Celtic Mayhem ~ "Smugglers" ~ 2011 Florida Renaissance Festival

Celtic Mayhem perform the spirited sea song "Smugglers" (aka "Smuggler's Life") at the 2011 Florida Renaissance Festival in Deerfield Beach, Florida. This was filmed at the Celtic Mayhem morning show on the Pub Stage, March 13, 2011. Sorry for the weird camera angle, but I was in a odd position in relation to the stage. They had only recently started doing this song just before FlaRF11, but it has quickly become one of my favorites

This performance of "Smugglers" features the musical talents of Ty Billings on guitar and lead vocals, Jack Stamates on violin and supporting vocals, and Martyn Wylde on bass guitar and supporting vocals.

While it has the great feel of a classic sea song, "Smugglers" was actually written, composed, and popularized by the British folk punk group The Men They Couldn't Hang (TMTCH), after they had split up in 1991 and reformed in 1992. The Men they Couldn't Hang have produced a wide variety of popular recent folk tunes, including "The Green Fields of France" (written by Eric Bogle who also wrote the popular anti-war song "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"). "Smugglers" was first released on the TMTCH 2005 live concert album "Smugglers and Bounty Hunters". They Men They Couldn't Hang seem to periodically go in and out of semi-retirement but they continue to play live concerts and release CDs. "Smugglers" has since been performed by a variety of other artists including Celtic Mayhem here.

For more great music by The Men They Couldn't Hang, go to: www.tmtch.net

For more great music by Celtic Mayhem, go to: www.celticmayhem.net

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Lyrics to "Smugglers":
The boat rides south of Ailsa Craig
in the waning of the light.
There's thirty men in Lendalfit
to make our burden light,
And there's thirty horse in Hazleholm
with the halters on their heads.
All set this night up on your life
if wind and water speed.

(Chorus)
Smugglers drink of the Frenchmens wine,
and the darkest night is the smugglers time.
Away we ran from the excise man,
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!


Oh lass you have a cozy bed,
and cattle you have ten.
Can you not live a lawful life?
And live with lawful men?
But must I use old homely goods,
while there's foreign gear so fine?
Must I drink at the waterside,
and France so full of wine

(Chorus)
Smugglers drink of the Frenchmens wine,
and the darkest night is the smugglers time.
Away we ran from the excise man,
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!

Though well I like to see you Kate,
with a baby on your knee
My heart is now with that gallant crew,
that ploughs through the angry sea.
It's the bitter gale, the tightest sail, the sheltered bay or goal,
it's the wayward life, it's the smugglers strife,
it's the joy of the smugglers soul!

(Chorus)
Smugglers drink of the Frenchmens wine,
and the darkest night is the smugglers time.
Away we ran from the excise man,
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!


And when at last the dawn comes up,
and the cargo safely stored,
like sinless saints to church we'll go,
God's mercy to afford.
And it's champagne fine for communion wine,
and the parson drinks it too,
with a sly wink prays "forgive these men,
for they know not what they do"!

(Chorus)
Smugglers drink of the Frenchmens wine,
and the darkest night is the smugglers time.
Away we ran from the excise man,
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!
It's a smugglers life for me!