Celtic Rainbow Lyrics

1. Sleepy Maggie (2:16)
Lead vocals: Solana Gothard
Track Notes:
This song is based on an old Scottish poem which tells the story of a young man trying to make his way through a bad storm to the house of his true love, but it was really hard to understand. We liked the story and the chords that go with it so much that we decided to modernize the lyrics so people today can understand it. This is how the old song went:

Are ye Sleepin' Maggie (by Robert Tannahill)
Mirk and rainy is the nicht,
There's no' a staum in a' the carry
Lichtnin's gleam athwart the lift,
And cauld winds drive wi' winters fury.

Chorus
Oh, are ye sleeping Maggie
Let me in, for loud the linn is howling
Ower the warlock Craigie.

2. Fearfu' soughs the boortree bank,
The rifted wood roars wild and dreary
Loud the iron yett does clank,
The cry of hoolits mak's me eerie.
Chorus

3. Abune ma breath, I daurnae speak,
For fear I rouse your waukrife Daddy
Cauld's the blast upon my cheek,
O rise, O rise my bonnie lady.
Chorus

4. She's ope'd the door, she's let him in,
She's cuist aside his dreepin plaidie
Blaw yer warst ye rain and wind,
For Maggie noo I'm an aside ye.

Now here are our modernized lyrics:
Sleepy Maggie (lyrics by the Gothard Sisters)

Dark and rainy is the night
from all this climb I am so weary
Lightning gleams across the sky,
and winds that blow with winter fury

Chorus
Oh are you sleeping Maggie,
Oh are you sleeping Maggie,
Let me in, for loud the wind
is roaring over the mountains craggy.

Rainfall fills the river bank
wind through the woods roars wild and clearly
loud the bells from the village clank
and cry of owl sounds so eerie

Chorus

Oooh She's at the door, she's let him in
he's left the night so cold and spooky
blow your worst, he told the wind
since now I'm safe inside with Maggie

Chorus

2. Taking Flight (3:06)
Instrumental
Track Notes:
This track is made up of two separate tunes. The first one is a very slow version of Kinyon's jig, while the second one is the ever-popular Natalie MacMaster tune, Catharsis.
The story behind the song is an image that we all started seeing while we were playing it.
It starts out in the mountains, with mist covering a pebbly cliff. A small young eagle is making his way towards the edge of the cliff to try and spread his wings and fly. The cliff is over a large mountain valley. You can hear the shuffle of wings opening and closing as he makes his way to the edge with the shivering bodhran and strings, and the song continues to build until the eagle takes flight off of the cliff.
At first the eagle flies with a pack of birds, but eventually he takes off on his own, strong and free, as symbolized by the three fiddles playing together until it is just one solo fiddle by the end of the song.

3. The Rocks of Bawn (4:29)
Lead vocals: Solana Gothard
Track Notes:
This song was arranged by another sister group called the Maidens IV, who took this traditional song and turned it into something modern and exciting.
Please go to www.maidensmusic.com and support them, they are a great Celtic group with awesome songs.
This song is about a farmer, who doesn't like plowing his lousy soil full of rocks. He'd much rather join the Irish army and fight for his country.

Lyrics:

4. Paddy's Green Shamrock Shores (3:19)
Lead vocals: Solana Gothard
Track Notes:
This is one of many Irish immigration songs, telling about the journey the Irish people had to make away from their homeland to start a new life in America. We like to think of the little rhythm section in the middle as a kind of "on-ship party" with dancing and music.

Lyrics:

From Derry kay we sailed away
on the twenty-third of May
we were taken on board by a pleasant crew
bound for America.

Chorus:
So fare thee well, my own true love
I'll think of you night and day
a place in my mind you will surely find
although I am so far away.
And when I'm alone, far away from home
I'll think of the good times once more.
Until I can make it back someday
to Paddy's Green Shamrock Shores.

5. The Climb (3:16)
Lead vocals: Solana Gothard
Track Notes:
This song was originally performed by Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana: the Movie, although it was written by two songwriters, Jesse Alexander and Jon Mabe.
The song talks about starting with nothing and having a goal, and continuing to work for that goal, but deciding not to be too goal-oriented. Because sometimes it's not about the goal, sometimes it's just about the journey it takes to get there.

Lyrics:

I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming but
there's a voice inside my head saying
"you'll never reach it."
Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels
lost with no direction
my faith is shaken
but I....gotta keep tryin'
gotta keep my head held high.

Chorus:
There's always gonna be another mountain
always gonna wanna make it move

6. Orange Blossom Special (2:16)
Instrumental
Track Notes:
The Orange Blossom Special is one of the most famous fiddle tunes out there. Most people don't know that it was named after a fancy passenger train that ran between NY and Florida in the 50's, they know it as the one song you have to be able to play if you can call yourself a fiddler.

We would like to dedicate this recording of our arrangement to your Uncle Duke, who always encouraged us to keep making music, who always wanted us to play it and who never got to hear this arrangement of it.

7. Death by Triple Fiddle (4:08)
Instrumental
Track Notes:
This song was put together by the amazing Edgar Myer, along with Sam Bush and Mike Marshall. We listened to it for many years, and it was my dad's favorite fiddle song.

We'd like to dedicate this recording to our dad, who always wanted us to play this song but we kept saying it was too hard. Well, we finally did it, Papa!

8. Both Sides Now (4:07)
Instrumental
Track Notes:
Both Sides Now was a very popular song written by Joni Mitchell. It talks about seeing things in different lights to learn lessons about life.

We made this purely instrumental version up as a challenge to turn Joni Mitchell's song into a fiddle tune. We also added a pure violin true section the middle.
The whole track makes us think of a pleasant journey through the countryside on a fast-moving train.

9. Caledonia (3:16)
Vocals: Solana and Greta Gothard
Track Notes:
Caledonia is a world-famous homesick song written by Scottish singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean. It is so famous in Scotland that it has been adopted as the unofficial Scottish national anthem.

For us, it holds a more personal meaning. We would like to dedicate this recording to our Uncle Duke, who passed away last year after a terrible battle with lung cancer. He was one of our greatest supporters and closest relatives, and there was rarely a show that we did where he wasn't in the audience, cheering us on.
We played this song for the first time at his memorial service.
We love you, Duke!

Lyrics:

I dunno if you can see
the changes that have come over me
in these last few days I've been afraid
that it might drift away...

So I've been telling old stories, singin' songs
that make me think about where I came from
that's the reason, why I seem
so far away today...

Chorus
Let me tell you that I love you
that I think about you all the time.
Caledonia, you're calling me
now I'm going home.
Oh but if I should become a stranger
you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything
I've ever had.

Now I'm sitting here, before the fire
the empty room and the forest choir
the flames that couldn't get any higher
they've withered now they've gone...

But I'm steady thinkin', my way is clear
and I know what I will do tomorrow
when the hands have shaken, the kisses flown,
well I will disappear...

Chorus

10. Celtic Rainbow (2:36)
Instrumental
Track Notes:
This song is meant to draw a picture of a rainbow appearing out of a rain storm.
It starts out with little drops of rain, (the plucks on the violin) that slowly gain momentum as more instruments are added. It turns into a large rainstorm as the melodic violin line starts blurring the raindrops into a sheet of water.
Then the rainbow happens as Solana's vocals symbolize the sun coming through the falling rain.
As soon as it appears, however, it is gone again and the rainstorm slowly dies back down until it is just little raindrops again.

11. Auld Lang Syne (3:01)
Lead vocals: Solana Gothard
Track Notes:

This is an old Scottish song that is traditionally heard around New Year's eve, a way to usher in the new while remembering the old. "Auld Lang Syne" means "Times Gone By."

The song talks about whether you should hold onto old friends, or if you should forget about them. The answer of course is, no! Don't forget your old friends.

Lyrics:

Should old acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
and days of Auld Lang Syne?

Chorus:
For Auld Lang Syne, my dear
for Auld Lang Syne
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
for Auld Lang Syne

And surely you'll be your pint stewp
and surely I'll be mine
and we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
for Auld Lang Syne

Chorus