Lyrics: Amereican songwriter and singer, the late Terry Smith. Vocals: American country music singer and guitarist Lester James Fortune Snr. (Jimmy Fortune)
Jimmy Fortune.
Few voices in gospel and country music carry the heart and sincerity of singer Jimmy Fortune, who has continued to bless audiences with songs that speak of faith, family, and the promise of heaven. The beautiful song, ‘Far Side Banks of Jordan,’ has touched so many hearts through its message of hope and reunion beyond this life.
Far Side Banks Of Jordan.
Far Side Banks Of Jordan.
I believe my steps are growing wearier each day, Still I’ve got a journey on my mind. Lures of this old world have ceased to make me want to stay, And my one regret is leaving you behind. But I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan, I’ll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand, And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout! And come running through the shallow waters, reaching for your hand.
If it proves to be his will that I’m the first to cross, And somehow I’ve a feeling it will be. When it comes time to travel likewise don’t feel lost, For I will be the first one that you’ll see. And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan, I’ll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand, And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout! And come running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand.
Through this life we’ve laboured hard to earn our meager fare, It’s brought us trembling hands and failing eyes. So I’ll just rest here on this shore and turn my eyes away, And then you’ll come then we’ll see paradise. And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan, I’ll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand, And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout! And come running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand. And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan, I’ll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand, And when I see you coming I will rise up with a shout! And come running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand. And I’ll be running through the shallow waters reaching for your hand.
A great hush has fallen over Irish music with the passing yesterday of Ms Dolores Keane, one of the most cherished and soul-stirring voices this country has ever known.
Dolores Keane died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Caherlistrane, Co Galway, aged 72 years, leaving behind not only a body of music of rare beauty, but a deep sense of gratitude among all who were moved by her singing. Current reporting remembers her as one of the defining voices of Irish folk and traditional music.
Late Ms Dolores Keane(26th September 1953 – 16th March 2026)R.I.P.
For decades, Dolores sang as though she were carrying the memory of a people. In her voice lived the tenderness of home, the ache of longing, the strength of women, and the old unbroken thread of song handed down through family and place. She did not merely perform music; she inhabited it, and in doing so gave something timeless to Irish culture.
Born into the renowned Keane family, Dolores was shaped by a house full of songs, stories and visiting musicians. From those early roots in Galway grew an artist of extraordinary grace, first known for singing with her aunts Rita and Sarah Keane, and later celebrated through her work with De Dannan, her collaborations with John Faulkner, and a solo career that brought her voice far beyond these shores.
There was a haunting honesty in Dolores Keane’s singing that could stop people in their tracks. Whether singing a sean-nós air, a love song, or a modern folk ballad, she seemed to reach beyond performance and touch something more intimate and enduring. Her beloved interpretation of “Caledonia” remains one of the songs most closely associated with her; a recording carried for years in the hearts of listeners who found comfort, beauty and home in her voice.
To speak of Dolores Keane is to speak of more than acclaim, recordings or applause. It is to speak of feeling. Of truth. Of a voice that seemed to rise not just from the singer, but from the soil, the hearth, and the generations who sang before her. She gave the old songs new life, and gave contemporary songs an ancient depth. In every phrase, there was humanity.
Lyrics and Vocals: American country folk singer/songwriter and guitarist, the late John Prine(1946 – 2020).
The late John Prine.
“Sam Stone” is ultimately about the hidden cost of war; not glory, not victory. A soldier comes home alive, but not whole, and his pain turns into addiction, family suffering, and finally death. The author, the late John Prine, uses Sam’s story to show how veterans can be praised for their service, yet still be left alone to deal with trauma and dependence, once they return home, making the song both a personal tragedy and a quiet anti-war statement. The line about Jesus Christ, expresses Sam’s feeling that sacrifice, patriotism, religion, and public ideals have failed to save him.
Sam Stone.
Sam Stone.
Sam Stone came home, To his wife and family, After serving in the conflict overseas. And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerves, And left a little shrapnel in his knees. But the morphine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked. With a purple heart and a monkey on his back, There’s a hole in Daddy’s arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don’t stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios, (mmhmm). Sam Stone’s welcome home, Didn’t last too long. He went to work when he’d spent his last dime, And Sammy took to stealing, When he got that empty feeling, For a hundred dollar habit without overtime. And the gold rolled through his veins, Like a thousand railroad trains, And eased his mind in the hours that he chose, While the kids ran around wearin’ other peoples’ clothes. There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don’t stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios, (mmhmm). Sam Stone was alone, When he popped his last balloon, Climbing walls while sitting in a chair. Well, he played his last request, While the room smelled just like death. With an overdose hovering in the air. But life had lost its fun, There was nothing to be done, But trade his house that he bought on the GI bill, For a flag-draped casket on a local hero’s hill. There’s a hole in Daddy’s arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, Don’t stop to count the years, Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios, (mmhmm).
Lyrics:American songwriter Randy Goodrum. Vocals:Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer Anne Murray.
Anne Murray.
You Needed Me.
Here’s a beautiful classic made famous by Ms Anne Murray, “You Needed Me“. It’s a song about love, comfort, and being there for someone when they need you most. I hope this one brings back a few memories.”
You Needed Me.
I cried a tear, you wiped it dry, I was confused, you cleared my mind, I sold my soul, you bought it back for me, And held me up and gave me dignity, Somehow, you needed me.
You gave me strength to stand alone again, To face the world out on my own again, You put me high upon a pedestal, So high that I could almost see eternity, You needed me. You needed me.
And I can’t believe it’s you I can’t believe it’s true! I needed you and you were there, And I’ll never leave, why should I leave? I’d be a fool, ‘Cause I finally found someone who really cares,
You held my hand when it was cold, When I was lost you took me home, You gave me hope when I was at the end, And turned my lies back into truth again, You even called me friend.
You gave me strength to stand alone again, To face the world out on my own again, You put me high upon a pedestal, So high that I could almost see eternity, You needed me. You needed me. You needed me. You needed me. END
Lyrics and Vocals: British country and folk musician and singer-songwriter, Charlie Alexander Landsborough.
Charlie Landsborough.
The song, hereunder, tells the touching story of a blind child trying to understand the world through simple but powerful questions. Released in the mid-1990s, it became one of Landsborough’s best-known songs and helped make him especially popular in Ireland. The song is loved for its emotional lyrics, soft melody, and the message of innocence, love, and wonder.
What Colour Is the Wind?
What Colour Is the Wind?
What colour is the wind, Daddy, Is it yellow, red or blue, When he’s playing with my hair, Dad, Does he do the same to you. When he’s dying does his colour fade, Is a gentle breeze a lighter shade, Just like his friend the sea, The wind feels blue to me. When the blackbird starts to sing, Daddy, Do the flowers hear him, too, When he’s pouring out his heart, Dad, Tell me, what do roses do. Do they cast their scent upon the air, And is fragrance just a rose in prayer, Giving thanks to God above, For the blackbird’s song of love.
Blow, wind, blow, wild and free. My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me. I know each colour, its shape and size. I’ve seen them all, with my Daddy’s eyes.
I know that grass is green, Dad, I’ve touched it with my toes. And snow is purest white, Dad, I’ve felt it with my nose. But my favorite colour has to be, The colour of your love for me, And Daddy, I’ve been told, That love is always gold.
Blow, wind, blow, wild and free. My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me. My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me.
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