Lyr Req: Bumper Squire Jones

Subject: lyrics for Bumper Squire Jones
From: GUEST,Andy in Vt
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 01:07 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics to Bumper Squire Jones? I'll be singing some words to the O'Carolan tune at a festival in Vermont Saturday but I would appreciate a fuller set of lyrics.   Thanks so much. Andy

Subject: RE: lyrics for Bumper Squire Jones
From: Peace
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 01:21 PM

The lyrics of Ireland, ed. by S. Lover - Google Books Resultedited by Samuel Lover - 1858
Then away with the claret — a bumper, Squire Jones. Ye lawyers so just, Be the cause what it will, who so learnedly plead, How worthy of trust ! ...
books.google.ca/books?id=Dl0CAAAAQAAJ...



I googled

Bumper Squire Jones, lyrics

Ninth site down on that page is the above. There seem to be some lyrics there, but because I'm unaware of the song, jig, melody, etc., I have no idea if that's what you're searching for. I do not know how to copy/paste from pdf format, so that's the best I could do. Sorry.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Bumper Squire Jones
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 01:53 PM

The words in Donal O'Sullivan's classic biography of Carolan read:

Ye good fellows all
Who love to be told
Where there's claret good store
Attend to the call
Of one who's ne'er frighted
But greatly delighted
With six bottles more
Be sure you don't pass
The good house Moneyglass
Which the jolly red god
So peculiarly owns
'Twill well suit your humour
For pray what would you more [want more?]
Than mirth with good claret
And Bumper Squire Jones

Ye lovers who pine
For lasses that oft prove
As cruel as fair
Who whimper and whine
For lilies and roses
With eyes, lips and noses
Or tip of an ear
Come hither, I'll show ye
How Phyllis and Chloe
No more shall occasion
Such sighs and such groans
For what mortal so stupid
As not to quit Cupid
When called by good claret
And Bumper Squire Jones

Story (on the authority of Samuel Ferguson) goes that Carolan and Baron Dawson were enjoying the hospitality at Moneyglass House (Squire Jones' residence in County Antrim) and their rooms were near each other. Later when they retired for the night, Carolan took his harp with him, and "under the inspiration of copious libations" produced the melody, along with some words in English (which he never had a strong command of, his first language being Irish).

Dawson, who had a good musical ear, overheard this and quickly noted down Carolan's air, along with some other words of his own. You can guess what happened next morning at breakfast: Carolan played his new composition, Dawson - to tease him - denied Carolan's authorship and claimed he'd written it himself, playing it faultlessly right after Carolan had. Dawson kept stringing poor Carolan along for awhile, who "vented his execrations ... in curses both loud and deep". Eventually the truth was unmasked and all was put right, and Carolan usually proved to be a good sport about such things.

This sort of practical joke seems to have been common - there are loads of stories like this (which all depend upon taking advantage of someone who can't see) and assorted accounts of this one, sometimes in a different house with different witnesses.

In any case it was Dawson's words which seem to have survived, as they were thought superior to Carolan's - though to my mind rhyming "roses" with "eyes, lips and noses" is straying near to McGonigle territory. (I like the jolly red god, though.)

The song became popular in its day, and was sung by one of the characters in Peregrine Pickle (1751, by which time Carolan was dead). There are more verses, and doubtless other versions of the words, but these are what O'Sullivan has quoted, probably with good historical reason, as he's an authority - THE authority - on Carolan. If you can get ahold of a copy of his book, there's a great deal more commentary on this song.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Bumper Squire Jones
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 01:55 PM

Try this - http://www.irishpage.com/songs/carolan/bumper.htm.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Bumper Squire Jones
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 01:57 PM

Whoops, I cross-posted with Bonnie (who's on the ball as always).

Subject: Lyr Add: BUMPER, SQUIRE JONES.
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Jun 08 - 08:30 AM

From The Dublin Magazine, in an article called "The Native Music of Ireland," 1842:


BUMPER, SQUIRE JONES.

Ye good-fellows all,
Who love to be told where there's claret good store,
Attend to the call
Of one who's ne'er frighted,
But greatly delighted,
With six bottles more:
Be sure you don't pass
The good house Money-glass,
Which the jolly red god so peculiarly owns;
'Twill well suit your humour,
For pray what would you more,
Than mirth, with good claret, and bumpers, Squire Jones.

Ye lovers, who pine
For lasses that oft prove as cruel as fair,
Who whimper and whine
For lilies and roses,
With eyes, lips, and noses,
Or tip of an ear:
Come hither, I'll show you,
How Phillis and Chloe,
No more shall occasion such sighs and such groans;
For what mortal so stupid
As not to quit Cupid,
When called by good claret and bumpers, Squire Jones.

Ye poets, who write,
And brag of your drinking fam'd Helicon's brook,
Though all you get by 't
Is a dinner oft-times,
In reward of your rhymes,
With Humphry the duke:
Learn Bacchus to follow
And quit your Apollo,
Forsake all the Muses, those senseless old crones:
Our jingling of glasses,
Your rhyming surpasses,
When crowned with good claret, and bumpers, Squire Jones.

Ye soldiers so stout,
With plenty of oaths, tho' no plenty of coin,
Who make such a rout
Of all your commanders
Who served us in Flanders,
And eke at the Boyne:
Come leave off your rattling
Of sieging and battling,
And know you'd much better to sleep in whole bones;
Were you sent to Gibraltar
Your notes you'd soon alter,
And wish for good claret, and bumpers, Squire Jones.

Ye clergy so wise,
Who myst'ries profound can demonstrate most clear,
How worthy to rise!
You preach once a week,
But your tithes never seek
Above once in a year:
Come hero without failing,
And leave off your railing
'Gainst bishops providing for dull stupid drones;
Says the text so divine,
What is life without wine?
Then away with the claret,—a bumper, Squire Jones.

Ye lawyers so just,
Be the cause what it will, who so learnedly plead,
How worthy of trust!
You know black from white,
Yet prefer wrong to right
As you chanc'd to be fee'd:
Leave musty reports,
And forsake the king's courts,
Where dulness and discord have set up their thrones;
Hum Salkeld and Ventris,
With all your damn'd Entries,
And away with the claret,—a bumper, Squire Jones.

Ye physical tribe,
Whose knowledge consists in hard words and grimace,
Whene'er you prescribe,
Have at your devotion,
Pills, bolus, or potion,
Be what will the case:
Pray where is the need
To purge, blister, and bleed?
When ailing yourselves the whole faculty owns,
That the forms of old Galen
Are not so prevailing
As mirth with good claret,—and bumpers, Squire Jones.

Ye foxhunters eke,
That follow the call of the horn and the hound,
Who your ladies forsake,
Before they're awake.
To heat up the brake
Where the vermin is found:
Leave Piper and Blueman,
Shrill Duchess and Trueman;
No music is found in such dissonant tones:
Would you ravish your ears
With the songs of the spheres,
Hark away to the claret,—a bumper. Squire Jones.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bumper Squire Jones
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 21 Jun 08 - 08:50 AM

Wow Jim, good man yerself. Great link - downloadable as a PDF too, with even a few tunes at the end. Thanks so much for this :-)