The Tide Flows Into Miltown Lyrics - Tim O'brien

I walk into a corner bar, it says Lynch above the door 

I had just arrived in Miltown to frolic there once more 

I see a Cavan man expatriot who now resides in old Oslo 

And he's holdin to an old friend's hand as his mate sings loud and slow 

When they're done we reminisce on Shetland back in ninety seven 

Where we met aboard a ferry bound for five days of folk heaven 

Siobahn and John start jiggin, push and pulls from box and bow 

And Peter reaches for his drum to punctuate the flow 

And the tide flows into Miltown, they come from far and near 

The tide flows into Miltown, this time every year 

I sit next to two I've known since I first came of age 

Each Tuesday night in Pigtown we'd play from O'Niell's page 

We raise our jars, it's July fourth, so I guess they're Yankees still 

Though they've moved back to Cork now, up Military Hill 

And the tide flows into Miltown, we come from far and near 

The tide flows into Miltown, this time every year 

I stayed this time on Spanish Point with a Nashville guy I know 

You can swim in quiet water there, in the tide pools down below 

But there were too many toasts to raise, to many tunes to play 

I only saw that coast while walking home in the dawning of the day 

I've seen these folks in Donegal, New York and Tennessee 

Since a fleagh in seventy six made a believer out of me 

James Kelly made a point back then, said what's the point of sleepin, 

There'll be time for that when we get done with the company we're keepin 

And the tide flows into Miltown, we come from far and near 

The tide flows into Miltown, this time every year 

And the tide flows into Miltown, of smiles and tunes and tears 

The tide flows into Miltown, bring the wife and kids next year