OK, so I realize I’m reaching to the rafters now, even given the incredible powers of the SDMB. But I’ve been through every box, paper and tape I’ve got, and I can’t find this song that’s been knocking on the inside of my forehead since Christmas at least.
It starts with a poem as Gaeilge, about the poet walking through the bed of a dried-up lake, and finding a poor bird (sparrow?) who has died of thirst. Although I don’t think he mentions that specifically, it was only after I asked around about the song I heard that part of it. The song itself was about the poet’s lament for the death of the bird, and I remember him saying that he’d have walked a hundred miles to bring him a drink if only he’d known it was needed.
I say he doesn’t mention the bird, because the first time I heard it it made me think of a friend who had died of alcoholism, not by drinking himself to death, but by trying to detox cold turkey on his own. And I cried myself silly thinking “Yes, I would have brought him a drink if I’d known how he needed it.”
I’ve googled and searched “Sean nos” plus every word I can think of “deoch” “ol” “farraige” and “braon uisce”, “cupan” (which gave me too many responses to check!), “a thaibart duit deoch” and more. . .
Does it ring a bell with anybody?
