Biddy's Well (Black Dog Island 2017)
Biddy o Barnes ‘’Barns more gap Donegal’’
I walked the mountains on each side of barnsmore gap in Co Donegal a few times as a young soldier. There is a Pub at the foot of the mountain called Biddy O’Berns of the Gap, at the rear of the pub there used to be a make shift kind of wooden well. Hence the name of the song ‘’Biddy’s Well’’ When we walked these mountains or went fishing we would always stop of for a few pints…That lead to a few pints. This song I wrote on my way back from a deep sea fishing trip in County Donegal. The weather turned for the worst, I remember the skipper shouting haul in your rigs and clear the decks were heading for shore. In saying that, we had caught a heap of fish that day. The waves were hoping of the bow and we were cracking jokes as you do on a day out. We ended up sitting at the wooden well at Biddy’s Pub having a few beers that day. Sun was belting down.
Lyrics:
KEY:EM
BIDDY’S WEL
1990 FINISHED 27 NOVEMBER 2013
BIDDY O BERNES OF BARNS MORE GAP DONEGAL
WE’LL BE CUTTING THROUGH WHITE WATER WE’LL BE CUTTING THROUGH THE SEA
OUR FISHING NETS AND TRAWLERS CHASE THE HERRING RUNNING FREE
WHERE OFF THE COAST OF DONEGAL OUR BOW IT FIGHTS THE SWELL
WE’LL BE DRINKING PINTS OF PORTER TONIGHT IN BIDDIES WELL.
VERSE 2
OUR CAPTAIN HE HAS SAILED THE SEA’S FOR TWENTY YEARS OR MORE
AND SOMETIMES WHEN HE HUMOURED UP HE’S SURE TO LET A ROAR
GET DOWN TO THE GALLEY BOY AND STAY YOU DOWN BELOW
FOR THE WAVES ARE RISING OFF OUR STERN A THAT WINDS ABOUT TO BLOW
CHORUS
EACH TRAWLER HAS IT’S JOKER AND THE JOKER HERE IS ME
IN SAYING ALL I HAVE TO SAY I JOKE ABOUT THE SEA
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SEAMAN EACH PORT HES SURE TO ROAM
THERE IS NOT A GIRL IN KILLYBEGS WILL TAKE A SEAMAN HOME
CHORUS
THESE WINTER MONTHS HAVE CROSSED OUR BOW OUR MID SHIP NEED REPAIR
WE HAVE TOOK A LOT OF WATER CHASING HERRING HERE AND THERE
HAUL IN THE RIGGING CLEAR THE DECKS LOWER THE FISH DOWN AFT
LETS SET THE COURSE BOUND FOR THE PORT THERE LAND IN SIGHT AT LAST
