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The song references local places in Galway. Salthill is the city’s seaside area and is popular with tourists. The Salthill Prom, known locally as the Long Walk, is a 2km seafront promenade overlooking Galway Bay. It is here that the singer meets and begins his brief liaison with the Galway Girl.
Galway Girl
by Steve Earle
Intro:
Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk
On a day-I- ay-I- ay
I met a little girl and we stopped to talk
on a grand soft day-I- ay
And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do
'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl
'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl
We were halfway there when the rain came down
On a day-I-ay-I-ay
And she took me up to her flat downtown
Of a grand soft day-I-ay-I-ay
And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do
'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl
And I lost my heart to a Galway girl
When I woke up I was all alone
With a broken heart and a ticket home
And I ask you now, tell me what would you do
If her hair was black and her eyes were blue
I've traveled around I've been all over this world
Boys I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl
Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk
On a day-I- ay-I- ay
I met a little girl and we stopped to talk
on a grand soft day-I- ay
And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do
'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl
'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl
We were halfway there when the rain came down
On a day-I-ay-I-ay
And she took me up to her flat downtown
Of a grand soft day-I-ay-I-ay
And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do
'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl
And I lost my heart to a Galway girl
When I woke up I was all alone
With a broken heart and a ticket home
And I ask you now, tell me what would you do
If her hair was black and her eyes were blue
I've traveled around I've been all over this world
Boys I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl