Tim O'brien Talkin' Cavan Lyrics:
A while ago I chanced to roam to the place my
great grandad called home It wasn't that much I
saw that day, but I learned I whole lot along the
way I 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”

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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
Lyrics: Talkin' Cavan, Tim O'brien [end]