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I have been reborn from the depths of despair
and I have made the journey back with each of your to share,
stories of the lost, a journey of hope,
clear the wreckage of your past, then the chains will be broke,
but if you lend me your ears ill share my soul,
if you lend your ears ill bare my soul
I have witnessed sadness beyond the measure of compare
and I have done bad things, when I thought I didn't care
I have heard the screams of a broken mothers cry
and I have faced the demons that dwell behind these eyes
if you lend your ears, I'll share my souls
If you lend me your ears I'll bare my soul
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Little Johnny was born into a life of crime, like his father and his father, he was destined to do time
by the age of sixteen he was living the dream, selling drugs out on the corner, he was part of a team
and they all had his back, cause they were all selling, sssh
till the police pulled up and it was time to take the wrap
now his mother cries cause she missus him, another borstal boy is going to prison
his mother cries cause she missis him, another borstal boy was raised in the system
now the door bangs out and in a cell he is alone, Johnny weeps in the darkness, cause he longs to go home
he wished he had of listened to the elders in his life, cause the wisdom that they tried to give him, turns out it was right
next day on the yard, little Johnny acts hard but all the other borstal boys, they can see through his facade
now his mother cries cause she missus him, another borstal boy is going to prison
his mother cries cause she missis him, another borstal boy was lost in the system
five years pass, little Johnny gets out, but his head is all melted, he doesn't know what he's about
can't tell if he's coming, doesn't know if he's going, so he hops on a train and he makes his way home
he walks the old corners where nothing much has changed, except all his friends are gone now, victims of this games
Johnny lowers his head and he walks on by, he knocks on his front door, looks his mother in the eye
now he's faced with the stark reality of one last choice, does he play the same game, or does he change his whole life
now his mother cries cause she missus him, another borstal boy is going to prison
his mother cries cause she missis him, another borstal boy was raised in the system
now his mother cries tears of joy, cause she's proud today of her borstal boy
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as I walked down through Dublin town, I spied an old woman laying down on the ground
her outstretched hand reached into my heart, she said kneel down beside me, street wisdom I'll part
she looked into my eyes, straight into my soul, and said, conquer your demons, they'll keep you down in that hole
follow your heart, to your own self, be true and when it comes to your art, son you know what to do
so I left her some silver, the few shackles I had, and with a new sense of freedom, continued my path
I walked down past the abbey, out on to the quays, down on the boardwalk, where the lost souls do be, heor have ya got two euro for a hostel?
there go I but for the grace, the hungry eyes the dirty auld face, a hole in me soul and one in me shoe, there go I and there go you
Vicky Phelan, senator Eileen Flynn, Bernadette McAlisky, doctor Sindy Joyce, Senator Lynne Ruane and Cathrine Corless, these are the voices of my Ireland, as I waked down through Dublin town I spied an old woman laying down o the ground
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Oh my people my people, they roamed those ancient fairs,
Bringing stories and the music of those old and ancient airs
but they tried to ban our culture and they tried stop our ways
the spirit of a people they trying to erase
oh my people my people don't let them bring you down
because your rich history is written on every stone in every town
oh my people my people don't let them keep you down
because your rich history is paved on every road in every town
on the winds of change I can hear the lullaby of the bould Pecker Dunne with a tear drop in his eye
Johnny Keenan, Teddy Fury and auld John Reilly too you were the guardians of you culture and we will always remember you
oh my people my people don't let them bring you down
because your rich history is written on every stone in every town
oh my people my people don't let them keep you down
because your rich history is paved on every road in every town
auld Maggie Barry with her banjo and those ancient Gaelic airs of the piper John Cash, he passed the flame down through the years, to Johnny Doran and Felix those gypsy piper kings, you inspired generations and your names we will always sing
oh my people my people don't let them bring you down
because your rich history is written on every stone in every town
oh my people my people don't let them keep you down
because your rich history is paved on every road in every town
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when the great and wise auld chieftain lay down and closed his eyes
and we gathered around in a circle, the rain it fell from the skies,
the rain it fell down the rain it fell down the rain it fell down upon our brow
the rain it fell down the rain it fell down the rain it fell down and cleansed our brow
when we damage and pillage the mother, we only reap what we sow
we must learn to love one and other brothers and sisters its all that I know
love it is free love it is free love it is free for you and me
love it is free love it is free love it is free for you and me
love it its free love it is free love it is free for you and me
the ancestors call the ancestors call the ancestors call out to me
the ancestors call the ancestors call the ancestors call out to me
when the great and wise and spirit lay down and dreamt up this land
and she whispered this song to the birds in the trees and the birds they sang it for man
then we were free then we were free then we were free to be what we'll be oh then we were free then we were free then we were free to be what we'll be
the ancestors call the ancestors call the ancestors call out to me
the ancestors call the ancestors call the ancestors call out to me
the ancestors call the ancestors call the ancestors call out to me
the ancestors call out to me they whisper across the breeze
the ancestors call out to me they whisper across the breeze
the ancestors call
the ancestors call
the ancestors call
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lets walk down by the harbour wall meet where the lost souls fall,
through the cracks, where the water is black at the edge of the world, where I first kissed my girl and I watched the boat sail away and hoped for better day, lets meet down by the waterfall kiss where the sparrows call, fall into my charms from your nostalgic arms, and down on the back streets I seek refuge with the black sheep, I fall down in bits and fit in with misfits, where the thirsty ducks drunk from brown paper bags, and relive their lost years on the banks of canals,
lets go down down down down, lets go down
lets go down down down down lets go down
lets go down down down down, lets go down
lets go down down down down lets go down
lets step out on the town, wash the sorrow down, we can pretend for a while at least, that we're seeking out revery, we can trade our war stories, exchange our war paints, we can revel in past glories while the street kids relent, where the children all sleep in the doorways at night, you can eat your fast food, pretend that everything's alright
somethings gotta give, somethings gotta change
people wanna live, and the system stays the same,
and the politicians keep singing the same old song, keep telling the same old lies, and year after year both you and I, keep voting them in, on the broken promise of a win, are you not in on the inside chatter, do you not know how to get on the property ladder, ah its easy all ya have to do is just borrow a quick fifty grand from yer Ma an Da, just pay it back when ever ya can, ye wide?
Somethings gotta give, somethings gotta change, people wanna live and the system stays the same
Somethings gotta give, somethings gotta change, people wanna live and the system stays the sameSomethings gotta give, somethings gotta change, you can keep your money we want change.
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rest your weary bones on my sofa me auld segotia
we can sip tea from a scauldy mug,
regale the tales of our yester-years, glorious ways we misspent our youth
smoking down back alleys, bagsy on your apple,
your Ma wears army boots, and she never goes to chapel,
I knew a crooked man once, and we walked that crooked mile,
making money outta misery, he wore a crooked smile,
in those glorious days of our squandering youth, we were running down back lanes , we were searching for truth, in those glory days yea
me Ma says life is short but the journey it is long,
ye better thicken up that skin son, if ya wanna get along
you better learn how to walk 'fore you learn how to run
better learn how to be a man son ya better learn how to love,
when we were young, we'd all cycle our bikes out into the sun,
then we'd all play kiss chasing, till we caught the right one
in those glorious days of our squandering youth, we were running down back lanes, we were searching for truth, in those glorious days where we misspent our youth we were kissing down back lanes we were searching for truth, in those glory days yea,
rest your weary bones me auld segotia, sipping tea here with e on my comfy old sofa
rest your weary bones me auld segotia, your sipping tea here with me on my comfy old sofa, glory days glory days, glory days yeh.
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I went out walking down by the sea, I spied a pretty girl and she looked at me,
we talked for a while, found out we liked, then we walked hand in hand into the suns dying light, she said,
I'll be the one to guide you, when your lost and ever in your darkness
and ill be the one to come and mend your broke an weary heart
and I'll be the one to always hold your hand, when we're walking in the park after dark
and I'll be the one restoring you when you lose your faith in man
the years passed on down and the kids they were born,
two little boys both healthy and strong, this life passes by in the blink of an eye, cause the boys are all grown now, and its just you and I, and still,
I'll be the one to guide you, when your lost and ever in your darkness
and ill be the one to come and mend your broke an weary heart
and I'll be the one to always hold your hand, when we're walking in the park after dark
and I'll be the one restoring you when you lose your faith in man
don't lose your faith in man
don't lose your faith in man
don't lose your faith in man
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these days I find it hard to still me mind, in the night, oh I fight,
so hard to find the light, of my soul, cause I know, it's drifting far away, and every day I rise to say everything will be okay,
yeah ya better conform son, ye need to be normal, ye need to get a job, ya need to be someone, have it all figured out after 18 years, then spend the forty paying off your arrears, when ya get car and get life, get a job and get wife, get a house and get a dog, maybe have a couple'a sprogs, join the gym, get fit, turn fifty, it turns to shit, gold watch ends your career, your still paying off those fuckin arrears
these days I find it hard to still me mind, in the night, oh I fight,
so hard to find the light, of my soul, cause I know, it's drifting far away, and every day I rise to say everything will be okay,
they never told me how to file me tax returns at school, all the said was you are nothing but a fool, they never taught me how to plant a tree, grow some peas, be self supporting though my own means, how to survive me teens, all they done was kill me dreams,
but all the ancient knowledge is blowing in the wind, it's written in the stars, and it comes from within, its an inside job, a path we all must walk, and some get lost to find their real true salt, but don't believe the hype, and don't buy their lies, just listen to the wisdom of the ancient tribes...
tribal chant...
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in the pretty green isle of Eireann, there's a cloud over some of our towns,
in the land of a thousand welcomes, racism's still coming down,
from the top to the bottom, the system is still rotten, and the euro rules the roost, men and women in direct provision, and the living conditions abuse
there's traveller sites, where the rats run rife, on the outskirts of every town
that fire in Carrickmines, where ten souls died, and people are still looking down
where's your memory, wheres your memory gone,
no blacks no dogs no Irish, it wasn't that long, it wasn't that long
in the pretty green isle of Eireann, there's a shadow over some of our towns, in the land of a thousand welcomes, racism's still going down, up in the sky, I see those vultures, circling around for the scraps of our culture whole generations growing up homeless, kids never knowing where their heart or their home is, human beings dying on the streets, cold in their lungs and a cup at their feet, remember you're a paddy and a mick, good for nothing but stacking up brick, remember when the crop got sick, and we sailed those hunger ships,
where's your memory where's your memory gone
where's your memory where's your memory gone
more blacks more dogs more Irish
more blacks more dogs more Irish
more blacks more dogs more Irish
more blacks more dogs more Irish
more blacks more dogs more Irish
sometimes we must close our eyes, open up our minds to realise,
we are one, we all breath the same air and we all bleed the same colour
one love
it wasn't that long
it wasn't that long
it wasn't that long
it wasn't that long
it wasn't that long
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Street Wisdom For Lost Souls is the highly anticipated second studio album from Steo Wall.
released October 20, 2023
Well, here we all are again, howayis?
Steo here, I hope this album finds you all well? And I wanna start by thanking you all personally for your continued support over the last few years. Since the release of Where I’m From in 2018 it has been one hell of a ride! The way yis all took that collection of stories into yer hearts was very humbling, so again, thank you. With the release of that album, I got to collaborate with some musical giants, play festivals and venues I’ve always dreamed of playing and I hope it continues for many years. As long as you people keep relating to the songs, I’ll keep penning them.
Once again I have to thank my baby moma, Jessie S, thanks for always having my back babe, and staying the course and putting up with all my BS throughout the making of this. I love ya babe. X
My two boys, Adam and Felix, still everything I do is to give you two a better life. I loves yis with all my heart.
To all my family, me Mam and Dad, brothers and sister, niece's, nephews, aunts uncles and cousins. I love yis all.
To my musical brother and sister, Bowsey and Caroline Lodge, thank you both for bringing the songs alive, both in studio and when we play live. We’re gonna do a lot of travelling and singing together, I know it.
Philip Tormey, AKA Fiddler, it pains me that you're not around to listen to this album with me pal but I’m glad I could still have you feature on it with me. Thank you for showing me the way brother. I love ya and I miss ya. This album is dedicated to your memory. RIP.
Special mention to the Ryans, our Co Clare family, Pat, Ger and Sara. Sara thank you for always being there for me, and for adding so much of your talents to this album, lets keep making music ontill we’re old and grey. Ger, thank you for putting me in “The Book” you know? Pat, thanks for always being there pal, you’ve helped me so much over the years, not just with the Pat Ryan Music Services, taking care of all the side of this business I hate to deal with but for always being on the other end of the phone. We all know the struggle was real there for a min. So thank you.
Big thanks once again to the man that has had my back from day one, Martin O’Malley at Malbay Studios in Milltown Malbay. Thanks also to Brendan Duffy for capturing the art on the album, as always, a real pleasure to work with ya man. To the main dude, Jack Healy for the art concepts and design on the album cover. You're one cool mofo man and funny dude to work with.
A wise man once told me, always be clever enough to know what you don't know! And then surround yourself with people who do.
So once again I have a whole community of talented folkers around me that I need to thank,
The Artists.
Jacinta Sheerin: vocals on The One
Adam Wall: Intro
Felix Wall: Intro
Philip Tormey,(Fiddler) Intro
Jon O’Connell: Double Bass
Jimmy Higgins: Percussion
Adam Shapiro: Fiddle
Bill Blackmore: Trumpet
Caroline Lodge: Keys & Cello
Bowsey: Guitar, backing vocals, trumpet arrangements
Blackie O’Connell: Uilleann pipes
Toshin: Backing vocals on More Blacks More Dogs More Irish
Keelan Kenny: Guitar backing & vocals on Glory Days
Sal: Backing vocals/harmonies
Martin O’Malley: Engineering, production, Guitars, Banjo, Whistle,
Thank you all for lending your talents and elevating these songs.
All songs written and composed by Steo Wall, IMRO/ RAAP/ PPI
All Rights Reserved.
