The Irish have a lot of songs

Tá bheannaigh Lá Fhéile Pádraig, fiú má tá tú aon fhuil Gaeilge i agat

May you have a blessed Saint Patrick's Day. You may not have a drop of Irish blood running through your veins, but that isn't the point of this day! To me it celebrate the land an people of Ireland--their hopes, joys, struggles, loves, justice and freedom.   

The Irish have a lot of songs--a whole lot of songs...I shall let the music tell the story.

A Song for Ireland ~ Mary Black

A Song for Ireland

Walking all the day, near tall towers where falcons build their nests

Silver winged they fly, they know the call of freedom in their breasts

Soar Black Head against the sky, between the rocks that run down to the sea

Living on your western shore, saw summer sunsets, asked for more

I stood by your Atlantic sea, and sang a song for Ireland

Talking all the day with true friends, who try to make you stay

Telling jokes and news, singing songs to pass the night away

Watched the Galway salmon run like silver dancing darting in the sun

Living on your western shore saw summer sunsets, asked for more

I stood by your Atlantic sea, and sang a song for Ireland

Drinking all the day in old pubs, where fiddlers love to play

Someone touched the bow, he played a reel, it seemed so fine and gay

Stood on Dingle beach and cast - in wild foam we found Atlantic Bass

Living on your western shore, saw summer sunsets asked for more

I stood by your Atlantic sea, and sang a song for Ireland

Dreaming in the night, I saw a land where no man had to fight

Waking in your dawn, I saw you crying in the morning light

Lying where the Falcons fly, they twist and turn all in you e'er blue sky

Living on your western shore, saw summer sunsets asked for more

I stood by your Atlantic sea, and I sang a song for Ireland

Gaelic song - Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí ~ Maria McCool 

May you have -
Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks bedside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire

~ A Gaelic Blessing 

Lord of the Dance ~ Michael Flatley

The Lord of the Dance

I danced in the morning when the world was young

I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun

I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth

At Bethlehem I had my birth

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees

They wouldn't dance, they wouldn't follow me

I danced for the fishermen James and John

They came with me so the dance went on

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame

The holy people said it was a shame

They ripped, they stripped, they hung me high

Left me there on the cross to die

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

I danced on a Friday when the world turned black

It's hard to dance with the devil on your back

They buried my body, they thought I was gone

But I am the dance, and the dance goes on

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

They cut me down and I leapt up high

I am the life that will never, never die

I'll live in you if you'll live in me

I am the Lord of the dance, said he

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

Sunday Bloody Sunday ~ U2

 TO SOME I HAVE TALKED WITH BY THE FIRE
    ~ William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)


            WHILE I wrought out these fitful Danaan rhymes,
            My heart would brim with dreams about the times
            When we bent down above the fading coals
            And talked of the dark folk who live in souls
            Of passionate men, like bats in the dead trees;
            And of the wayward twilight companies
            Who sigh with mingled sorrow and content,
            Because their blossoming dreams have never bent
            Under the fruit of evil and of good:
            And of the embattled flaming multitude
            Who rise, wing above wing, flame above flame,
            And, like a storm, cry the Ineffable Name,
            And with the clashing of their sword-blades make
            A rapturous music, till the morning break
            And the white hush end all but the loud beat
            Of their long wings, the flash of their white feet.

Four Green Fields ~ Tommy Makem 

Four Green Fields

'What did I have?' said the fine old woman

'What did I have?' this proud old woman did say

'I had four green fields, each one was a jewel

But strangers came and tried to take them from me

I had fine strong sons, they fought to save my jewels

They fought and died, and that was my grief' said she

'Long time ago' said the fine old woman

'Long time ago' this proud old woman did say

'There was war and death, plundering and pillage

My children starved by mountain valley and sea

And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens

My four green fields ran red with their blood' said she

'What have I now?' said the fine old woman

'What have I now?' this proud old woman did say

'I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage

In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me

But my sons have sons, as brave as were their fathers

My fourth green field will bloom once again' said she 

Finnegan's Wake ~ The Clancy Brother and Tommy Makem

from Finnegan's Wake ~ James Joyce

End here. Us then. Finn, again! Take. Bussoftlhee, mememormee! Till thousandsthee. Lps. The keys to. Given! A way a lone a last a loved a long the riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.

Irish Blessing

God bless you on this day of Saint Patrick! Enjoy! 
The Kitty Kids and I are.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

Wednesday Coffee House on New Year's Eve

Welcome to Sometimes Saintly Nick's Coffee House on the last day of 2014. Have a cuppa and enjoy!

What Are You Doing New Years Eve? ~  Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra ~ The Christmas Song

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett ~ Winter Wonderland 

Dean Martin ~ Let it Snow!

Have another cuppa or something stronger, if you like, and enjoy more music.

Audra McDonald ~ I Could Have Danced All Night

Dooley Wilson ~ As Time Goes By  (from Casablanca) 

BBC Symphony, Chorus and Singers ~ Auld Lang Syne

Take the music with you 
and keep the party going all 2015:

In Praise of the Proletariat + Monday Humor with KATZ

The union hall is empty, the labor camps tore down.
And everything we worked for lies broken on the ground.
And I'll bet old Cesar Chavez,'d roll over in his grave.
If he could see the working man, how he's become a slave.
~ Larry Gardner Marina, del Rey, California

The Factory Workers 1907

In ancient Rome the proletariat (literally meaning “producers of offspring” because their only “wealth” was their children) consisted of the poor, landless freemen, artisans, and small tradesmen. In the theory of Karl Marx, the term proletariat designated the class of wage workers whose chief source of income was derived from the sale of their laboring power. In the modern world the proletariat can be defined as all of those wage earners who work for someone else. There is also a sub-proletariat (Lumpenproletariat), disenfranchised and oppressed, who we call the unemployed; their plight I must address a future blog post.

On this Labor Day I can think of no better way to recognize the proletariat than the songs that were written and sung as they fought for their and our rights. Much of what these working men and women won during the first three-fourths of the Twentieth Century—the 40 hour work week, health insurance, a retirement income and much more—has been lost in the last thirty or so years under successive Republican administrations.. However, the music continues and may some day re-awaken the labor movement and our freedom from the oppression of the 1% (including the huge, multinationals corporations.

Joe Hill
October 7, 1879 – November 19, 1915

Joe Hill became famous around the world after a Utah court convicted him of murder. Even before the international campaign to have his conviction reversed, however, Joe Hill was well known in hobo jungles, on picket lines and at workers' rallies as the author of popular labor songs and as an Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) agitator. Thanks in large part to his songs and to his stirring, well—publicized call to his fellow workers on the eve of his execution—"Don't waste time mourning, organize!"—Hill became, and he has remained, the best—known IWW martyr and labor folk hero.

The Preacher and the Slaves ~ Joe Hill

I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night ~ Alfred Hayes/Earl Robinson—1936 

rie

Woody Guthrie 
July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967

I took a bath this morning in six war speeches, and a sprinkle of peace. Looks like ever body is declaring war against the forces of force. That's what you get for building up a big war machine. It scares your neighbors into jumping on you, and then of course they them selves have to use force, so you are against their force, and they're aginst yours. Look like the ring has been drawed and the marbles are all in. The millionaires has throwed their silk hats and our last set of drawers in the ring. The fuse is lit and the cannon is set, and somebody is in for a frailin. I would like to see everysingle soldier on every single side, just take off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at the side of some shady lane, and say, nope, I aint a gonna kill nobody. Plenty of rich folks wants to fight. Give them the guns. ~ Woody Guthrie

Ludlow Massacre ~ Woody Guthrie

Deportee ~ Woody Guthrie and Cisco Huston

Once upon a time, wasn’t singing a part of everyday life as much as talking, physical exercise, and religion? Our distant ancestors, wherever they were in this world, sang while pounding grain, paddling canoes, or walking long journeys. Can we begin to make our lives once more all of a piece? Finding the right songs and singing them over and over is a way to start. And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world ~ Pete Seeger

Talking Union ~ Pete Seeger and The Almanac Singers

Which Side Are You On ~ Pete Seeger

Now it's time for the laughs! Let's go get 'em!

Late Night Laughs

David Letterman:

It's Labor Day weekend. Labor Day, of course, is a holiday where people take three days off from being unemployed. 

Jimmy Kimmel:

You know, it's hard to believe. But it's almost time for a new season of "Dancing with the Stars." According to TMZ, the producers have a dream list. I have my dream for the next "Dancing with the stars." His name is Rob Ford, Toronto mayor. If Rob Ford doesn't win re-election, I'm going to try to book him to perform at our office holiday party.

Jimmy Fallon:

A new study found that having a big wedding boosts your chance of having a good marriage. While having a destination wedding boosts your chance of having friends who hate you.

Conan O’Brien:

Yesterday a fight broke out between the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys during a joint practice. Referees told them there's a proper way for NFL players to settle their disputes. It's called murder.

Seth Meyers

The Kardashians are refusing to start filming their 10th season until the people who burglarized their homes over the past few months have been caught. So let that be a message to those burglars. Stay hidden! Trust nobody! You're our only hope!

`Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Corporate America

1. Indecision is the key to flexibility.

2. You can't tell which way the train went by looking at the track.

3. There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.

4. Happiness is merely the remission of pain.

5. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

6. Sometimes too much to drink is not enough.

7. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant.

8. The careful application of terror is also a form of communication.

9. Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world.

10. Things are more like they are today than they ever were before.

11. Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for.

12. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.

13. Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.

14. I have seen the truth and it makes no sense.

15. Suicide is the most sincere form of self-criticism.

16. If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody.

17. All things being equal, fat people use more soap.

18. If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

19. One seventh of your life is spent on Monday.

20. By the time you make ends meet, they move the ends.

21. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

22. The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets.

23. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

24. This is as bad as it can get, but don't count on it.

25. Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.

26. The trouble with life is, you're halfway through it before you realize it's a do-it-yourself thing.

27. Youth and skill are no match for experience and treachery.

28. No amount of advance planning will ever replace dumb luck.

29. Anything you do can get you fired; this includes doing nothing.

30. Money can't buy happiness; it can, however, rent it.

31. Never pass a snow plow on the right.

For a couple of years I’ve been blaming it on lack of sleep and too much pressure from my job, but now I found out the real reason: I’m tired because I’m overworked.

The population of this country is 237 million. 104 million are retired. That leaves 133 million to do the work.

There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work.

Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work.

2.8 million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 16.2 million to do the work.

Take from the total the 14,800,000 people who work for State and City Governments and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.

Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. That leaves just two people to do the work. You and me.

And you’re sitting at your computer reading jokes!

Always self conscious of his lack of ears, whenever Bob would interview a future employee, he would as him “what do you notice different about me?”. If the employee would mention his lack of ears (which often they did), it would be a for sure “no” for the job. However if the employee would mention something else, he would hire the guy. 

One year, at the yearly Holiday business party, Bob approached his most recent hireling and asked him if he remembered the last question he had asked him when interviewing him for the job. “Sure I do” was his reply. “You asked me what was different about you and I said that you were wearing contact lenses.” “Of all things to answer”, Bob questioned curiously, “why was that the thing you noticed?” “Well, to be honest, it was quite simple. How could you possibly be wearing glasses if you don’t have any ears!”

While waiting for a bus, the blind man's dog decided to go to the bathroom all over the blind man's legs.

A passerby commented to the blind man, "What! That dog just went to the bathroom all over your legs, and you are petting him? Why?"

To which the blind man replied, "Madam, I am not petting him, I am feeling for his bottom, so I can kick him."

KATZ

Sometimes Saintly Nick highly recommends these:

Coal Tattoo ~ Sometimes Saintly Nick 

I'm havin' a grand Labor Day