair to say life’s cruel?
Would it be fair to say I am lost without you?
It hit me hard it’s true
I’ll lay it bare, I’ll lay it in from of you
I’d thought it felt like it should
Gave all I could
But waking up to find that..

(Chorus)
(V3) 
How many times I lied for you
How many times you’d wrapped me around your finger
And what if I’d died for you?
Would you have sat & looked & laughed & lingered
I’ve seen your changing faces 
You’re airs and graces
But I’d been blind to see that

(Chorus)
(Inter)
I never thought I’d look away
But I can’t keep eyes on things that stray
I never thought I’d look away..
(Solo)

(Bridge)
I’ve been thinking about the time
When all went wrong and you survived
And now I hope you’re satisfied
(Chorus)

She Called It Sleeping [Live Version]

The original plan was to release this single through iTunes and send all profits on to tackle homelessness around Ireland, but that way of going about things would have iTunes getting up to 40% of donations. So instead i'm going to make this single completely free for all to download and I simply encourage those of you who do, to make a donation to either the Home Sweet Home Eire project or Focus Ireland. Both of which are taking proactive approaches to helping those who are homeless to get off the streets and into housing this Christmas.
So firstly here are the links to their donation pages, please give what you can to whichever organisation you prefer - 
http://bit.ly/HomeSweetH
http://bit.ly/FocusIRE
And here is the link to your free download - http://bit.ly/TheyPUW
Hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Audio recording: Tony O'Flaherty - Sonas Studios
Lyrics: They Put Us Wrong - Aodán Coyne ©

(Verse 1)
I was told it’s like a movie
How every scene would play out well and good
How if we prayed we’d have a good life
How if we prayed God would help out too

(Verse 2)
How it’s nice to see them smiling
Walking past me in their fancy shoes
Wonder if their minds are broken?
Because I’m not broken,
I’m not broken only bruised

(Chorus 1)
They put us wrong,
They put us wrong and say
Go find your own way (x2)

(Verse 3)
Ya you put me in the dust now
I’m in the dust but I’m still in plain view
Yes I worry about the future,
Wouldn’t worry about the future if we fed the roots

(Verse 4)
All I am is flesh and bone now
I tried to show them but their eyes are glued
I would shout but no ones listening,
No ones listening, no ones listening only you

(Chorus 2)

(Bridge)
And I don’t mean to waiste your time but I’m down on my luck and a
Just a little piece of mind would be fine (x2)

(Chrous 3)
They put us wrong,
They put us wrong and say
Go find your own way (x2)

(Outro)
They put us wrong, they put us wrong, they put us wrong
They put us wrong, and I’m down on my luck

Aodán Coyne - They Put Us Wrong

Lyrics: Ireland’s Struggle – Aodán Coyne ©

I don’t care for history
Forgive me for my shame
The wrongs of dear old Ireland
The oppression and the pain
There’s men that fight for freedom
But I, I fight for love
My son was taken early
And killed near Holy Cross

A martyr for his country
He met with violent death
And I swore to God almighty
I’d pledge him my last breath
So here I stand beside the men
In the echo of the guns
Their 1916 rising
Is a fight for my son

Now I am of low station
In birth, in life, in law
And this struggle is worth its weight in
The bodies sure to fall
But regardless of the danger
I’ll smuggle guns and bombs
Past British troops now stationed
In ‘the town of the hurdled ford’

It was dark and I was fearful
In the din of smoke and fire
I shot an English soldier
His head above the wire
But I did not see my Michael
No ghost nor spirit rise
I’d have wept through all the fighting
If custom let me cry

Bombarded to our stations
The buildings crashing around
But non among could face it
Surrender to the crown
But words of consternation
Of children on the ground
Aye, we could not take it
So we put our weapons down

Now marching to our faith with
Our lives no longer bound
To time and respiration
A flood of memories now
My child I’ll soon be with you
If God of light allows
And frees this darkened history
Of Ireland's struggle now

Aodán Coyne - Ireland's Struggle

Composer and producer of his commended solo album ‘If You Only Knew’, Aodán Coyne is a unique singer-songwriter talent from Ireland and a principal member of the acclaimed folk band ‘Socks in the Frying Pan’, a leading Irish traditional group on the U.S. and European festival scene. 

He has an in-depth understanding of arts administration and the application of social and interactive media for both small and large businesses in the world of music.

A knowledgeable and dedicated teacher specialising in solo performance, events management and ‘DADGAD’ guitar, Aodáns recent ventures include managing and collaborating on the Kitchen Sessions, a networking video project bringing together the best of Folk musicians from around Ireland.

Aodán has been recognized as one of Ireland's budding songwriter talents by the Irish Traditional Music Magazine and “A traditional singer who is capable of joining the ranks of the great Irish vocalists” by Folk World Magazine.

Aodán Coyne

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