Ellan Vannin.
Lyrics: English poet and actress the late Eliza S. Craven Green (1803-1866).
Vocals: British singer and songwriter the late Robin Gibb (1949-2012) member of the Bee Gees, with the King William College Choir.
“Ellan Vannin,” is a much-loved song of the Isle of Man, so loved, in fact, that it is often described as the island’s alternative national anthem. The words were written by Eliza Craven Green in the nineteenth century, and the title means “Isle of Man” in Manx.
This version hereunder is especially poignant because it is sung by Robin Gibb, who was born on the Isle of Man, together with the King William College Choir. Manx Music lists this performance among notable versions of the song, and contemporary accounts note Robin Gibb’s deep connection with the island and its music.
With its gentle melody and words of longing for “green hills by the sea,” “Ellan Vannin” is both a song of home and a tribute to Manx identity.
Ellan Vannin.
Ellan Vannin.
When the summer day is over,
It’s busy cares have flown,
I will sit beneath the starlight,
With a weary heart alone.
Then it rises like a vision,
Sparkling bright it shines for me,
My own dear Ellan Vannin,
With it’s green hills by the sea.
Let me hear the ocean murmur,
Let me watch your stormy sky,
Then above the emerald waters,
Sings the seagull as she flies.
Then it rises like a vision,
Sparkling bright it shines for me,
My own dear Ellan Vannin,
With it’s green hills by the sea.
And in all my times of sorrow,
And on some lonely shore,
I’ll go back to Ellan Vannin,
To my childhood days once more.
I’ll go back once more.
END
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