Spanish Lady

Spanish Lady Lyrics and Chords

The Spanish Lady – worship from afar

Spanish Lady by Carl von Steuben

The Spanish Lady is a very old and unusual song that seems to have originated in Ireland, although there are similar versions in England.

It tells the story of an old man remembering how he happened across a beautiful young woman many years before when he was young and travelling through Dublin.

The first time he sees the Spanish Lady it is midnight and she is washing her feet by candlelight. She dries them over a fire of amber coal, which may also serve as a metaphor for the heat of the young man’s passion.

Brushing her hair outside the gate

The next time he sees her it is half past eight in the morning and this time the Spanish Lady is combing and brushing her hair outside her gate.

She has a silver comb which would suggest that she is well to do, which might explain why the young man never approaches her even though he obviously finds her attractive.

He may feel that there is too much of a social gap between them.

I threw a kiss to the Spanish Lady

Nevertheless, he wants to stay and watch her but he is challenged by a watchman who threatens to wrestle him into the Bridewell (jail) if he doesn’t move on.

The young man complies but not before throwing “a kiss to the Spanish Lady, hot as a fire of angry coal”. His passion seems to be rising.

Lifting her petticoat over the knee

The young man sees the Spanish Lady for the final time when he chances upon her “catching a moth in a golden net”. This time she also sees him and runs away immediately, “lifting her petticoat over her knee” for a quick getaway.

Some commentators have suggested that this may suggest she may have been a woman of dubious character but there is little to back this up and it seems a little fanciful. In any case, the young man interprets her sudden departure as indicating shyness.

Where oh where is the Spanish Lady

Many years then pass but the young man never sees the Spanish Lady again, although not for the want of trying. We hear that he wanders all across Dublin, passing various landmarks such as Stoneybatter and the Gloucester Diamond, but always without success.

Then we hear that old age has laid her hand on the young man and he is now “cold as a fire of ashy coals”. The passion may have dimmed but it is still there. Even though it is a whole lifetime since he last saw her, he still wonders “where oh where is the Spanish Lady”.

As I went back through Dublin City

The young man never actually met and spoke to the Spanish Lady but she obviously made a huge impression on him because he still thinks of her after all those years.

It also seems he’s spent much of his life going back though Dublin in the hope of seeing her again. That is quite an obsession and there is no suggestion that he ever married or loved anyone else.

How important is social status in the Spanish Lady?

The Spanish Lady is an unusual song because despite the fact that the young man finds the woman attractive and despite the fact that he fails to make any connection with her, there isn’t really much sense of loss.

There is no heartache and although he is still thinking of her several decades later, it’s more with a sense of curiosity that anything more deep.

The reason may well be to do with the Spanish Lady’s social status. He would feel unable to approach her and she may even be frightened by someone outside of her class, which might explain why she runs off when she sees him.

The young man has no chance of success

The young man can admire her from afar but he knows he has no hope of having a future with her.

For that reason, she may be no more than a fantasy figure to him, rather like a pop star may be to a young man today. He may wish to see her but the emotion is kept at bay, even if he never quite forgets her.

This sense of resignation is reinforced by the up-tempo melody which is bright and cheerful, running contrary to what might otherwise be a feeling of love and loss.

The origins of the song

James Napper Tandy 1700s

The melody for the Spanish Lady comes from an old Irish tune called, Mo Ghile Mhear which is also known as The White Cockade.

It’s not known who wrote the words but they probably date from the late 18th century. There is a reference to the young man passing by Napper Tandy’s house while searching for the Spanish Lady. Tandy was an Irish rebel leader who died in 1803.

Recordings of the Spanish Lady

The Dubliners were one of the first bands to bring the Spanish Lady to a wider audience during the folk revival of the 1960s. Other performers such as the Irish Rovers and Johnny McEvoy have also recorded successful versions.

The Irish Tenors have also recorded the song giving it a new twist with a light operatic version featuring a full orchestra.

Spanish Lady Lyrics and Chords