Troubled in Mind Liner Notes and Paintings

RYAN
McGIVER
TROUBLED
in MIND
1
THE MURDER of ROSE CONNOLLY
2
THE BRAVE VOLUNTEER
3
THE PLAINS of ILLINOIS
4
TAZEWELL GIRL (Neil Driscoll)
5
TEXAS GIRL at the FUNERAL of HER FATHER (Randy Newman)
6
THE DYING SOLIDER
7
I’M TROUBLED, I’M TROUBLED
8 GEORGIE
9
10
FAREWELL DEAREST NANCY
I WOULDN’T MIND DYING
RYAN
McGIVER
TROUBLED
in MIND
All songs traditional
unless otherwise
noted.
Down in the willow garden
My love and I did meet.
And there we sat a courting
My love dropped off to sleep.
I had a bottle of burgundy wine
My true love did not know
And there I poisoned my dear little girl
Down on the banks below.
The
MURDER
of ROSE
CONNOLY
Traditional
Arr. McGiver
& Ismaily
I drew my rapier through her
It was a bloody knife.
I threw her into the river
Which was a dreadful sight.
My father often told me
That money would set me free
If I would murder that dear little girl
Who’s name was Rose Connolly.
And now he stands at his cabin door,
Wiping his weeping eyes,
A-gazing on his own dear son
Upon the scaffold high.
My race is run beneath the sun,
The devil is waitin’ for me
For I did murder that dear little girl
Who’s name was Rose Connolly.
Down in the willow garden
My love and I did meet.
And there we sat a courting
My love dropped off to sleep.
Face
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitar
Stephanie Coleman
Harmony Vocals,
Fiddle
Jason Sypher
Double Bass
Cleek Schrey
Pump Organ
Howard Arn
Cello
Shahzad Ismaily
Pump Organ, Berna
One mornin’, one mornin’, one mornin’ in May
I spied a young couple a-walkin’ this way.
One was a lady, a lady so fair,
The other a soldier and a brave volunteer.
The
BRAVE
VOLUNTEER
“Good mornin’, good mornin’, good mornin’,” said he.
“Oh where are you goin’ my pretty lady?”
“I’m goin’ a-walkin’ because it is spring,
To see the waters glide, hear the nightingales sing.”
Traditional
Arr. McGiver,
Ismaily & O’Leary
Well they hadn’t been there but for an hour or two.
When out of his knapsack a fiddle he drew.
And the tune that he played made the valleys all ring,
No sweeter the song then when the nightingales sing.
“Pretty soldier, pretty soldier, will you now marry me?”
“Oh, no, pretty lady, that never could be.
I had a wife in old London and children twice three.
One wife and the Army’s a-plenty for me.”
“But I’ll go back to old London and stay there a while.
And I’ll think of you often and sweetly, my child.
If I return it will be in the spring,
To see the waters glide and the hear nightingales sing.”
Come and Gone
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitars
Susan McKeown
Harmony Vocals
Cillian Vallely
Low Whistles
Eamon O’ Leary
Bouzouki
Nick Reeb
Fiddle
Shahzad Ismaily
Pump Organ, Bass
Pump Organ
Come, all you good old farmers that on your plow depend,
Come listen to a story, come listen to a friend.
Leave your fields of childhood, you enterprising boys,
And travel west and settle on the plains of Illinois.
The
PLAINS
of ILLINOIS
Illinois is fine a country as ever has been seen.
If old Adam had traveled over, perhaps he’d say the same.
“All in the garden of Eden, when I was but a boy,
There was nothing I could compare with the plains of Illinois.”
Lyrics Traditional;
Music written by
Jason Sypher;
Arr. McGiver
& Ismaily
Perhaps you have a few acres that near your friends adjoin;
Your family’s growing large, for them you must provide.
Come, leave this field of childhood, you enterprising boy,
Travel west and settle on the plains of Illinois.
Sunset on the Prairie
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitar
Jason Sypher
Double Bass
Pádraig Rynne
Concertina
Shahzad Ismaily
Pump Organ
Tazewell girl her blue eyes shining
Begged me not to roam,
But shadows now will settle in
All around our mountain home.
TAZEWELL
GIRL
Neil Driscoll
Arr. Ryan McGiver
So hear the wind moanin’ low,
And see the high clouds flyin’.
They are free to come and go
As I lay here dyin’
Lynchburg Town to me was calling,
So I went off alone.
But shadows now will settle in
All around our mountain home.
On scaffold high, no fear of falling,
I worked with brick and stone.
But shadows now will settle in
All around her mountain home
At the Cabin Door
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Here I am lost in the wind
‘Round in circles sailing
Like a ship that never comes in
Standing by myself.
TEXAS
GIRL
at the
Sing a sad song for a good man
Sing a sad song for me
Sing a sad song for the sailor
A thousand miles from the sea
FUNERAL
of HER
FATHER
Here I am alone on the plain
Sun’s going down
It’s starting to rain
Papa we’ll go sailing
Randy Newman
All Rights Reserved
Papa Will Go Sailing
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitar
Cassandra Jenkins
Harmony Vocals
Pat Mangan
Fiddle
Shahzad Ismaily
Pump Organ, Berna
Doug Wieselman
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Oh Brother Green, please come to me
For I am shot and bleeding.
Now I must die, no more to see,
My wife and dear children
The
DYING
SOLDIER
The southern foe has laid me low,
On this cold ground to suffer.
Stay brother stay and lay me away
And write my wife a letter.
Traditional
Arr. O’Leary
& McGiver
Tell her that I’m prepared to die
And want to meet in heaven.
Since I believe in Jesus Christ
My sins are all forgiven.
Oh Brother Green, I am dying now.
Oh see that I die so easy.
Oh surely death has lost it sting
Because I love my savior.
Oh tell my wife she must not weep.
Oh kiss my dear little children,
For they will call for me in vein
When I am gone to heaven.
Attending Angel
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitar
Eamon O’ Leary
Bouzouki
Jefferson Hamer
Tenor Harmony Vocals
Shahzad Ismaily
Electric Bass, Percussion,
Baritone Vocals
Nick Reeb
Fiddle
Meeting is pleasure and parting is a grief
And a false-hearted lover is worse than a thief
A thief can but rob you and take what you’ve saved
But a false-hearted lover, she’ll take you to your grave
I’M
TROUBLED,
I’m Troubled
The grave will decay you and turn you to dust
Ain’t a girl in a million that a poor boy can trust
They’ll hug you, they’ll kiss you, they’ll tell you more lies
Then the cross ties on a railroad or the stars in the sky
Traditional
Arr. McGiver
& Ismaily
I’m troubled, I’m troubled
I’m troubled in mind
If trouble don’t kill me
I’ll live a long time
I’m goin’ to the country, I’m goin’ for to roam
Going to the Catskills, for to make it my home
I’ll build me a cabin, on a mountain so high
Where the wild birds and turtle doves can hear my sad cry
Troubled In Mind
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Acoustic guitar
Shahzad Ismaily
Electric Bass, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Harmony Vocals
What has he done, who has he killed?
Was it stealing or murder of any?
No, he stole sixteen of the lord judge’s deer
And we sold them down under the valley
GEORGIE
Traditional
Arr. Dana Lyn,
McGiver & Ismaily
Oh saddle em up cries my lily-white breast
Oh saddle me up cries my pony
With bright guns in his hand and a sword at his side
Would you spare me the life of my Georgie?
Georgie’s the father of six babes loved
The seventh one in my body
But I’m willing to part with all I have got
If you’ll spare me the life of my Georgie
George shall be hung in the frames of gold
In the frames of gold you won’t find many
But I’m willing to part with all I have got
If you’ll spare me the life of my Georgie
Cave Painting
Wish you were stalled all in the grove
All in the grove standing ready
With bright guns in your hand and a sword at your side
I’d fight you for the life of my Georgie
What has he done, who has he killed?
Was it stealing or murder of any?
No, he stole sixteen of the lord judge’s deer
And we sold them down under the valley
Ryan McGiver
Vocals
Stephanie Coleman
Harmony Vocals
Strings arranged by
Dana Lyn
also Violin, Viola
Clara Kennedy
Cello
“Farewell dearest Nancy for I must now leave you.
To the Burning West Indies, my course for to steer
I know very well that, the parting will grieve you.
For you know I’ll be back in the spring of the year.”
FAREWELL
DEAREST
NANCY
“Oh, don’t talk of leaving, my dearest jewel,
Don’t talk of leaving me here by myself.
It’s your sweet company, that I do desire;
I’ll sign ‘til I’ll die, if I never see you more.
Traditional
Arr. McGiver
& Ismaily
In sailor’s apparel I’ll dress and I’ll go with you
Amidst of all danger, your help I’ll remain.
In the cold stormy weather, when the winds are a-blowin’.
There my dear, I’ll wait on you then.”
“Oh, your lily white fingers can’t handle the cable,
Your sweet little feet to the topmast can’t go
Your delicate form the winds can’t endure love.
Stay at home, lovely nancy, to the seas do not go.”
“So farewell dearest Nancy for I must now leave you.
To the Burning West Indies, my course for to steer
I know very well that, the parting will grieve you.
For you know I’ll be back in the spring of the year.”
Outward Bound
Ryan McGiver
Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
Shahzad Ismaily
Electric Guitar
Doug Wieselman
Bass Clarinet
Wouldn’t mind dying but I got to go myself
Wouldn’t mind dying but I got to go myself
Wouldn’t mind dying but I got to go myself
Well I wouldn’t mind dying if dying was all
I WOULDN’T
MIND
DYING
By and by I’m going to see the king
By and by I’m going to see the king
By and by I’m going to see the king
Well I wouldn’t mind dying if dying was all
Traditional
Arr. Dana Lyn,
McGiver & Ismaily
After death I’m going to stand the test
After death I’m going to stand the test
After death I’m going to stand the test
I wouldn’t mind dying if dying was all
Ezekiel saw a wheel a wheel in a wheel
Ezekiel saw a wheel a wheel in a wheel
Ezekiel saw a wheel a wheel in a wheel
I wouldn’t mind dying if dying was all
Nightscape
Ryan McGiver
Vocals, Guitar
Jolie Holland
Harmony Vocals,
Whistle
Shahzad Ismaily
Pump Organ,
Electric Bass
Horns conducted and
arranged by
Dana Lyn
Matty Mancuso
Trumpet
Will Orzo
French Horn
Special thanks to Shahzad Ismaily for his wisdom,
warmth and unceasing talent; Jason Sypher for his
unfailing wit and encouragment; to Ross Bonadonna
for his never-ending patience; Susan McKeown, Sam
Whedon, Eamon O’Leary, Stephanie Coleman and
Dana Lyn for their friendship; Uncle Neil Driscoll
for the paintings and years of inspiration; Peter
Krumhardt for the beautiful guitar.
Also thanks to Ivan Goff, Elena Demyanenko, Anne
Bogart, Cillian Vallely, Kevin Kelly, Brendan O’
Shea, Randy Parsons, J.Ed. Araiza, Ellen Lauren,
Tom Wadsworth, Robert Sullivan, Jefferson Hamer,
Pádraig Rynne, Pat Mangan, Brian Holleran, Paul
Strother, Séan N.F.MacGloin, Pat MacGloin, Rayleen
Egan, Robert Lamont, Patrick Clark, Séan Kennedy,
Ted Pitney, Jeffery Barnes, Dave Stallard, Paul Wilson,
Myra Hage, Deborah Hecht, Basil, Margo, Cornelia,
Clare and Augustus McGiver, Allister Cairnes and
family.
This album is dedicated to the loving memory of my
grandparents: Ruth McGiver & Augustus Von Linden;
for showing me something more and showing me
something good.
Chicken
Co-produced by Shahzad Ismaily & Ryan McGiver
Engineered at Wombat Studios in Brooklyn, NY by
Ross Bonadonna.
With the exception of Tracks #4,7,8
Engineered at Rivington Studios in the Lower East
Side by Shahzad Ismaily
Mixed by Shahzad Ismaily
Mastered by Mell Dettmer
Paintings by Neil Driscoll
([email protected])
Graphic design and layout by Gregory Jacobson
(www.deadimagedesign.com)
Ryan plays guitars made by:
Peter Krumhardt ([email protected])
and Steve Kovacik (www.guitar-repair.com)