Keeping The Old Songs Alive – Steve Donnelly. Sung by Steve Donnelly. SheetMusic(pdf)
We meet in odd places like drafty back rooms
Guy plays the fiddle and another plays the spoons
There’s umpteen guitars and they’re all out of tune
Keeping the old songs alive
A girl sings a love song in a voice soft and clear
A tale of old Ireland, it brings us to tears
She then sings a chanty with a finger in each ear
She’s keeping those old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
She then sings a chanty with a finger in each ear
She’s keeping those old songs alive
There’s songs about fishing, spinning and sail
Songs about hunting the fox and the whale
Of standing for freedom and landing in jail
Keeping those old songs alive
I’ve heard old songs, new songs, poetry and prose
Banging on tables and tapping of toes
On singers’ night anything goes
Just keep those old songs alive
Yes, keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
On singers’ night, hey, anything goes
Just keep these old songs alive
There’s whistles and fiddles and a bodhran or two
A few plucking banjos and a sucking kazoo
While knocking the life out of Foggy Mountain Dew
Keeping the old songs alive
Songs from the Scillies and north to Rosslare
From Norfolk and Suffolk, across to Kildare
Travel the world and never leave you chair
Keeping these old songs alive
Yes, keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
You’ll travel the world and never leave you chair
Keeping the old songs alive
They say we’re old fashioned, boring and staid
Part of the open-toed sandal brigade
But they’ve never been here, sung here or played
Keeping the old songs alive
No they’ve never heard a good chorus song
When the whole of the room starts singing along
You’re part of a chain that’s centuries strong
Keeping those old songs alive
Yes, keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
You’re part of a chain that’s centuries strong
Keeping those old songs alive
We meet in odd places like drafty back rooms
Guy plays the fiddle and another plays the spoons
There’s umpteen guitars and they’re all out of tune
Keeping the old songs alive
Well fashions have come and fashions have gone
But long after hip hop and Brit pop are done
These traditional songs will always live on
If we just keep these old songs alive
Yes, keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
Traditional music will always live on
If we just keep these old songs alive
Yes, keeping the old songs alive
Keeping the old songs alive
Traditional music will always live on
If we just keep these old songs alive