Haven’t played the Song Lyric Sunday game for while now but Helen’s theme this week prompts me to briefly share this song. Simply because – it’s one of my favourites on probably my favourite ever album. As neither are particularly well-known, I can only encourage you to give 4 minutes of your time to “Streets of Arklow” and, if you like it, the rest of “Veedon Fleece”.  To try and describe it – something of a cross between Irish folk and rock – but actually, trying to bracket it does it a disservice – it’s just a unique sound. Hope some of you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
Oh the color
Of the day wore on
And our heads
Were filled with poetry
And the morning
A-comin’ on to dawn

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
And gay perfusion
In god’s green land
And the gypsy’s rode
With their hearts on fire
They say “We love to wander,”
“Lord we love,”
“Lord we love to roam…”

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow
In a drenching beauty
Rolling back ’til the day
And I saw your eyes
They was shining, sparkling crystal clear
And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow
And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow
And our souls were clean
And the grass did grow

And as we walked
Through the streets of Arklow

(Written by Van Morrison, 1974)