The Heart Of The Sperrin Mountains

by Teknopeasant

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about

This track is a benefit to raise money for the Save Our Sperrins campaign. All money received - minus bandcamp fees - will go to the campaign.
Featuring the beautiful instrumental backing and vocal harmony talents of the legendary Packie & The Punchbowlers, this track is a rallying call for the people of the North of Ireland to resist the blandishments of the big mining companies and protect our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, The Sperrin Mountains.

lyrics

The Heart Of The Sperrin Mountains

One evening as the sun went down
A man came up our lane
He said he was my neighbour now
But from Canada he came
And he asked me if I’d like to sup
From Dalradian’s money fountain
Cause up in the hills
They’ve been sticking in their drills
And they’re saying there's a fortune lying under Gortin
In the heart of the Sperrin mountains

It isn’t golden nuggets
Nor even golden dust
It’s not some oul prospector lad
With his dungarees rolled up
It’s 20 000 tons of rock
Being carted off on trucks
Cause nothing impacts
Like a boost in tax
And a wheen of jobs for the working slobs
But the profits head away
And ye’d really want to pray
For the Heart of the Sperrin Mountains

They say the gold is needed
For the fingers of the world
For if we didn’t have it sure
No boy could wed his girl
But here’s the only stream in Ulster
Mussels yield up pearls
Where the Oak and the Birch and the rowan tree
Shelter the bluebells and the blaeberries
And the salmon and the otter
Sport with one another
In the Heart of the Sperrin Mountains

Now the Owenkillew River
Flows on to join the Strule
And with the Derg they make the Mourne
That lively sparkling jewel
Which flows on down to meet the Finn
And thus becomes the Foyle
Now it takes some Pup
To screw that up
But If Anyone can
It’s Dalradian
And the DOE
Says it’s fine by me
In the Heart of the Sperrin Mountains

I told that stranger where to go,
And why I can’t agree
With slurry pools of cyanide
And a torn community
For the dreaming land
And the living streams
Are treasures that we can’t forsake
And as he limped away
I swear I heard him say,
Make no mistake,
Some day you’ll screak
Cause you never got your beak
In the Gold boom cake
This made me shake
Til I raised my stake
Of holly cleft,
I've a brave few left
And I made my spake
Now we know you for fake
And no matter what you take
Ye's are never going to break
The Heart of the Sperrin Mountains

credits

released March 13, 2018
Track written by Conor O'Kane
Adapted from The Big Rock Candy Mountain
by Harry Mcclintock / Sterling Sherwin

Lead Vocal and Banjo - Conor O'Kane

Packie & The Punchbowlers are

Concertina/ Vocals - Packie O'Riada
Fiddle/ Vocals - Dermot McCormick
Guitar / Vocals - Larry Dinsch
Pipes / Vocals - Leanne Dinsch

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about

Teknopeasant Donegal, Ireland

Teknopeasant aka Conor O'Kane is a Banjo-shredding blues-punk mountain-man preacher for the post-apocalyptic generation. His no-holds-barred assaults on consumer society, greedy agricultural practises and pointless political labyrinths work through the innterplay of musicality, humour and rage. His gentler side comes across in his beautiful folk songs and country-blues tinged tales of caravan life ... more

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