Lyr ADD: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)

Subject: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley
From: GUEST,Mikey Joe
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 01:36 PM

Hi Folks

I'm looking for help again

Does anyone have the lyrics to this song

It begins

May the Lord upon high who rules the sky
Look down on our pubs and bars
For the people they're in both women a& men
They're neglecting their pints and their jars

Thanx

Mj

Subject: Lyr Add: THE POOL SONG (Jimmy Crowley) ^^
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 07:08 PM

I first heard this song from Eamonn Toland, who learned it from his granny who learned it from a Jimmy Crowley LP

THE POOL SONG

words by Con O Drisceoil (recorded by Jimmy Crowley)
tune based on "The Clonmel Cows"

May the lord upon high who rules the sky look down on our pubs and our bars
For the people therin both women and men they're neglecting their pints and their jars
The crack it is bad, the atmosphere sad; every man has a face like a mule
And all he can do is grab an old cue and start playing the game of pool.

When I was a boy, 'twas always my joy to visit the pub each night
There were arguments, scraps and killings perhaps, and everyone thought he was right.
There were badgers and dogs and men from the bogs and young fellas acting the fool
But now there's no crack for every manjack has his arse in the air playing pool.

To the rural alehouse, after milking the cows, every customer made his way
And there would dwell and drink till they fell, while the fiddles and pipes they did play
The jigs and the reels and the rattling of heels and the polkas and slides were the rule
But now there's no chance of a tune or a dance 'cos everyones playing the oul' pool.

Now this pool, you will find, is a game designed for foolish illiterate louts
You puts in your four bob and press an old knob and a big shower of balls they come out.
They're placed on the table and then if you're able to knock 'em into a hole
More money goes in, you sart over again, and you lose every bob of your dole.

In the Irish Free State all the people are beat from watching and playing this game
In their necks they have cricks that no doctor can fix, and their backs and their shoulders are maimed.
Their arses protrude in a manner most lewd from being hoisted aloft in the air
And their eyeballs are sore and dripping in gore and they act in a manner most queer.

So if you meet an old man whose face it is wan and his eyes have a vacant stare
If his jaw-bone is slack and his head is thrown back, and he can't tell a cob from a mare.
With his nostrils dilated, his brow corrugated, his manners like those of a fool
Then your shirt you can bet that you have just met - a man that's gone mad from pool.^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley
From: MARINER
Date: 12 May 01 - 02:45 PM

Details of Jimmy's records can be found on his website; www.irishtrad.com/crowley

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song by Jimmy Crowley
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 May 01 - 05:35 PM

Can anybody find a tune for this? I see no listing for "Clonmel Cows" at Mudcat or Tune Finder.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley
From: mooman
Date: 12 May 01 - 05:49 PM

I have fond memories of playing along to this song with Con and friends in a memorable session in Glengariff about 15 or 16 years ago.

He did another one that night, don't know if he wrote it though, called "Joy Riders on Spike Island", (loosely based on Ghost Riders in the Sky and commemorating the "short sharp shock" for convicted joyriders that was the fashion in Irelan at the time when joyriding was a BIG problem.

Can anyone help with that one?

mooman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Aug 06 - 01:09 PM

May the lord upon high who rules the sky look down on our pubs and our bars
For the people therin both women and men they're neglecting their pints and their jars
The crack it is bad, the atmosphere sad; every man has a face like a mule
And all he can do is grab an old cue and start playing the game of pool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 22 Aug 06 - 02:39 PM

I have heard this song only a couple of times but I believe the tune to which it is sung is the same as the Irish song/version of Mountain Dew which is the subject of another recent thread. The same tune that the old McPeake Family used to use anyway and Hall and McGregor.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (Jimmy Crowley)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Sep 06 - 07:33 PM

Clcik here for latest news on Con Fada's songs.

Regards

Subject: Tune Add: THE POOL SONG (Con O Drisceoil)
From: OldPossum
Date: 28 Sep 06 - 01:20 PM

X:9
T:The pool song
C:Con Ó Drisceoil
M:3/8
L:1/8
K:D
A | ABG | A2 d | ddc | B2 F | AGE |
w:When I was a boy, 'twas al-ways me joy to go to the
D2 C | D3-|D2 A | ABd | e2 d | BAB | A2 F |
w:pub each night._ There~was ar-gu-ments, scraps, and kill-ings, per-haps, and
GAB | =cBc | A3-|A2 A | ABd | e2 d |
w:ev'-ry-one thought he was right._ There~was bad-gers and dogs and
BAB | A2 A | GAB | =cBc | A3-|A2 A | ABG |
w:men from the bogs, and young fel-lows act-ing the "tool"._ But now there's no
A2 d | ddA | B2 G | AGE | D2 C | D3-|D2 |]
w:crack, for ev'-ry man-jack has~his arse in the air playing pool._


Source: Written down from memory, form my hearing Seán Cannon singing it at a Dubliners concert.

Subject: Lyr Add: Pool Song
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 06:11 AM

I did a search for these lyrics, didn't find them on Mudcat but got them from a Cork (as in the Irish county & city) discussion site. as composed by Con Fada Ó Drisceoil, popularised by Jimmy Crowley

May the lord upon high who rules the sky look down on our pubs and our bars
For the people therin both women and men they're neglecting their pints and their jars
The crack it is bad, the atmosphere sad; every man has a face like a mule
And all he can do is grab an old cue and start playing the game of pool.

When I was a boy, 'twas always my joy to visit the pub each night
There were arguments, scraps and killings perhaps, and everyone thought he was right.
There were badgers and dogs and men from the bogs and young fellas acting the fool
But now there's no crack for every manjack has his arse in the air playing pool.

To the rural alehouse, after milking the cows, every customer made his way
And there would dwell and drink till they fell, while the fiddles and pipes they did play
The jigs and the reels and the rattling of heels and the polkas and slides were the rule
But now there's no chance of a tune or a dance 'cos everyones playing the oul' pool.

Now this pool, you will find, is a game designed for foolish illiterate louts
You puts in your four bob and press an old knob and a big shower of balls they come out.
They're placed on the table and then if you're able to knock 'em into a hole
More money goes in, you sart over again, and you lose every bob of your dole.

In the Irish Free State all the people are beat from watching and playing this game
In their necks they have cricks that no doctor can fix, and their backs and their shoulders are maimed.
Their arses protrude in a manner most lewd from being hoisted aloft in the air
And their eyeballs are sore and dripping in gore and they act in a manner most queer.

So if you meet an old man whose face it is wan and his eyes have a vacant stare
If his jaw-bone is slack and his head is thrown back, and he can't tell a cob from a mare.
With his nostrils dilated, his brow corrugated, his manners like those of a fool
Then your shirt you can bet that you have just met - a man that's gone mad from pool.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Pool Song - J Crowley
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:13 AM

Recorded by The Dubliners on ' 30 Years A Greying '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Pool Song - J Crowley
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:41 AM

Posted (with tune) in 2000 in thread: Lyr Req: The pool song by Jimmy Crowley. (A Filter on pool with Age drop down set to All brings up the thread).

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: AmyLove
Date: 09 May 16 - 10:35 PM

Just a nitpicky question. Is "therin" a spelling variant? Because the spelling I'm familiar with is "therein." Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: Felipa
Date: 27 Apr 21 - 05:26 PM

it appears two threads have been amalgamated, hence the repetition

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 07:32 AM

popularised by sean cannon later of the dubliners sean cannon is a fine singer and entertainer and cook

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 07:38 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKgOpp9tQmM her is sean cannon singing it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: Felipa
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 09:45 AM

I would have said popularised by Jimmy Crowley.
I was hoping I had posted my mobile phone parody here because I've lost and forgotten it. I could re-compose it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: Felipa
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 09:48 AM

David Hansen mentioned the Dubliners' recording of the Pool Song, although he didn't name Seán Cannon as the singer.
I met Seán Cannon at a folk festival before he joined the Dubliners. He was running a mobile curry kitchen at the fest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Pool Song (from Jimmy Crowley)
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Apr 21 - 10:05 AM

they are all good singers.