The Foggy Dew variants

[David Dalton]

It seems that there are some variants of the song The Foggy Dew.

One well known version is the rebel battle song sung by Sinéad
O’Connor with The Chieftains on their album The Long Black Veil
(it was sung by Sarah McLachlan as well in her tour with
The Chieftains in I think 1995).

However a (probably older) version known in Newfoundland is a
love song. It is sung by Laverne Squires on her posthumous album
Laverne Squires: A Tribute
Limited Edition: Collection of Folk Songs and Ballads from the Outports
though I wouldn’t call it a Tribute since unlike many tribute albums
it is her doing the singing, not others singing her songs, but anyway
the album was released in memory of her and her friend Noel Dinn.

This old version contains a line that mentions “rose of mead”. I
used to think it was “rose of Medb” and related it to my
blue rose vision pre-dawn on Sept. 6, 1991 but perhaps
that is stretching it a bit. Also http://gestsongs.com/17/foggydew1.htm
says “rose of red” but I am sure Laverne and at least one other
singer (Catherine Wright) I have heard sing it have sung
“rose of mead” or, less likely, “rose of Medb”.

While listening to the album I facilitated a soul alignment
(similar to that between Jesus and the bread and wine)
between Laverne and The Peter Easton Pub (formerly Bridgett’s)
(Peter Easton has reincarnated so the alignment with
him has ended), and between Noel and Spirit of Newfoundland
(formerly The Masonic Temple). I will consider a possible
pub for Paddy Moloney whenever I visit Ireland, and
welcome suggestions. :-)

--
David Dalton dal...@nfld.com https://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
https://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)
“‘Then you saw me from the cathedral/Well I'm an ancient heart/Yes,
you saw me from the cathedral/And here we are just falling apart" (T.T.)