There's a new moon over the Hudson
and the stars are shining bright,
and I think about my true love,
in Ireland tonight
He'll walk through purple heather,
at the hills and on to home,
and I wonder why I ever had to row.
Central Park at midnight,
in a carriage in the snow,
I find I think of Innisfree
where the emerald shamrocks grow.
I'm leavin' in the morning
I'll sing the old sweet songs,
and I'll never leave till all is said and done.
There are seas that lie between us,
there are years that have been lost,
but I never will forget the way he smiled.
There are hearts that have been broken,
and the dream was almost lost,
but the sons of Ireland always drove me wild.
My father's father's fathers,
they sailed from Irish shores,
they played the drums at Lexington,
they fought the civil wars.
They died to save the Union,
they live to see me born
and in their dreams they saw the Irish Morn.
There were seas that rolled beneath them
there were years that had been lost
but they never did forget the Irish songs.
There were vows that were broken
and the promise almost lost
but they never did forget where they belonged.
It's a long long way to New York City
from the shores of County Cork
and the ships that brought us over here
were made of tears and smoke
I will return to Ireland
I'll sing the old sweet songs
and I'll walk in purple heather
I'll sing in purple heather
I'll dance in heather, till the Irish dawn.