Talkin' Cavan - Tim O'Brien

A while ago I chanced to roam to the place my great grandad called home

Wasn't that much I saw that day but I learned I whole lot along the way

Was goin' to Ireland retracing my family footsteps diggin' up roots

You could call 'em tubers

The closer to the root of my family tree the more people seemed to look like me

Saw a sign said Mollie O'Brien's bar I knew right then I couldn't be that far

I went in there and asked for beer he pours this black stuff he says 'cheers”

'Guiness gives you strength” he said I'll tell you friends it's like drinkin' bread

There's a loaf in every pint I was feelin' strong felt like I wanted to sing

My whistle was wet and my tongue was loose

When the barman asked how come I'd choose

To travel such a long long way on such a cold and rainy day

I said 'I'm goin' up to Kingscourt town That's in County Cavan to look around

My great grandaddy came from there

I want to see if the old home place is still there ”

Well he shook his head up and down

And then side to side and then he turned around and said

'A Cavan man then you know a lot of people wouldn't admit to that”

I figured I'd save a little hassle so I booked a room nearby in a fancy castle

Had a hard time gettin' my dinner there

It was full of these people with light blonde hair

Danish tourists two big busloads of 'em

Now the owner of the place his hair was black

When I talked to him I didn't get much back

His people are what you call 'west Brits”

They're the ones that treated my people like dirt

That's what lead to the Irish civil war I didn't know I'd come back for a little bit more

His nose was way up in the air but he took my money all the same

That night I dreamed I saw the ghost of the one I'd rather have as host

It was Tom O'Brien walkin' round the cabin there in Kingscourt town in County Cavan

Then the very next day in the hardware store

I found a cousin ten times removed or more

But he was no apparition he wasn't a haint - he was sellin' nuts and bolts and paint

I told him about our family connection and he kinda stood there still reflectin'

I could tell he wasn't that much impressed when he asked me with nary a trace of jest

He said 'How exactly may I help you sir ”

I just bought some nails and got the hell out of there

Then later that day after some detectin I found the lane in the rural section

It matched the picture in my dad's scrap book

And my heart beat faster as I drove to look

The sun burst through the clouds just then as I gazed at the current residents

It was a little sheep dog and an old milk cow

Yeah the old home place is an old barn now

It's ashes to ashes dust to dust thatched roof to tin roof and tin roof to rust