Lyr Req: Katy Avourneen

Subject: Katy Avourneen
From: Richard
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 03:44 PM

Looking for words and music to this song, sung in the 1860s.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 04:45 PM

I suspect this is "Kathleen Mavourneen". The latter, words and music, is in Helen K. Johnson's 'Our Famous Songs, and Those Who Made Them', p. 333, 1881.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 05:05 PM

I should have quoted the opening so you could judge whether this is the same song.

Kathleen Mavourneen! the grey dawn is breaking,
The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill

The book I noted is one I picked up a few years ago, a decrepit copy, for $5 in a used book store, so it's not a rare one.

Mrs. Johnson gives a history of song and tune, and mentions a sequel called "Dermot Ashtore".

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Richard
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 05:53 PM

I think what I might have is a parody. Title of the script says "A song called Katy Avourneen, Snowshoe [Creek] April 10 1875." That's in British Columbia, by the way. hard to tell if the words fit.

It begins: "Twas a cold winters night and the tempest was snarling The snow like a sheet covered cabin and stay[?] When Barney flew over the hills to his darling and rapped at the window where Katy did lie Arrah jewel, says he, are you sleeping or waking It's cold bitter night and my coat it is thin The storm is brewing the frost is a bakin[?] O Katty avourneen you must let me in

She does not let him in and the final line is:

"No Barney avourneen I won't let you in"

Almost has a similar theme to "Good Night Mrs. Brown" and a story that went around the Canadian papers at that time about a man who locked his wife out of the house, and then she followed suit.

It was, however, sung at the Theatre Royal, Barkerville B.C. at least once in the 1870s.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 06:17 PM

Someplace I've seen a folksong "Barney and Kate". Anyone remember this?

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 28 Nov 97 - 06:21 PM

It's in DT. Search for 'Barney'

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: leprechaun
Date: 30 Nov 97 - 02:11 PM

In Finnegan's Wake, the lyric is, "Tim, avourneen, why did did you die?" And I've heard a song lyric: "Come back to Erin, avourneen, avourneen." Gleaning from the text, and without any knowledge of the word, I've interpreted avourneen to mean "woe is me," or something like that. Could any of our Gaelic speakers shed some light on the subject?

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Nov 97 - 05:29 PM

Mavourneen, to the best of my knowledge, means "darling" or "dear". Searches on non-English words are generally disastrous, due to spelling variations. A search for Barn* {and} Kat* will work out nicely.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From:
Date: 30 Nov 97 - 09:08 PM

Bruce

You were right. Just returned from a weekend of performTheng and got your message. It is Barney and Katie. I version I have, unlike the DT version, does have all the words, and uses avourneen, in several verses. How do I add this version to the database? Thanks for your lead.

Richard

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 10:18 AM

Note that it is Laws O21, so reference to Laws book will direct you to other versions. Actually there are 1 or 2 more listed in the Traditional Ballad Index on the internet.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: judy
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 11:17 AM

To add a new song to the database use START NEW THREAD and call it LYR ADD:(title of song to add). Type in your song and submit. (For line breaks at the end of each line add "br" but instead of quotes use the "greater than" (shift+period) and "less than" symbols (shift+comma))

Hope this is clear
judy

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 12:02 PM

Dick

"Avourneen" = "Mavourneen" = "Mo bhuirnin" = "my little darling", or thereabouts.

Turns up in lots of Irish songs.

Regards

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: leprechaun
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 01:17 PM

That helps explain why Patty McGee got mad at Biddy O'Brien.

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 01 Dec 97 - 06:39 PM

But who DID put the overalls in Mistress Murphy's chowder?

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Peter T.
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 10:17 AM

For any of you who are American Civil War buffs, there is a famous farewell evening between two best friends, Hancock and Armistead, going North and South, who were desperate to avoid meeting each other on the field of battle in the upcoming war. Hancock's wife played Kathleen Mavourneen as the last song, as the friends wept and parted. Fate of course placed them directly opposite each other at Gettysburg on Cemetery Ridge. Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: Katy Avourneen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 10:26 AM

Maybe we'd better make it explicit. The song requested, "Katy Avourneen" is a version of "Barney and Kate", but is unrelated to "Kathleen Mavourneen". Just another instance were titles are misleading.