Name: john reilly
Duration: 3 min 31 s
Channel: traditional
Description: "john reilly" is a song by wyldwyverne. this is an old folksong, on the theme of the returning lover. gone seven years, on his return his fair maid doesn't remember him, and he doesn't reveal himself until he has tested her and she has proven herself true

john reilly

wyldwyverne

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this is an old folksong, on the theme of the returning lover. gone seven years, on his return his fair maid doesn't remember him, and he doesn't reveal himself until he has tested her and she has proven herself true

folk pagan acoustic folk druid old ballads pagan folk trad folk traditional folk

wyldwyverne

folk singer with acoustic guitar, singing traditional folk-songs and old ballads, and pagan, specifically druidic.

i play guitar and recorders and sing traditional american, english, irish, scottish and australian folksongs, old ballads and some of my own songs. my own songs tend to have pagan themes, specifically, druidic. sometimes one of my friends joins me and we sing harmonies. very occasionally, we sing in other languages.

Song Info

Genre

Acoustic • Acoustic Folk

Charts

Peak #898

Peak in subgenre #158

Author

traditional

Rights

public domain

Uploaded

December 19, 2009

Track Files

MP3

MP3 1.6 MB • 64 kbps • 3:31

Story behind the song

every folk singer worth his/her salt has done a version of this one. joan baez and lionel long are two i heard when i was young - since then i've encountered it fairly often in song-books and collections. it's an interesting google.

Lyrics

fair young maid all in a garden
strange young man pass her by
says fair maid will you marry me
this then sir was her reply

she said kind sir i cannot marry thee
for i've a love who sails all on the sea
and he's been gone for seven years
and his name is john reilly

what if he's in some battle slain
or if he's drowned in the deep salt sea
what if he's found another love
and he and his love both married be

oh if he's in some battle slain
i will die when the moon doth wane
and if he's drowned in the deep salt sea
i'll be true to his memory

and if he's found another love
and he ad his love both married be
i wish them health and happiness
where they dwell across the sea

he picked her up all in his arms
and kisses gave her one two three
says weep no more my own true love
i am your long-lost john reilly.

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