The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
There is an old saying that my father told me, that “a swan would die of pride only for its feet”. Why? I asked. He said, “Because a swan has black feet! All the rest of the swan is a beautiful white!” The beauty of a swan swimming quietly in a river may have inspired Sean Ryan to give this its title. Sean composed this one sometime during the late 1950s. Its immediate popularity launched Sean’s reputation as a composer of notable tunes that were soon included within the music tradition.
B2 A | G2 BG DG Bd | g2 fg eg dB | c2 ec B2 dB |
AD FA dc BA | G2 (3BAG DcBd | g2 fg eg dB | cd ec Bc dB |
AD FA Gc BA || G2 (3BAG DGBd | g2 fg eg dB | c2 ec B2 dB |
AD FA dc BA | G2 (3BAG DGBd | g2 fg eg dB | cc ec Bc dB |
AD FA G3 g || g{/A} Bd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
fgef d2 ef | gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
(3fed (3cBA G2 Bd || gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
fgef d2 ef | gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
(3fed (3cBA G B2 A || G2 BG DG Bd | g2 fg eg dB | c2 ec B2 dB |
AD FA dc BA | G2 (3BAG DGBd | g2 fg eg dB | cd ec Bc dB |
AD FA Gc BA || G2 (3BAG DGBd | g2 fg eg dB | c2 ec B2 dB |
AD FA dc BA | G2 (3BAG DGBd | g2 fg eg dB | cd ec Bc dB |
AD FA G3 g || g{/A} Bd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
fgef d2 ef | gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
(3fed (3cBA G2 Bd || gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
fgef d2 ef | gBd=f eGce | edBG ADFA | GBdB ceag |
(3fed (3cBA G4 |