Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 09:31 PM

As I learned "The TK Song" back in Boston

Oh, your mother is old,
And Your father Is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And Kopechne is dead,
And your wife is a drunk,
And your kid has one leg

Whichever scans best to your tune????

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 07:21 PM

O.K.,

I suspect I must post this---even though it's in bad taste.
It's a set of words I got many years ago from Michael Cooney. I've no idea where he found it. But I did include it in my collection of songs on the life, times and assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. That collection is now in the Library Of Congress Archive Of Folk Culture.

The little song, to the tune of THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN is simply titled TEDDY'S SONG.

Oh, your mother is old,
And your father is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And your brother is dead,
And your kid has one leg,
And your wife is a drunk,
And your car doesen't float.

(art thieme)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Aug 01 - 11:18 PM

Claude Simpson says: "Strong traces of 'Dargason' remain in the familiar 'Irish Washerwoman' and in the American play-party song, 'Skip to My Lou'" (The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music). They are all relatives, aren't they? But you could not say "Skip to My Lou" is the words for "Irish Washerwoman". There are at least 2 CDs, where we can listen to "Dargason" played in old style: Country Capers (Arabesque Z6520); An American Journey (Angel CDC 7243 5 55522 2 8).

Subject: Lyr Add: Chu Vankuvro au Vankuvero?
From: Haruo
Date: 10 Aug 01 - 08:27 PM

I just posted on La Lilandejo a song by Marta Evans to a medley of "Irish Washerwoman", "Tancuj, Tancuj" and "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", which deals (in the Washerwoman portion) with the burning issue in regional Esperanto circles circa 1982 'Should "Vancouver" (BC) be Esperanticized as "Vankuvro" or "Vankuvero"?!' (the remainder of the song consists of an ode to Vancouver and an invitation to attend the Universal Esperanto Congress, which was held in Vancouver in 1984 (and was the cause of all the controversy about how to say the town's name). I, longing for a useful rhyme for "Luvro" [the Louvre], was on the ultimately losing "Vankuvro" side; Marta, arguing that there were no rhymes for "Vankuvro" except the highly useless "Luvro", was on the winning "Vankuvero" side. She stayed at my place while working on Kantfesto I (where the song appeared) and we sat up several nights drinking and arguing the point. (Well, I drank, anyhow; she was more a "glass of wine with dinner" type as I recall.)

Liland

PS I'm also starting a Japanese index to Esperanto hymns online if any of you want to bookmark it ;-); to complement the German one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Mar 00 - 10:46 AM

G'day,
A.A. Milne's "The Old Sailor" fits this tune. Click here for an earlier thread started by an old Mudcat friend.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:09 PM

for a start, if you search for washerwoman in the DT, you'll get some hits, but that's only the beginning: scroll down to where it says play.exe IRISHWSH. The stuff in caps is the name of the tunefile. Now try a search for *IRISHWSH (there's really an unprintable character between the play.exe part and the tune filename, and the wildcard takes care of the whole thing) and you'll get nine sets of lyrics that work.

There';s a lot more to DigiTrad than searching for titles.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:05 PM

The Hawthorne tree ballad is also on my website (unexpurgated, and probably by George Peele). Also there is my theory that Sidanen was the Fair Lady of Sinadon in the metrical tale or ballad of Libius Disconius (Percy Folio MS). The dwarf in this in not named Dargason, however. I suspect Gifford saw some different version of the tale. The tale takes place in Northern Wales, and it's just possible that Snowden came from Sinadon. How about it, you Cymri out there? Where did the name Snowden come from? Somewhere I think I have a note of the tune being played at Christmas time in Wales in the late 16th century.

Incidently, Sedanny is the primary, not secondary, name of the tune in the 1st edition of 'The Dancing Master'. The tune was also known as that for the "Baldwin Song" on the Isle of Man.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:49 PM

Er G'day ... Alison,

You're right - I was in the wrong thread! It was not my night: I seem to have pinched a nerve (or some more medically correct explanation) down at Jamberoo and, since Saturday, I have been feeling unsteady and queasy - like motion sickness that won't go away and it's about time I went off to a doctor about it.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Lesley N.
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:27 PM

An addition to Bruce's reference. Dargason/Sedany was put to the words, "The Hawthorn Tree" which is in Ritson's Ancient Songs under Class IV, (from Edward VI to Elizabeth) as A Mery Ballet of the Hathorne Tre, to be sung to the tune of Donkin Dargeson.

One Hundred Songs of England says Dargeson may be a reference to an "old piece played by the Children of the Revels at Blackfriars in 1606 entitled "The Isle of Gulls." The couplet it gives from "Isle" has a reference to a place named Dargison. There is also mention that "Gifford speaks of some child's book of knight-errantry in which a dwarf named Darison,who served as a page to the hero in her adventures." I don't know who or when Gifford is, it's not clear.

100 Songs also says the tune in the book for the Hawthorn Tree was taken from The Dancing Master (1650-51), where it is called Dargason, or the Sedany (the Sedany being a country dance). The similarity to IWW is, indeed, unmistakable.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 03:07 PM

The great similarity of "Irish Washerwoman" and "Sedany" can be seen using the display program on my website on file COMBCOD2.txt. "Irish Washerwoman" (7 copies) have tune ref# 2402, and "Sedany" and "The Melody of Cynwyd" (Jones' Welsh Bards, 2nd part, 1800) have reference #40104. Option 3 of the program find them and they can be saved, and the stressed notes of the tunes can be plotted on the same graph with option 0. You will see that the 5th note of "Corporal Casey" is a bit different from the common versions of "Irish Washerwoman".

PS: "A Sup of Good Whiskey" originally had it's own tune, (also stressed note and mode coded in my code files) but I have a recording of it by Patrick Galvin to the tune of "The Irish Washerwoman" and it fits beautifully.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Jacob B
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:40 PM

Sandy, Midchuck,

The version I know is

McTavish is dead and his brother don't know it
His brother is dead and McTavish don't know it
They're both of them dead and they're in the same bed
And neither one knows that the other is dead

McTavish he suffered from chronic arthritis
His brother he suffered from peritonitis
They both of them died and oh my how we cried
Cause neither one knew that the other had died

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:34 PM

there's an American pioneer song, Starving to Death on a Government Claim, with lines such as
How happy I am when I crawl into bed
and the rattlesnake rattles his tail round my head
And the dear little flea with tacks on his toes
Plays why don't you catch me? wherever he goes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: MMario
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 12:10 PM

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" scans nicely to Irish Washerwomen as well..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 12:01 PM

It's related to Sedany (Sidanen)/Dargeson but isn't the same tune. Lodovick Lloyd's ballad on Queen Elizabeth was to the tnne of 'Welshe Sidanen', but Lloyd didn't compose the tune. Song and tune are on my website. The note on the tune in 'Folk Music Journal', pointing out Lloyd's connection to the tune, was by me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,Sian in Wales
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 10:26 AM

An historical note: it's a tune which has been traced back to a Welsh composition, *Sidanen*, composed by a Welsh courtier for Elizabeth 1.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Midchuck
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 10:04 AM

The only ones I'm familiar with are a variant of the ones Sandy Paton gave:

McTavish is dead and his brother don't know it,
The brother is dead and McTavish don't know it...

Peter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: alison
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 09:44 AM

Hey bob, you want the Varsovienna thread... I've cut and pasted your replies into the other thread.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:34 AM

G'day Angel,

The Varsovienne (generally Varsovienna in Australian country areas) is remarkably resilient here. Dozens of different tunes collected in Australia, many country areas where it is still danced.

Of the many tunes, only three sets of words come to mind: "Put Your Little Foot", "Kick Your Leg Up, Sal Brown" and "The Babes in the Woods". I don't know all the words to any variant - I only play the music!

BTW: Research on historical principles, instead of believing what the French have to say, indicates the true origins are Swedish. They have the best versions, with a 3-part structure comprising: The "Turn around and point" section, a Mazurka and a Circular Waltz. All parts are in 3/4 but have quite distinct character.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST,skarpi Iceland
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:28 AM

I am at work at the moment but I have the lyric at my home. There is a lyric Called Irish Washer Woman. I will contact this thread tonight when I home. All the best skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 07:24 AM

G'day;

John in Brisbane: That is the one - I won't vouch for official names.

Timehiker: The Wedding of Lauchie M'Graw was one of Harry Lauder's songs (often found in a variety of variant names). I recently published a version sung by an old Queenslander bloke, Fred Richards, to a tune played by Sydney/NSW character, Joe Yates, in Mulga Wire #134, August 1999.

This had its own tune ... but this doesn't stop anyone from using an old favourite like Irish Washerwoman.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: bill\sables
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 04:45 AM

My dad used to sing the words;
There was a man up a tree climbing so high
There was a man up a tree chasing a butterfly
Fly away Roger with only one eye

I never quite understood the words but they seemed to be some sort riddle can anyone explain it
Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: alison
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 01:56 AM

Percy French wrote one called "McBreen's heifer" to this tune..... would it be the one you're looking for?

About a man being offered a choice between two daughters to marry, and a heifer being included with the uglier one to make her more appealing.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 11:35 PM

Bob, you have me intrigued! Is it 'but the lass I adore the one for me, is the lass from the female factory' or is that one Currency Lads? Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: ddw
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 10:47 PM

My favorite song to that tune is "Do Virgins Taste Better" by R. Farran. It's in the DT.

david

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Timehiker
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 10:21 PM

The Corries used the tune for a song called The Wedding of Lackey McGraw. I could never decifer the words through the accent though.

Take care, Timehiker

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 10:07 PM

Incidently, the original name of the tune was "The Wash Woman". It was soon published outside of Ireland with the identifier 'Irish' in front of the title and that was subsequently taken as part of the title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 09:56 PM

Didn't we use to sing these words to the first part of that tune?

Oh, McGinty is dead and McCarty don't know it;
McCarty is dead and McGinty don't know it.
They's both of them dead in the very same bed,
And there's neither one knows that the other is dead.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 09:49 PM

G'day Angel,

Here in Australia, we had a song called "The Currency Lass" - a tale of early colonial courtship (~1820s) set to that tune. It's not what you are looking for, but I can scan in the words some time. It should be of interest to someone out there.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Lyr Add: AN IRISHMAN'S SHANTY^^
From: Frank Maher
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 08:26 PM

The Only Lyrics I've ever heard Were

Did You ever go Into an Irishman's Shanty,
Where Water is scarce and the Whisky is Plenty,
A Three Legged Stool and a Table to Match,
And a Stick in the Door,instead of a Latch.......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish Washer Woman
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 05:57 PM

It was an instrumetal tune published in Dublin about 1785. The earliest song to the tune is George Colman's "Corporal Casey".

Subject: Irish Washer Woman
From: angel
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 05:22 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics to this song? Irish Washer Woman.

Thanks, Angel