All Yesterday

– Karsten Fechner

When I once was a young man
I roved down to the green
Misty shoreland where the Shannon meets the sea
I went fishing, dancing, drinking
In the Pubs of Tralee
Spent my days always happy and free
Oh, my one true love Maggie
Was so pretty and sweet
And I swore that I would never go away
As she left, I already
Said farewell to Tralee
My old hometown near cold Dingle Bay

For that was all yesterday
When the sky was blue not grey
And just clouds cured the sorrow and the pain
As we sat by the lake
Smelled the scent of the rain
Not tomorrow and of course not today

So I left Ireland
Sailed for Liverpool’s shore
Bought a ticket and went to Americay
But my heart was sad, not happy
For I knew that nevermore
I would see my dear Maggie again
Now my heart is nearly empty
Though my head is full of gin
I’m a worker and I seldom see the light
Workin‘ hard in a gasworks
In a state called Michigan
I miss Ireland and Maggie’s smiling eyes

The sun will never shine as brightly as
In the days when I was young
But my memories will slowly slip away
Every thunderstorm and lightning
Every rainbow after rain
It reminds me of my Irish Dingle Bay
Every morning seems the same now
Twenty years have soon gone by
Since the gasworks had suddenly closed down
Now I’m unemployed and hopeless
And I feel like I could cry
Just last night I dreamt that I was homeward bound