At The Céilí

At the Céilí is a Celtic Woman song written by David Downes and Shay Healey. It is originally sung by Lisa Kelly, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha and Órla Fallon with the accompaniment of Máiréad Nesbitt's fiddle.

Lyrics

Lisa, Méav & Órla:

Tonight we're going to meet some lads

Us girls are dressed up gaily

And we'll be dancing 'till the dawn

We're going to the Céili

The lads they come from miles around

From Ennis and Kilmaley

To show us all their fancy steps

We're going to the Céili

They're planning tunes on everything 

From pipes to ukulele

It sounds so good you can't sit down

We're dancing at the Céili

Lisa:

All the boys we loved so well

So handsome young and charming

They're in New York and Boston now

They should be home here farming

My own true love has sailed away 

To be an endless rover

'Cause times are tough and he must leave

To start a new life over

He writes me letters every week 

To say how much he's slaving

And he promises that he'll be back

Before the hay needs saving

But it's hard to love somebody

That you're not in touch with daily

So I'm looking for somebody new 

Tonight down at the Céili

The winter nights are long and hard

And time goes by so slowly

I wish my true love, he was here

And in his arms I'd roll

He'd whisper tender words of love to me

And kiss my lips so sweetly 

And quickly I'd surrender to his manly charms completely

Lisa & Méav:

He writes me letters every week 

To say how much he's slaving

And he promises that he'll be back

Before the hay needs saving

But it's hard to love somebody

That you're not in touch with daily

So I'm looking for somebody new 

Tonight down at the Céili

So I'm looking for somebody new 

Tonight down at the Céili

Órla:

I hope I meet someone tonight

Who'll make my heart beat fast

A handsome man with laughing eyes

Who smiles as he walks past

And when they play an old-time waltz

He'll twirl me round the floor

And promise me that I will be 

His girl forevermore

His girl forevermore

His girl forevermore

Who'll promise me that I will be

His girl forevermore (2x)

Méav:

I'm somewhat in a bother

That is really quite alarming

I have two lads pursuing me

And each of them is charming

One of them is dark and poor

One fair with lots of money

I don't know which one to choose

The flower or the honey

All:

What on earth am I to do?

It's driving me half crazy

Tonight I'll make my mind up

When I see them at the Céili

Méav:

To be a poor man's wife

Will be a life of washing dishes

While a rich man's wife will surely have 

Great luxury and riches

In comfort how I know

It wouldn't be too hard to wallow

And being poor is not much fun

Which one should I follow?

All:

What on earth am I to do?

It's driving me half crazy

Tonight I'll make my mind up

When I see them at the Céili

Lisa:

I've been lucky I've found a lad 

Who's handsome and a neighbor

Órla:

And me, I've met a decent man

Whose friendship I will savour

Méav:

And me I made my choice as well

And in no way was it aisy

But I'd rather have a man for love

Than be a rich man's lady

All:

And that is how the story ends

May true love never fail me

We got ourselves three men tonight

And we met them at the Céili