Where Did All The Folk n Ballad Singers Go Lyrics And Chords

This song was written by  Jody Gallagher and recorded by Conal Gallen. It's about the lack of ballad singers left in Ireland. Over the last 10 years or so there's been a steady decline in the amount of ballad groups playing the pub circuit. It would appear that Irish Country Music has taken over the live music scene in Ireland. An Irish folk song.

Where did all the folk and ballad singers go
No more we'll hear the Seagull nor Mary From Dungloe
No Poc Ar Buile or even Will You Go Lassie Go
Where did all the folk and ballad singers go.

Well The Dubliners and Ronnie Drew
Makem and The Clancy Crew
Were all the music I heard as a boy
Now all the gays are into Kylie
Celtic fans of Paddy Reilly
When he sings about The Fields Of Athenry
And wine bars selling Cabrioolet
Beaujolais and Chardonnay
Punters wearing smart armani suits
Well their far removed from local pubs
From a pint of stout and a gang of cubs
And their aran sweaters fiddles and their flutes.

When someone would burst into song
And everyone would sing along
And we'd all try to do the best we can
Without the aid of substances
Like ecstasy or cannabis
And the Craic Was 90 In The Isle Of Man.

Where did all the folk and ballad singers go
No more we'll hear the Seagull nor Mary From Dungloe
No Poc Ar Buile or even Will You Go Lassie Go
Where did all the folk and ballad singers go.

Well Planxty and THe Bothy Band
Played every corner of the land
From Mullingar to Dingle and Listowel
With bouzouki pipes and mandolines
And Christy and Liam Og O' Flynn
Now there was sex and drugs and rock and roll
Ah we learned the words and we played the tunes
In pubs and bars and living rooms
And everyone would shout ''Fine Girl Ye Are''

Now to Louis Walshe's great delight
It's West Life morning noon and night
How easy it's become to be a star
But give me the beat of an old bodhran
And someone singing Slievenamon
And then I'd really know that I'm in luck
Well if ballads are not your cup of tea
Then maybe you would rather see
Brendan Bowyer doing the Hucklebuck.

Where did all the folk and ballad singers go
No more we'll hear the Seagull nor Mary From Dungloe
No Poc Ar Buile or even Will You Go Lassie Go
Where did all the folk and ballad singers go.

Well me mother always said take care
Keep the faith and say your prayers
And every now and then go to confession
And God will grant you your desires
So Lord before they all retire
Lets round them up and have one final session

Oh a might night of song and dance
We'd have Paul Brady Liam Clancy
Franie Gavin playing with Matt Mollow
With six hand reels and waltzes slow
And step we galy on we go
And Shane MacGowan choking Danny Boy
Ah the craic would be good and the pints would flow
And no one would ever want to go
Ah give us one last verse of Fiddlers Green
And the only way to stop the groove
To get them up and to make them move
Would someone start to play Amhrán na bhFiann.

Where did al; the folk and ballad singers go
No more we'll hear the Seagull nor Mary From Dungloe
No Poc Ar Buile or even Will You Go Lassie Go
Where did all the folk and ballad singers go.

Here are the guitar chords. Conal Gallen playes the song in Ab

[G]Where did [C]all the folk and ballad [G]singers go
No [C]more we'll hear the Seagull nor [F#m]Mary From Dung[D]loe
No [C]Poc Ar Buile or even Will You Go Lassie Go
Where did [G]all the folk and ballad singers go.

[G]Well The Dubliners and Ronnie Drew
[C]Makem and THe Clancy Crew
Were [D]all the music I heard as a [G]boy
Now [D]all the gays are into [G]Kylie
Celtic [C]fans of Paddy Reilly
When he [D]sings about The Fields Of [G]Athenry
And [C]wine bars selling Cabrioolet
[G]Beaujolais and Chardonnay
Punters wearing [F#m]smart armani [D]suits
Well their [G]far removed from local pubs
From a [C]pint of stout and a gang of cubs
And their [D]aran sweaters fiddles and their [G]flutes.

When [C]someone would burst into song
And [G]everyone would sing along
And we'd all [Ebm]try to do the best we [D]can
With[G]out the aid of substances
Like [C]ecstasy or cannabis
And the [D]Craic Was 90 In The Isle Of [G]Man.

Where did [C]all the folk and ballad singers [G]go
No [C]more we'll hear the Seagull nor [D]Mary From Dungloe
No [C]Poc Ar Buile or even Will You [G]Go Lassie [C]Go
Where did [D]all the folk and ballad singers [G]go.

[G]Well Planxty and THe Bothy Band
Played [C]every corner of the land
From Mullin[D]gar to Dingle and Lis[G]towel
With bouzouki [C]pipes and mandolines
And Christy and Liam Og O' [D]Flynn
Now there was sex and drugs and rock and [G]roll
Ah we [C]learned the words and we played the tunes
In [G]pubs and bars and living rooms
And [A]everyone would shout ''Fine Girl Ye [D]Are''

Now to [G]Louis Walshe's great delight
It's [C]West Life morning noon and night
How [D]easy it's become to be a [G]star
But [C]give me the beat of an old bodhran
And [G]someone singing Slievenamon
And [A]then I'd really [D]know that I'm in luck
Well if [G]ballads are not your cup of tea
Then [C]maybe you would rather see
[D]Brendan Bowyer [C]doing the Huckle[G]buck.

Where did [C]all the folk and ballad singers [G]go
No [C]more we'll hear the Seagull nor [D]Mary From Dungloe
No [C]Poc Ar Buile or even Will You [G]Go Lassie [C]Go
Where did [D]all the folk and ballad singers [G]go.

[G]Well me mother always said take care
Keep the [C]faith and say your prayers
And [D]every now and then go to confes[G]sion
And God will [A]grant you your desires
So Lord be[C]fore they all retire
Lets [D]round them up and have one final [G]session

Oh a [C]might night of song and dance
We'd [G]have Paul Brady Liam Clancy
Franie Gavin [C]playing with Matt Mol[D]loy
With [G]six hand reels and waltzes slow
And [C]step we galy on we go
And [D]Shane MacGowan choking Danny [G]Boy
Ah the [C]craic would be good and the pints would flow
And no [G]one would ever want to go
Ah give us one [A]last verse of Fiddlers [D]Green
And the [G]only way to stop the groove
To [C]get them up and to make them move
Would [D]someone start to play Amhrán na [G]bhFiann.

Where did [C]all the folk and ballad [G]singers go
No [C]more we'll hear the Seagull nor [F#m]Mary From Dung[D]loe
No [C]Poc Ar Buile or even Will You [D]Go [C]Lassie Go
Where [D]did all the folk and ballad [G]singers go.

[Bm]Where did [D]all the folk and ballad [A]singers [G]go

Conal Gallen Singer