The Roving Galway Boy Song Lyrics
The words are from a single '45' Major Minor 1968 from Dolly Mc Mahon
trad arr. is by Dolly Mc Mahon. A wonderfull Singer in her day.She would match up great in a duo with Dolores Keane.Also recorded by Jennifer Pratt and Brendan Shine who ever body knows had great success with Do You Want Your Old Lobby Washed Down Song . This song was sent to me by Patrick burke who has sent me many's the song in the last year or so. Many more old Galway songs appear here such as me old favorite Galway Bay .
trad arr. is by Dolly Mc Mahon. A wonderfull Singer in her day.She would match up great in a duo with Dolores Keane.Also recorded by Jennifer Pratt and Brendan Shine who ever body knows had great success with Do You Want Your Old Lobby Washed Down Song . This song was sent to me by Patrick burke who has sent me many's the song in the last year or so. Many more old Galway songs appear here such as me old favorite Galway Bay .
From Galway bay he sailed away
Twas in the month of may
His true love she stood weeping
While standing on the quay
His true love she stood weeping
And bitterly did cry
Oh he is gone and god be with him
My roving Galway boy
2
From Galway they sailed away
The weather it was fair
But when they reached the
Coast of Clare
He fell in to despair
The anchor it was lifted
And the waves rose mountains high
Then he thought of lovely Mary
This roving Galway boy
3
But now he’s settled down at last
Five pounds a week he’s paid
So cheer up lovely Mary
And do not be afraid
For while there’s life ther’s always hope
A fortune for to try
And there’s gold in store for Mary
And her roving Galway boy:
4
Twas scarce six months had passed and gone
And a letter he sent her home
Inquiring for his absent friends
And the love he left alone
He sent her on her passage way
Account for all her joy
And she’s now in Philadelphia
With her roving Galway boy
And she’s now in Philadelphia
With her roving Galway boy.
The last two lines are sung twice in a lower voice fading out at the end.
Many songs are on the site that mention Galway in the title and I suppose Galway Girl Lyrics is the most popular, some years
ago it used to be Galway bay or even The Galway Shawl, not anymore though, but they are still sought after.
Twas in the month of may
His true love she stood weeping
While standing on the quay
His true love she stood weeping
And bitterly did cry
Oh he is gone and god be with him
My roving Galway boy
2
From Galway they sailed away
The weather it was fair
But when they reached the
Coast of Clare
He fell in to despair
The anchor it was lifted
And the waves rose mountains high
Then he thought of lovely Mary
This roving Galway boy
3
But now he’s settled down at last
Five pounds a week he’s paid
So cheer up lovely Mary
And do not be afraid
For while there’s life ther’s always hope
A fortune for to try
And there’s gold in store for Mary
And her roving Galway boy:
4
Twas scarce six months had passed and gone
And a letter he sent her home
Inquiring for his absent friends
And the love he left alone
He sent her on her passage way
Account for all her joy
And she’s now in Philadelphia
With her roving Galway boy
And she’s now in Philadelphia
With her roving Galway boy.
The last two lines are sung twice in a lower voice fading out at the end.
Many songs are on the site that mention Galway in the title and I suppose Galway Girl Lyrics is the most popular, some years
ago it used to be Galway bay or even The Galway Shawl, not anymore though, but they are still sought after.
Brendan Shine song The Roving Galway Boy
this one’s a classic emigrant love ballad, full of salty seas, soggy handkerchiefs, and more devotion than you’d find at Mass on Christmas morning.
☘️ Act 1: The Sad Goodbye at Galway Bay. Our hero — the “roving Galway boy” — is about to sail off.
It’s May, the sun is shining, and the seagulls are probably laughing at him.
His sweetheart Mary stands on the quay bawling into her shawl like a banshee with a broken heart.
She’s crying:
“God be with him!”
Which is Irish for:
“May the Lord protect him
because I sure can’t — I’m stuck here.”
He sails away with dreams of fortune,
while she’s left behind with dreams of his return
and possibly a mild case of emotional pneumonia from standing on the quay in the cold.
☘️ Act 2: The Sea Says: “You’ll Get No Peace From Me”. They set sail from Galway — all sunshine and optimism --
but the second they round Clare,
the Atlantic reminds him:
“I’m in charge here, lad.”
The waves rise up like they’re training for Riverdance,
the boat is tossed around like a toddler’s toy,
and he immediately regrets everything.
He’s clinging to the mast,
eyes closed, stomach turning inside out,
praying to every saint from St. Brendan to St. Anthony.
And who does he think of?
Lovely Mary.
Because nothing says romance like nearly drowning.
☘️ Act 3: From Roving Rogue to Respectable Employee. Eventually he makes land,
finds work,
and settles down at five pounds a week.
Which, back then, was decent enough to keep him in:
“Cheer up, love.
There’s hope yet --
we’ll be rich someday.”
This is Irish male optimism at its finest:
no money,
no plan,
but fierce confidence.
☘️ Act 4: Reunion in Philadelphia. After six months he sends a letter
— probably full of mushy longing and terrible spelling --
and pays for her passage across the sea.
Mary crosses the ocean,
lands in Philly,
and finally reunites with her Galway boy.
She’s traded the wild Atlantic winds for American bustle,
but she’s got the one thing she wanted:
“her roving Galway boy.”
☘️ The Irish Moral (such as it is)This song is:
Love + hardship + ocean + letter + hope = happy ending.
It’s a tale of two hearts:
still madly in love,
ready to build a life together.
A pure Irish love story --
weather-tested, salt-seasoned,
and sealed with a leap of faith across the ocean.
☘️ Act 1: The Sad Goodbye at Galway Bay. Our hero — the “roving Galway boy” — is about to sail off.
It’s May, the sun is shining, and the seagulls are probably laughing at him.
His sweetheart Mary stands on the quay bawling into her shawl like a banshee with a broken heart.
She’s crying:
“God be with him!”
Which is Irish for:
“May the Lord protect him
because I sure can’t — I’m stuck here.”
He sails away with dreams of fortune,
while she’s left behind with dreams of his return
and possibly a mild case of emotional pneumonia from standing on the quay in the cold.
☘️ Act 2: The Sea Says: “You’ll Get No Peace From Me”. They set sail from Galway — all sunshine and optimism --
but the second they round Clare,
the Atlantic reminds him:
“I’m in charge here, lad.”
The waves rise up like they’re training for Riverdance,
the boat is tossed around like a toddler’s toy,
and he immediately regrets everything.
He’s clinging to the mast,
eyes closed, stomach turning inside out,
praying to every saint from St. Brendan to St. Anthony.
And who does he think of?
Lovely Mary.
Because nothing says romance like nearly drowning.
☘️ Act 3: From Roving Rogue to Respectable Employee. Eventually he makes land,
finds work,
and settles down at five pounds a week.
Which, back then, was decent enough to keep him in:
- dinners
- drink
- and dreams of Mary
“Cheer up, love.
There’s hope yet --
we’ll be rich someday.”
This is Irish male optimism at its finest:
no money,
no plan,
but fierce confidence.
☘️ Act 4: Reunion in Philadelphia. After six months he sends a letter
— probably full of mushy longing and terrible spelling --
and pays for her passage across the sea.
Mary crosses the ocean,
lands in Philly,
and finally reunites with her Galway boy.
She’s traded the wild Atlantic winds for American bustle,
but she’s got the one thing she wanted:
“her roving Galway boy.”
☘️ The Irish Moral (such as it is)This song is:
- 30% heartbreak
- 30% seasickness
- 30% love
- 10% economic ambition
Love + hardship + ocean + letter + hope = happy ending.
It’s a tale of two hearts:
- one standing on Galway quay crying
- one throwing up over the side of a ship
still madly in love,
ready to build a life together.
A pure Irish love story --
weather-tested, salt-seasoned,
and sealed with a leap of faith across the ocean.
