Music Monday is a meme, created by Drew at The Tattooed Book Geek, where I focus on a song I absolutely love and feel needs to be shared.

Song: “On Raglan Road”
Artist: The Dubliners

Lyrics taken from genius.com

On Raglan Road of an autumn day
I saw her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare
That I might one day rue

I saw the danger and I passed
Along the enchanted way
And I said, let grief be a falling leaf
At the dawning of the day

On Grafton Street in November
We tripped lightly along the ledge
Of a deep ravine where can be seen
The worth of passions pledged

The Queen of Hearts still making tarts
And I not making hay
Oh, I loved too much and by such, by such
Is happiness thrown away

I gave her gifts of the mind
I gave her the secret sign
That’s known to the artists who have known
The true gods of sound and stone

And her words and tint without stint
I gave her poems to say
With her own name there and her own dark hair
Like clouds over fields of May

On a quiet street where old ghosts meet
I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly
My reason must allow

That I had loved not as I should
A creature made of clay
When the angel woos the clay
He’ll lose his wings at dawn of day

I first heard “On Raglan Road” during an emotionally intense scene in the film In Bruges (2008). The song takes its lyrics from a poem by Patrick Kavanagh and was put to music by The Dubliners. Singer Luke Kelly croons over the sounds of traditional Irish instruments and the song creates a melancholy landscape with the tragic lyrics. The poem describes a man falling in love with a woman despite the knowledge that things may not work out.

I think this is a fitting song to share in the wake of Saint Paddy’s day weekend; though I have red hair and despite everyone’s assumptions, I have no Irish heritage whatsoever. This, however, doesn’t keep me from learning about the culture and its beautiful music, especially when it is as lovely and evocative as this song.

The image featured in this post can be found through the hyperlink below.
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