Caledonia – RTV Drenthe

Caledonia

Rapalje plays Caledonia here between the Hunebedden in Drenthe, with RTV Drenthe they went out to Hunebed het Loon (D15) to record the song “Caledonia”. This is one of the most requested songs at Rapalje.

We have seen many tears of sorrow, emotion and joy with this song. It has often happened that a wedding proposal is made when we start playing Caledonia. It is also regularly performed at funerals. There are many people in our midst who have a special thought about Caledonia and it remains a very beautiful song.

Background Information Caledonia

Dougie MacLean’s love song to his homeland has become an anthem of Scottish pride but it was written in just 10 minutes on a beach in France when he was in his early 20s.  “I wrote it in my very early 20s on a beach and then finished it off in a youth hostel somewhere around Paimpol in Brittany. “I was genuinely homesick and it was just a little song I wrote.” Dougie MacLean says he had been busking around Europe with three Irish guys but the day after writing the song – with its lyric “Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home” – he set off back to Scotland.

Lyrics Caledonia

I don’t know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I’ve been afraid
That I might drift away
I’ve been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I came from
And that’s the reason why I seem
So far away today
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had
I have moved and I’ve kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing
Found new ones on the way
I have kissed the ladies and left them crying
Stolen dreams, yes there’s no denying
I have traveled hard with conscience flying
Somewhere with the wind
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had
Now I’m sitting here before the fire
The empty room the forest choir
The flames that couldn’t get any higher
They’ve withered now they’ve gone
But I’m steady thinking my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When the hands are shaken and the kisses flow
Then I will disappear
Let me tell you that I love you and that I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me and now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had

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Music between the Hunebedden

 

Seeing them makes you think you walked in the movie Braveheart, hearing them and you can imagine yourself walking in the Highlands. The four men of Rapalje, for a quarter of a century they have been playing their music, Celtic Folk with a twist. On the future of the Rapalje they are very clear. “Another 25 years”

We recorded this video with RTV Drenthe in between the Hunebedden (Dolmen) for the show Djammen by Robbert Oosting.

Hunebed D15 is located north of the village of Loon in the Dutch province of Drenthe. The medium-sized hunebed D15 is located on the Looner es between Loon and Taarlo.

Check out the complete RTV Drenthe interview with Rapalje

Birdshow Rapalje Zomerfolk 2019

Rapalje Zomerfolk 2019 had a very special final act, who are hidden behind these wonderful and strange birds, could it be David? Or perhaps some Zomerfolk artist? Maybe our Vana friends are involved? Questions questions, but we had a truely great time with this act, did you enjoy it too?

 

 

Wat zullen we drinken – Zomerfolk

We play “Wat zullen we drinken” here at our own Rapalje Zomerfolk Festival. It is one of our most famous songs and has been listened to many millions of times. We cannot remember how many times we have performed it ourselves, but it remains a very nice song. There is no band that performs it like this.

Background information “Wat zullen we Drinken”

A national anthem originally from Brittany, created in the late 1920s and written in 1929. Called “Son ar chistr”, the song of the cider. It was popularized by farmers when it was sung at the end of harvest time to make fun of themselves. The lyrics in Breton are about a man who has a hard time when his wife beats and curses him all the time. But, as the lyrics said, “Cider is made to drink, and girls to love!” Ar chistr ‘so graet’ vit bout evet, hag ar merc’hed ‘vit bout karet!

Wat zullen we drinken has already been translated into many languages ​​and in the Netherlands the version of Rapalje, Wat zullen we drinken, became very popular. Rapalje has stripped the song of its political significance in his own Celtic way and added three verses of their own hand, eating, singing and making love. Bots has also released a version of the original called “Zeven dagen lang” and there are already many artists who have released the old national anthem.

Lyrics Wat zullen we Drinken

Wat zullen we drinken, zeven dagen lang
Wat zullen we drinken, wat een dorst
Wat zullen we drinken, zeven dagen lang
Wat zullen we drinken, wat een dorst

Er is genoeg voor iedereen, dus drinken we samen
Sla het vat maar aan, dus drinken we samen, niet alleen
Er is genoeg voor iedereen, dus drinken we samen
Sla het vat maar aan, dus drinken we samen, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij werken, zeven dagen lang
Eerst zullen wij werken, voor elkaar
Eerst zullen wij werken, zeven dagen lang
Eerst zullen wij werken, voor elkaar

Dan is er werk voor iedereen, dus werken we samen
Zeven dagen lang, werken we samen, nee, niet alleen
Dan is er werk voor iedereen, dus werken we samen
Zeven dagen lang, werken we samen, nee, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij vechten, maar niemand weet hoe lang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, voor ons belang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, maar niemand weet hoe lang
Eerst zullen wij vechten, voor ons belang

Voor het geluk van iedereen, dus vechten we samen
Samen staan we sterk, vechten we samen, niet alleen
Voor het geluk van iedereen, dus vechten we samen
Samen staan we sterk, vechten we samen, niet alleen

Eerst zullen wij eten, zeven gangen lang
Eerst zullen wij eten, dus schuif maar aan
Eerst zullen wij eten, zeven gangen lang
Eerst zullen wij eten, dus schuif maar aan

Voor het genot van iedereen, dus eten we samen
Snij het zwijn maar aan, eten we samen, schuif maar aan
Voor het genot van iedereen, dus eten we samen
Snij het zwijn maar aan, eten we samen, schuif maar aan

Eerst zullen wij zingen, zeven verzen lang
Eerst zullen wij zingen, met elkaar
Eerst zullen wij zingen, zeven verzen lang
Eerst zullen wij zingen, met elkaar

Dit is een lied voor iedereen, dus zingen we samen
Zeven verzen lang, en zingen wij samen, ik niet alleen
Dit is een lied voor iedereen, dus zingen we samen
Zeven verzen lang, en zingen wij samen, ik niet alleen

Eerst wil ik vrijen, zeven nachten lang
Eerst wil ik vrijen met mijn lief
Eerst wil hij vrijen, zeven nachten lang
Eerst wil hij vrijen met zijn lief

Maar ik vrij niet met iedereen, dus vrij ik samen
Zeven nachten lang, vrij ik samen met mijn lief alleen
En ik vrij niet met iedereen, dus vrij ik samen
Zeven nachten lang, vrij ik samen en met mijn lief!

La la lala lay la, la la la la lay, la la lala lay la, la la lay
La la lala lay la, la la la la lay, la la lala lay la, la la lay
La la la lay, la lala lay, la lalala lay la, la la la la lay, la lalala lay la, la la lay
La la la lay, la lala lay, la lalala lay la, la la la la lay, la lalala lay la, la la lay

Eerst zullen wij drinken, dit lied duurt ons te lang
Eerst zullen wij drinken oh, wat een dorst!

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Galway Girl – Bevrijdingsfestival

Galway Girl

Rapalje released this great song on the CD Clubs in 2012, in 2020 this is still one of our favorite songs. This video was recorded during our concert at the Liberation Festival in Zwolle.

Background information “Galway Girl”

Galway Girl is a song written by Steve Earle. It was released in the year 2000. It is about the semi-autobiographical story of Steve Earle and his reaction to an encounter with a beautiful girl, Bodhrán player Joyce Redmond with black hair and blue eyes. The meeting is of course in Galway, Ireland. In 2007 the song was also used in the romantic movie P.S. I Love You.

Lyrics “Galway Girl”

Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk
on a day -I-ay-I-ay
And I met a little girl and we stopped to talk
on a nice soft day -I-ay-I-ay

And I ask you, friend, what’s a fella to do
Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I took her down and I givin’ a twhirl
‘Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl

Well we were halfway there when the rain came down
on a day -I-ay-I-ay
And she asked me up to her flat downtown
on a nice soft day -I-ay-I-ay

And I ask you, friend, what’s a fella to do
Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl
And I lost my heart to a Galway girl

When I woke up I was all way down
on a day -I-ay-I-ay
With a broken heart and a ticket home
on a nice soft day -I-ay-I-ay

And I ask you friend, what would you do
If her hair was black and her eyes were blue
I’ve been around all over the world, boys
But I ain’t never seen nothin’ but a Galway girl

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Celtic Folk Night – Drachten

We are playing our Celtic Folk Night in Drachten (NL) on Saturday the 26th of september 2 times on 1 evening, will you join us? Tickets available here Continue reading “Celtic Folk Night – Drachten”

Back to the theatre, Barneveld Still into Folk

 

Finally another theatre show, we are going to the Schaffelaar Theater in Barneveld to play our Still Into Folk show, there are only a few tickets left, will we see you there? Tickets available here

MPS Skulpturenpark Aftermovie

Ours gigs at MPS Skulpturenpark in Bückeburg were amazing! It really was fantastic to see all of our MPS family and friends again. We had an unforgettable time and we will be back at MPS soon! Here are some short clips of our show, hope you enjoy, be easy and free!

We will be back at MPS Skulpturenpark on 29 August, see you there?

Watch the Bückeburg complete Vlog with us on 22 August 20:00

Support us at https://rapalje.com/stream

Help David support the cultural sector: https://rapalje.com/donation

Shop for beautiful Rapalje products: https://rapalje.com/shop/

Come and see us in person: https://rapalje.com/agenda/

Cargo Bike Tour in Groningen with Rapalje

Did you see our Livestream from Groningen? We had a wonderful time playing on the streets of our hometown! Here are some clips of us riding the cargo bike en playing some tunes! Hope you enjoy this, be easy and free!

Support us at https://rapalje.com/stream

Help David support the cultural sector: https://rapalje.com/donation

Shop for beautiful Rapalje products: https://rapalje.com/shop/

Come and see us in person: https://rapalje.com/agenda/

 

Be a bad boy like David with our Rapalje multi-scarf!

Do you already have our multi-scarf? You can of course use it as a mask in public transport etc., but what about on the bike? Not only functional but also very nice to see! Get it here