Raise a Glass

Landed in another town, penniless and broken down

Full of hope and also full of fear

Long ago and long deceived, long ago we ceased to grieve

Full of pain but also full of cheer

Try to find another life, laughter other small delights

Full of hope and also full of fear

Find a better circumstance, all of us can sing and dance

Full of pain but also full of cheer

So we'll raise our voice in song, though we don't belong

Raise a glass, drink to our health until the night is gone

We'll raise our voice in song, sing it loud and strong

Raise a glass, drink to our health until the night is gone

Looking for a situation, looking for accommadation

Looking for a home and for a life

Try to find another nation, a place of love and for affection

Full of heart and free of all the strife

- Mike Ledwith

A Bad Day (Can be a Good Story)

Rub me eyes and shake me head, numbers blink beside the bed

An hour late I can't believe I did it all again

Miss the bus and run instead, my friend's a bloody right dickhead

'Til 2:00 AM he filled my head with drink and tales and song

Heart a-pounding I'm a wreck, boss man's gonna have me neck

Try to think how to defend or something I should say

Maybe he will understand if I show up with hat in hand

But I don't think it's how it's gonna go

So I'm all out on the dole, wish I had learned some self-control

Though it's 10:00 AM I'll find a drink, a place to rest me head and think

Or find a place to tie a rope, so I try to hope

Someday a bad day will be a good story

Moving forward all alone, swore your heart was made of stone

My splitting head, I can't complain; I brought it on meself

Fall to the floor try not to moan, bird has left the nest and flown

Broken souls and broken bones we left along the way

Pour a cup and shake me head, try to read the note you left

It slips between my fingers and I watch it float on down

I wonder what the world would say, maybe they'll say we went astray

But I can't think what there would be to gain

Except an empty spot inside the bed, an extra pillow for me head

Another hook to hang me coat, an extra drink to soothe me throat

Another beam to tie me rope, so I try to hope

Someday a bad day will be a good story

- Mike Ledwith

Last Round

When the world is trying, the work just keeps on piling

Somehow I'm expected to, don't you fret 'cause I'll pull through

Wear me down and push me, why can't you just let me be?

Every moment I'm with you, you really haven't got a clue

I need your grace, show me mercy

I lost myself in your embrace

I don't know how, I can't go on, I don't know how this battle's won

I give up and I give in, please forgive this one last sin

Tell me now what do you see, when you look at me?

Do I even have a face, or am I one big empty space?

I'm on my knees, my head is low, I searched up high but drawn below

Look away my heart remains, the drinks are all that keep me sane

Please remember happiness, not this lonely emptiness

I'll drink one last round for you, I'll leave you one last round

- Jenn D'Alessio

Someday We'll Meet Again

I found love one summer morning

I saw your face; I'll never be the same again

I asked your name, you wouldn't answer

And I knew I never would be the same man

I came home one winter evening

You'd left my life, you left the world, you left it all

I couldn't cry...I couldn't grieve you

I couldn't laugh, I couldn't love after the fall

Don't let your love go to waste

For I'm in a better place

Someday we will meet again...

(So I wait for my own end...)

Don't let your love go to waste (I won't let my love to go waste)

For I'm in a better place (for you're in a better place)

Someday we will meet again...

All the nights I held you close to me

Even the times we'd disagree

(You'd hold me near when you were here)

All the smiles, all the love we'd share

All the laughter that rang out everywhere

(You have to live...you've so much more to give)

- Mike Ledwith

- Jenn D'Alessio

The Lost Irish Fest

We started the year, people said quite sincerely

'In 2020 we all should see clearly'

It should be a good year, one second to none

One full of laughter and fun

In came the plague and it seemed important

Next thing you know 'Look out, murder hornets!'

The looting, the riots, and all the tear gas

2020 can just kiss my ass...

Oh Milwaukee Irish Fest, you've always been the best

We miss the grounds and the Irish wolfhounds, oh Irish Fest

We miss the whiskey and the cčilidh dance

We miss Gaelic Storm, even Fergal's red pants

Goitse and Jigjam and everyone

We can't wait for 2021

We lost Edward Ward, still you kept up the scene

But this year we'll pause 'cause of Covid-19

But next year the scattering, all of the rest

Oh Irish Fest you're the best

Oh Milwaukee Irish Fest, though we feel distressed

We know that soon we'll hear fiddle tunes at the next Irish Fest

Oh Milwaukee Irish Fest, we've always been so blessed

So we'll pour a Guinness and we'll count the minutes to the next Irish Fest

- Mike Ledwith

Wasted Years

Is the world surrounding me or is this camaraderie?

A mystery to my foggy mind, something new I need to find

Not that it's my choice at all, thought it ought to be my call

Pretty sure I'm left behind, I'm stuck here trying to rewind

Whiskey, scotch, a pint of beer

Liquid steel against my fear

I welcome that ichorous kiss

And drown in drunken bliss

How without my stolen soul I'm tumbling down the rabbit hole

I cannot tell what's really real, there is no way for me to heal

My life is not my life to live, I've got so many things to give

This broken world has wasted years, my hopes and dreams replaced with tears

- Jenn D'Alessio

Coming Home

I left home...I closed the door

And I read the letter you left for me

You gave your hand...I gave my soul

And I walked off into the blue

I know...oh I know...and I miss you so

When I come home I'll never leave

I held you close...I held you near

I held your hand but you held my heart

You gave your hand...I gave my soul

And I walked off into the blue

I know...oh I know...and I can't believe

When I come home you'll wait for me

I'll come home when I may

'Til then I read the letter you left for me

I miss your hand...I miss your smile

But I'll walk back in from the blue

I know...oh I know...and I miss you so

When I come home be there for me

I know...oh I know...and I miss you so

I miss you so, my darling dear

- Mike Ledwith

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Well early one morning the sun wouldn't shine

I was walking down the street not feeling too fine

Saw two old men with a bottle between them

This is the song that I heard them singing

'Lord preserve us, saints protect us!'

'We've been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast!'

Well I stopped down to where they was a-sittin'

I couldn't believe how drunk they was gettin'

Said 'old men, you been drinking here long?'

They said 'Long enough to be singing this song!'

'Lord preserve us, saints protect us!'

'We've been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast!'

Well they passed around the bottle and I took a little sip

And if felt so good that I just couldn't quit

Drank a little more, the next thing I knew

There was three of us sitting here singing this tune

'Lord preserve us, saints protect us!'

'We've been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast!'

One by one all the people in the town

They heard all the ruckus and they all came 'round

Pretty soon all the streets were ringing

With the sound of the whole town laughing and singing

'Lord preserve us, saints protect us!'

'We've been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast!'

- traditional

Conversations (Acoustic)

We talked about love, we talked about hate

And how after a time they start to abate

We talked about life we don't appreciate

We talked about death and how we can't relate

And all I want to do is stay here with you

Alone in our hideaway we dance the night away

And all I can say is you keep the pain away

We talked about pain, how it can be a gift

And how that's a fact you can easily miss

You told me about joy, I said I don't understand

Then you reached out and took my hand

You asked me about love and why it goes away?

I said its something that I just can't explain

Well maybe it's just life, and we'll never understand

You say to let it go, it's all part of the plan

You asked me about time, why it doesn't care

Why it steals away...it somehow seems unfair

You told me about hope, how it can cut both ways

How it can lift us up, but on our hearts it preys

And all you want to do we never outgrew

So we'll just chip away, we'll have at least one good day

Maybe we'll meet halfway, let it all die away

- Mike Ledwith

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