Lyr Add: Acushla Mine

Subject: Lyr Add: ACUSHLA MINE (Terry O'Sullivan)
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 23 Mar 00 - 07:28 PM

ACUSHLA MINE
by Terry O'Sullivan
tune: Londonderry Air (aka Derry Air; Irish Tune from County Derry)

Acushla, mine, the singing birds are calling,
The call of love, that's meant for lovers true,
'Tis Autumn time, and where the leaves are falling,
Alone I wait, to beg a word with you.
'Tis of my love, my love I would be pleading,
Around my heart, your fingers you entwine,
The birds above, they know how much I'm needing,
One little word to bid me hope, Acushla, mine.

Acushla, mine, your lips are ever smiling,
They smiled their way into my longing heart,
Your roguish eyes to me are so beguiling,
I pray the Saints, that never we may part.
When Winter comes, and all the world is dreary,
And sun and stars no longer seem to shine,
The world is dark, and I am sad and weary,
'Tis then I need you most of all, Acushla, mine.

Acushla, mine, when birds again are singing,
Their mating song, and all the land is gay,
When, at the church, the wedding bells are ringing,
Mavourneen, dear, 'twill be a happy day.
And through the years no matter what the weather,
Around my heart, your love will still entwine,
We'll wander on, as long as we're together,
And wander into Paradise, Acushla, mine.

(Songs and Dances of Ireland
published by Wise Publications, 1982)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: alison
Date: 23 Mar 00 - 07:41 PM

Thanks Mary,

slainte

alison

Subject: Two sweethearts of mine
From: Pork Sausage Mike
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 01:17 PM

I require the music for Two sweethearts of mine. I have found the words. Last Sat. I heard an 80yr old friend sing it.

Subject: RE: Two sweethearts of mine
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 02:14 PM

If you were to type two sweethearts of mine into the very useful "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page, you would find this previous discussion:

Lyr Req: I'm in love with two

Full lyrics for Two Sweethearts of Mine are posted there, together with a link to sheet music of 1898 available online at the Lester Levy Sheet Music Collection.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: michaelr
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 09:38 PM

Oh great, an alternative to "Danny Boy" lyrics!!

I have several questions: Who is/was Terry O'Sullivan? When did he write the song? Has it been recorded? And what does "acushla" mean (I remember the word from "My Irish Molly-O")?

Thanks,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 08:23 PM

refresh - any answers out there?

Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: GUEST,GUEST
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 07:56 PM

acushla means dear heart, or my darling. From an Irish word meaning pulse of the heart. Cuisle, I think it is. From A Sea of Words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 11:50 AM

A chuisle means "o pulse" (the Irish have always been big into beans) or "o vein".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: GUEST,Kevin
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 10:30 AM

My wife says here Grandfather ( Cork born) uased to call her his little Acushla,... I guess it's used like precious, or dear, or darling,... certainly a term of endearment , I'd say.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Acushla Mine
From: GUEST,john
Date: 26 Jul 24 - 04:31 AM

re: I have several questions: Who is/was Terry O'Sullivan? When did he write the song? Has it been recorded?
...this is a very late reply, and not too informative...

I was looking for where the Acushla Mine words came from and came across this. I have the book that's credited at the end of the lyrics (Songs and Dances of Ireland
published by Wise Publications, 1982)
and it does indeed have the exact words, but it doesn't credit Terry O'Sullivan, or anyone. It just says Traditional, though I guess this is referring to the music rather than the lyrics. At the foot of each song it states the Copyright holder: in this case "Copyright 1982 Dorsey Brothers Music Ltd, London". So it appears that it was copyrighted the same year as the book of songs was published. It isn't clear if the copyright is for or includes the lyrics or is simply the arrangement, but it seems strange to me not to credit the writer if it was done for this book... other songs in the book do state "words by....". So on the whole, I suspect the words are traditional, though their web presence is very slight indeed. So the question then is where does the reference to Terry O'Sullivan come in?
I may well be wrong and he did write the words - I did try to look up Terry O'Sullivan, without success. Songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan has/had a brother Terry who looked after his affairs in the USA and sued Biz Markie - https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/29/nyregion/composer-who-knows-he-s-heard-that-song-before-sues.html - But no reason to think it's him, and clearly Terry O'Sullivan is a very common name. But if you're out there, please say!