Contemporary: James I Understand<br>
James I Understand<br>
Mary McEvoy, 1982<br>
Full song (16-bit, mono): .mp3 (420 KB)<br>
Full song (high quality): .mp3<br>
(371 KB)<br>
"James I Understand" is performed by<br>
Mary McEvoy<br>
<br>
The recording was made at the Tommy Makem International Festival of Song,<br>
June 6, 2000.<br>
Mary wrote this song for the 100th anniversary of James Joyce. She has sung<br>
this at the Joyce Tower in<br>
Sandycove, Dublin, on a few Blooms Days.<br>
Recording and performance permission for this song can be obtained by<br>
writing<br>
to:<br>
Mary McEvoy,<br>
11 Gordon Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4 Ireland<br>
James I understand, when all is said and done<br>
Though you left Dublin town, you never let her down<br>
You played while Giorgio sang, Lucia broke your heart<br>
With Nora by your side, from you she'd never part<br>
On a golden day in June<br>
You met your Molly Bloom<br>
A Galway girl remarkable,<br>
The handsome Nora Barnacle<br>
And in your clever way you stole her heart that day<br>
With you she went to Rome, far from her Galway home<br>
James I understand<br>
When all is read and done<br>
Though you left Dublin town, you never let her down<br>
You played while Giorgio sang, Lucia broke your heart<br>
With Nora by your side, from you she'd never part<br>
Of you I have a dream<br>
Of how things might have been<br>
In Paris at your best in Zurich or Treasc<br>
With friends all gathered round, some happiness you found<br>
In songs of long ago, while you played piano<br>
Oh James I understand<br>
When all is read and done<br>
Though you left Dublin town, you never let her down<br>
You played while Giorgio sang, Lucia broke your heart<br>
With Nora by your side, from you she'd never part<br>
It seems to me a shame<br>
You suffered in your pain<br>
Your scholar's mark immortalized, the city under Irish skies<br>
I'm sure the day you died, the Anna Livia cried<br>
Amd trees in Stephen's Green bowed down their heads in grief.<br>