Author: Johnny Mulhearn / Christy Moore
Over in McCann’s there’s a grand type of danceband
a-playing and they’re spinnin’ out the Continental Ceili,
They’re comin’ in their cars from the bars over in Leitir and Killane just to hear the famous Gunther Reynolds playing.
Out the Star of Munster with Hans O’Donoghue
neatly tappin’ out a tango on the spoons.
Such commotion will act like a lotion on the struttin’
At the Continental Céilí tonight.
Wolfgang’s playing on the comb, someone shouts at him go home.
Klaus is playin’ a slow air on the bodhrán.
Quinn from Corofin his fiddle tucked beneath his chin
Ssh! He’s going to play the Bucks of Oranmore now.
And an old-fashioned lady begins to sing a song.
Ah! Lads a bit of order over there.
Clarinbridge for the chowder, keep your powder dry,
For the Continental Céilí tonight.
Ciarán closing his eyes pretends he’s in disguise,
when he sees and old flame comin’ over
He’s singing for the Swedes in their tweeds doin’ all he can to please – the night’s at such a delicate stage,
Later on he’ll give an audience to one of them or two,
He’ll sing the the Dyin’ Swan to touch their feelings,
Tonight’s his night and tomorrow night will be just the same.
Ada let me out to the bar where the boys are goin’ far
and they’re spinnin’ out the Continental Ceili.
Never mind the liquor, the music’s in my soul
So long as I can hear the band a-playin’
The pipes and the flutes and the fiddles are in tune.
Whoo! I’d love to meet a European girl
Ada now me head is goin’ light and the band is playin’ tight At the Continental Céilí tonight.
All the publicans are there, ’tis like a hirin’ fair
Tryin’ to figure out how much McCann is makin’.
To keep their pubs outta Stubbs they’re lashin’ out big subs
In a burst of fierce anticipation.
Moguls from Muckhill are starin’ at the till
Tryin’ to get the lowdown on the line-up
They’ll be buyin’ free porter for the members of the band
At the Continental Céilí tonight.
More Info
Johnny captures a special time in our lives,we were discovering the music and lyrics again, out of Rock ‘n Roll and into the Rocks of Bawn,we were flyin it, Sean Ó Conaire would walk to Dublin to sing in Slatterys,we were hitching to Boyle to hear John Reilly.There were Loungefuls of music springin up allover, The Merriman in Scariff, Carpenters of Carlow, Greens in Dungarvan,Melodys up The Nire,McGlynns in Sligo, The Cellar síos i nGaillimm,Minogues in Tulla and thats only the start of the last.The Trad was back up and runnin-mixed in with new sounds and different attitudes,less Dev and more Ronnie Drew,there was revolution in the air, Nell was burnin her bra and Ms Kenny her bridges,…..(contd page 95)