My Wide Irish Roads

A (mostly) true story about a 1983 road trip on a hairpin turn on a cliff overlooking the ocean in the north of the Republic of Ireland. I was visiting with my bandmate of the time, who spent much of the time looking up his family's heritage. But this drive was hair-raising, especially for me, driving our rental car on the cliff road, and screeching to a halt every time my bandmate yelled "STOP!...I want to take a picture!" The band (Lughnasa) performed the song as part of its repertoire, and the lyrics were also published in the December 1983 issue of the Folk Harp Journal. "My Wide Irish Roads" is on my Album, "The Fun Stuff" at https://funnyharp.com/albums.html Lyrics only Copyright 1983 by Dan Veaner Note: DanHarp.rocks has been replaced by http://funnyharp.com As we drove in our car north of Donegal Bay Driving up past Dungloe and Gweedore We could not but reflect on the beautiful day And in truth both our spirits did soar. The path traced the top Of a ninety foot drop And the ocean lay glorious below When an automobile With abandon and zeal Barreled toward us, and fast, don't you know! My wide Irish roads The sweetest roads I know Though we drove at a creep We knocked off three sheep On my wide Irish roads... My wide Irish roads I really liked them loads We tried not to hog But we just missed a dog When we drove on those wide Irish roads. Well we fastened our seat belts and tried out a prayer As we pulled as far left as could go When the car barreled past us with nary a care You could feel the cliff tremble below. As we cautiously crawled the car sputtered and stalled As we forward resumed at a creep But we hadn't gone far when our poor little car Was surrounded by hundreds of sheep. My wide Irish roads The sweetest roads I know That hog sure looked good When it bounced off the hood On my wide Irish roads... My wide Irish roads Are filled with sheep and goats We started a row Drove under a cow And had milk on my wide Irish roads. Now the scenery was lovely beyond our belief And the ocean below us was vast But we both heaved a monstrous sigh of relief When we pulled on the highway at last My heart is still there with the crystal sea air And the sun setting o'er Tory sound, But I don't want to drive I liked being alive On that grand two-lane highway we found. My wide Irish roads the sweetest roads I know When I fall asleep I count cows and sheep On my wide Irish roads... My wide Irish roads Are filled with sheep and goats It just defies words The size of those herds Grazing right on my wide Irish roads.