Home Is Where My Friends Are
William brought this song to the Rapalje repertoire. He heard a song during a nice evening in his favorite Pub, part of the lyrics just stuck in his head and even his dreams, eventually Home is Where my Friends Are came out of this. We found the original song played in Williams pub, this was “Back to Donegal” by Rory McLoad, so this was the inspiration for Home is Where my Friends Are
The tune we play in this song is called Pride of Petravore, other songs have also been written for this.
Pride of Petravore
As far as we know, William Houston Collisson (1865-1920) is the writer of Pride of Petravore and is a traditional hornpipe tune. Percy French (1854-1920) wrote the lyrics to the song, which means it is now also called Eileen Og. The two were friends, stage partners, and college composers. In our CD “Into Folk” we have written the musical notes.
sheet music Pride of Petravore
Lyrics of “Home is where my friends are”
I’d like to introduce you to the band that’s playing
All the way where we came from, you don’t want to know
Going down to Tager, play for pints of lager
I’m just following the road, I go to Donegal
Home is where my friends are
You are all part of me
I leave you with this song
Are you comming, are you going, are you trying to stop me
Play six and reels and jigs at one time, I just think I’m going fine
I don’t care what’s going on and I could be alone
Coming through St. Prady’s and all the pretty ladies
But none of them is as beautiful as down in Donegal
I love ladies, I can’t get enough I dance with them ’till my legs fall of
Pretty ladies I see them and side by side we go
I’m drinking ’till I’m pissed of, going ’till I have to mud down
In the bars of Rotterdam I dream of Donegal
I love you true Alida but I think I’m gonna leave you
I don’t want to sit at your place watching years go by
Sitting with your fatty on your ugly satty
I’m dreaming away the plans I’ve got when I return in Donegal
The barman rings the bell, in announcement to everybody:
“Have you got no homes to go to”
And I sing: “I ain’t got no home in this world anymore
I’m just passing through”
(You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here)