This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Have you ever walked the lonesome hills
Or heard the curlews cry
Or seen the raven black as night
Upon a windswept sky
To walk the purple heather
And hear the west wind cry
To know that's where the rapparee must die
Since Cromwell pushed us westward
To live our lowly lives
There's some of us have deemed to fight
From Tipperary mountains high
Noble men with wills of iron
Who are not afraid to die
Who'll fight with gaelic honour held on high
[Chorus]
A curse upon you Oliver Cromwell
You who raped our Motherland
I hope you're rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you sent
To our misfortunate forefathers
Whom you robbed of their birthright
"To hell or Connaught" may you burn in hell tonight
Of one such man I'd like to speak
A rapparee by name and deed
His family dispossessed and slaughtered
They put a price upon his head
His name is know in song and story
His deeds are legends still
And murdered for blood money
Was young Ned of the hill
You have robbed our homes and fortunes
Even drove us from the land
You tried to break our spirit
But you'll never understand
The love of dear old Ireland
That will forge and iron will
As long as there are gallant men
Like young Ned of the hill
[Chorus]
Lyrics submitted by rjbucs28, edited by joey102075
Young Ned of the Hill Lyrics as written by T. Woods R. Kavana
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this isn`t a Pogues original, as is the case with just about every Pogues song, it is an old traditional song. which i guess is the case with many Tossers songs and most other celtic bands.
no, it was written by terry woods and ron kavana. it's not traditional.
and no, most pogues songs are NOT traditional. i'd say only about 20% of them are.
yes, this version was written by them, but there is a nearly identical song that dates at least 120 years ago. same with most of their other stuff, it is different takes and different renditions and changed versions of old songs. not to say they don`t have original stuff, but they do take alot from the past, which i personally like.
yes, there have been many songs about this 'young ned of the hill' character. but i think this song is way more original than traditional, since i haven't seen any lyrics that come very close to this one.
out of 13 songs, 6 on red roses for me are original (transmetropolitan, boys from the county hell, sea shanty, dark streets of london, streams of whiskey, and down in the ground where the dead men go). that's the most they've ever had on any of their albums. on if i should fall from grace with god, 11 of 13 are originals (though i'm not sure about the second medley).
they do take a lot of things out of other songs and crap. like writing verses to the tune of other songs (ie, the old main drag is the exact same melody as the italian song contessa) and picking out parts of other tunes to use in their songs (ie, the final verse of billy's bones is based on the nursery rhyme solomon grundy). the majority of their songs are like that, and i consider them to be much more original than traditional.
saying this song is a pogues cover is like saying sea shanty is a cover, and i'd disagree with you there.
gonna toss yo salad!
a lot of bands have covered pogues songs and each time they do it shitty. this is the one time a band has done a cover of a pogues song good (probably because the pogues did it shitty themselves).
gonna toss yo salad!