The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #62925   Message #1131942
Posted By: Jim Dixon
08-Mar-04 - 10:39 PM
Thread Name: recipes in songs
Subject: Lyr Add: MISS FOGARTY'S CHRISTMAS CAKE
This differs from the version in DigiTrad by a few phrases here and there. Also, the version in DT has most of its dialect removed.

A tune is posted here but I don't know if it's the same as the sheet music.

From the sheet music at The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

MISS FOGARTY'S CHRISTMAS CAKE
(C. Frank Horn, 1883)

As I sat at my windy last evenin', the letter man brought unto me
A little gilt-edg'd invitation, sayin', "Gilhooley, come over to tea."
Sure I knew that the Fogarty's sent it, so I wint just for old friendship's sake,
And the first thing they gave me to tackle was a slice of Miss Fogarty's cake.

CHORUS: There was plums and prunes and cherries,
And citron and raisins and cinnymon, too.
There was nutmeg, cloves, and berries.
And the crust it was nail'd on with glue.
There was carroway seeds in abundance.
Sure 'twould build up a fine stomach-ache
That would kill a man twice after 'ating a slice
Of Miss Fogarty's Christmas cake.

Miss Mulligan wanted to taste it, but really there wasn't no use.
They work'd at it over an hour and they couldn't get none of it loose,
Till Fogarty wint for the hatchet and Killy came in with a saw.
That cake was enough, by the powers, to paralyze any man's jaw.

Mrs. Fogarty, proud as a peacock, kep' smilin' an' blinkin' away
Till she fell over Flanigan's brogans and spill'd a whole brewin' of tay.
"Oh, Gilhooly," she cried, "you're not 'atin'. Try a little bit more for my sake."
"No thanks, Misses Fogarty," sez I, "but I'd like the resate* of that cake."

Maloney was took with the colic. McNulty complain'd of his head.
McFadden laid down on the sofy and swore that he wish'd he was dead.
Miss Daly fell down in hysterics, and there she did wriggle and shake,
While ev'ry man swore he was poison'd thro' 'atin' Miss Fogarty's cake.

[*Resate=receipt=recipe.]
[Recorded by The Irish Rovers, Mick Moloney, Paddy Noonan, and others. In some recordings, the title is given as MRS. FOGARTY'S CHRISTMAS CAKE. Sometimes it is called "traditional."]