Origin: Easy and Slow (Sean O'Casey? D Behan?)

Subject: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Alice
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 01:35 PM

I learned Easy And Slow in the 60's from the Clancy Brothers recording, but it always seemed rather modern to me, not trad. I just noticed that the lyrics in the DT do not attribute the words or tune to an author. Does anyone know who wrote the song? Alice Flynn in Montana

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: fulurum
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 01:56 PM

on the back of the clancy album it questions if sean o'casey wrote it.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 02:14 PM

According to Frank Harte, Dominic Behan is usually credited with it. Behan said he learned some of it from O'Casey and some from an anonymous woman.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Alice
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 02:21 PM

ah, yes, the famous anonymous woman

thanks

Over the past few years, I have sung this in my own way, changing it just a little as being sung by a woman... "he first met sweet Annie... his arm was around her... he rolled up his sleeve... and well built for grippin' the most OF US are..."

alice

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: AKS
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 02:45 PM

Ronnie Drew (the Dubliners) has recorded (at least) two versions; one like that in the DT, other - and I think that's more recent - with some different verses at the end. Both are marked 'trad'.

AKS

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 07:52 PM

Sean O'Casey has it in his play "Red Roses for Me" - so he might well have crafted some new words for the tune. Or more likely adjusted some words that were more or less around anyway.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Alice
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 08:16 PM

Does anyone know of other songs with a similar tune that could have inspired this one?

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: John Moulden
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 05:45 AM

Dominic Behan again! In "The Singing Irish" (London, 1967) on page 38, where the song is printed, he says "Words & Music by Dominic Behan" and on page 124 he adds the note "In Sean O'Casey's play you will find the chorus of the song printed here, nothing more. [last two words underlined] I wrote all the verses."

This is not to say that there was not a complete song from which O'Casey got the chorus, nor does it rule out O'Casey's having written the chorus but no-one has ever, as far as I know, seen anything else like it.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: AKS
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 06:45 AM

I checked my vinyls again and found E&S (same as in the DT) on The Best of The Dubliners (Spot Records SPR 8504, Pickwick Int. licensed from Transatlantic Rec's), this time credited to "(Bourke-Drew-McKenna-Lynch-Sheehan) Heathside Music".

In a songbook consisting of Dubliners' earlier material there are two songs printed withOUT any note about the origins or author(s), one of them being E&S (the other is The Dublin Fusiliers).

Not that this helps much but ...

AKS

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: AKS
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 04:21 AM

Here are the (two) 'additional' verses sung by RD I was referring to earlier:

I strolled with this fine maid far out in the country
the blossoms around us all crying for dew
on a violet-clad bench sure I sat down beside her
and I tied up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe
and what's it to any man whether or no
if I came to the fore when she gave the que
she closed her eyes tightly as she murmured full low
be good enough dear for to buckle my shoe

The heathery hills were all dancing around us
false things in the world turned out to be true
when she put her arms 'round me and kissed me and murmured
you've neatly and tenderly tied up my shoe
and what's it to any man whether or no
if I ventured quite gamely to see the things through
when she lifted her pettycoat silent and slow
and I tied up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe

AKS

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: John Moulden
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 04:52 AM

The two extra stanzas from Ronnie Drew's singing are in a different style - almost a literary style and I would guess that they were written recently (more recently than 1960 or so when Dominic Behan would have written his) - is anyone in a position to say who - or to ask Ronnie Drew?

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Alice
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 09:14 PM

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: gnu
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 04:53 AM

AKS... thanks for those last two verses.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 06:41 PM

The recording - sung by Ronnie - on 'In Concert' (1965), which reappears on a 1985 sampler, credits it to Dominic Behan. Unfortunately, there are no notes at all on the sleeve of the sampler.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 08:04 PM

But what does it mean? "Buckle" had a specific meaning a couple of hundred years ago and if that particular phrase is more ancient or the more modern lyricist knew the reference it certainly is not out of character with lifting her petticote. Tying it up with tying-up the sleeve might be a leap to far, but it all suggests the obvious. Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: GUEST,Oulmole
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:15 PM

Lyrics, but no attribution, on Tommy Makem's website -

http://www.makem.com/discography/recordings/lyricpage/easyandslow.html

Song (like manymany other good ones, sadly) not included among lyrics on Liam Clancy's site.

For whatever it may be worth, the LP jacket notes (by Pete Hamill) cited by fulurum above (album Flowers in the Valley, Columbia, The Clancy Brothers [with Bobby-- Makem gone by then; creative differences] are:
"Did Sean O'Casey write 'Easy and Slow?' Did he pick it up on the back of Thomas Street in Dublin, or hear it from some shawlie on Moore Street? I suppose we'll never know, but what matters is that we have the song, with its sly sense of seduction, and its final defiant shout that the singer does not care who cares, but that he will have his woman."
Indeed. Ahh, God bless them oul' Clancys. (And yes He does & will bless 'em, sez I --- even if He *does* read Liam's soon-to-be-released autobiography "The Mountain of the Women". God is a merciful God. I hope.) But dammitall Pete Hamill, some Mudcatters (and badass Guests even!) *do* care; and even *care* who cares! & now what's all this about Dominic Behan? Is there annything he DIDN'T write? Apart from The Patriot Game, of course. Jaysus.
Btw is anyone going to Liam's book-peddlng concert (with Robbie O'Connell) at Brookville, Long Island March 7? Or North Andover, MA, March 6, at Merrimack College? (Merri Mack's father's makin' Merri Mack marry me / nowait wrong curriculum) Is this thread creep? (Am *I* the thread creep?)
- Joe In Connecticut (thinking of joining, but not as Oulmole, out of respect for the late great L.R. Mole, RIP)

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: The Pooka
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 12:12 AM

Formerly GUEST Oulmole/Joe in Connecticut. Mindful of the coming Internment of the Guests (O the Humanity!) due to the egregious misbehavior of a few spoilers, I (gulp!) joined. Slow I was; Easy it wasn't, 'cause I'm --- well---shy, let's just say. How's that for a lame connection to this thread? Oy. Annyway, I finally Lifted me Petticoat & so here I am. And I still wanna know what's the deal with Dominic Behan and this song. See youse guys around.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: The Pooka
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 12:15 AM

Formerly GUEST Oulmole/Joe in Connecticut. Mindful of the coming Internment of the Guests (O the Humanity!) due to the egregious misbehavior of a few spoilers, I (gulp!) joined. (Name change explained above.) Slow I was; Easy it wasn't, 'cause I'm --- well---shy, let's just say. How's that for a lame connection to this thread? Oy. Annyway, I finally Lifted me Petticoat & so here I am. And I still wanna know what's the deal with Dominic Behan and this song. See youse guys around.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: The Pooka
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 12:26 AM

Auspicious new-member debut there. Post it twice, Joe, ye idjit. Merde. Hey, I'm Newbie see, whaddaya want? bah

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Alice
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 02:44 PM

Hey, Pooka, you sound true to your nickname (ha!). I'm still wishing the anonymous woman who taught some of it to Dominic Behan could be found. And, my earlier question, "Does anyone know of other songs with a similar tune that could have inspired this one?" was posted Feb 15, 2000, two years old this week.

I really like to sing this song. Even if we come up with no more information about it, I've enjoyed having this thread.

Alice

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: vectis
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 03:33 PM

John Loesberg says that it is an old Dublin song that Sean O'Casey adapted. He re-wrote the words for his play "Roses for me" where it is sung by 'Brennan O' the Moor.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 05 May 04 - 01:11 PM

AKS & John Moulden - those two verses are a 'literary style' because they are lifted directly from Sean O'Casey, see & hear the Paul Brady, John Kavanagh recording of the 'Green Crow Caws'.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 05 May 04 - 01:15 PM

on that recording it's titled 'I tuck´d up my sleeves', not 'Easy and Slow'.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 05 May 04 - 01:27 PM

and O'Casey's 'Red Roses for Me' was written in 1942. so, there may some reference out there somewhere to an older song, 'Easy & Slow', or O'Casey wrote it in 1942, and Dominic Behan re wrote it in 1960 or thereabouts, same melody, chorus slightly altered and new verses. That's the most likely scenario, but almost every recording of it in the last 40 years calls it 'Traditional'.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 May 04 - 01:28 PM

I thought I'd posted this earlier today, but it disappeared into the ether.

As I lifted her petticoat easy and slow
And I rolled up me sleeve for to buckle her shoe.

For sleeve read condom, for buckle her shoe, read screw.
John

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 May 04 - 01:50 PM

You did John, on this thread.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 05 May 04 - 02:51 PM

I have started to feel uncomfortable singing this. Is it OK for an aging man to sing of seducing a young girl?

I have asked before why that phrase, from line3 of the chorus, is usually given as the title. I suppose it is the most visual and memorable piece.

Sweet as an angel and not at all shy,
Keith.

Subject: RE: Who wrote 'Easy And Slow'?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 May 04 - 04:31 PM

Not to worry Keith - it specifically indicates he's a young man at the time of the song.:

"In city or country, a girl is a jewel
And well made for holding, the most of the while
But any young fellow is really a fool
If he tries at the first time to go a bit far


You could always amend the last verse so it's got you looking back at a happy memory. For example:

Well I chanced for to go the town of Dungannon
After years that I wandered this world all around,
But I sat on my own there in fond reminiscence,
For another like Annie I never have found

Subject: RE: Origin: Easy and Slow (Sean O'Casey? D Behan?)
From: GUEST,Shakeydd
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 08:11 AM

Not to take the thread forward, really, but.... I had a tape in the mid 80's - now gone where all good tapes go - of the poems of Sean O'Casey set to music and played on the uillean pipes. It included, as well as "easy and slow", a Rare time for death in Ireland and Saint Patrick's day in the morning. And I can't recall the piper, singer or anything else about it. Sure it pre-dates the Green Crow Caws. Can anyone out there help, please?

Subject: RE: Origin: Easy and Slow (Sean O'Casey? D Behan?)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 11:21 AM

Anyone know the name of the tune this song's set to?

I've heard it in seshes played as a stand alone tune rather than a song

Subject: RE: Origin: Easy and Slow (Sean O'Casey? D Behan?)
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 06:33 PM

The tune is a slow version of the "A" part of Donnybrook Fair