Lyr Req: Paddy and the Whale

Subject: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Mudlark
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 03:14 PM

At a Danu concert I heard for the first time a song about a famous Irish racing dog. Great song and the rolicking tune reminded me of a sea chanty I heard a long time ago, clever lyrics, and a refrain that sort of trailed off....

First line was, I think, "Now Pdddy O'brien left Ireland with glee..." was all about a hard and vomitous crossing that finished up with the declaration that the next time Paddy tried to get to America, or whereever, "...it'll be when the railroad runs over the sea, lads." with a refrain something like "Whack fol the dido the dido a day...."

I've tried searching but can't find anything close...would love to have lyrics (and the chords that go with the refrain!)

Thanks for any help....

Nancy

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: kendall
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 03:51 PM

Paddy O'Ryan

Paddy O'Ryan left Ireland in glee
He had a strong notion old England to see
He shipped in the Nellie, for England was bound
And the whiskey he drank made his head go around

Paddy whack fol de rol, fol de rol dol di dee.

Paddy had never been sailing before
It made his heart ache when he heard the loud roar "I'm going to be ate," says Paddy by by,

Paddy whack etc

Paddy ran forward grabbed 'hold of the mast
He wrapped his arms 'round and there he held fast
The boat gave a tip, and, losing his grip
Down in the whales' belly old Paddy did slip,
Paddy whack etc

He was down in that whale six months or more
And one fine day the whale he gave o're
The whale gave a snort, and then gave a blow
And out on the land old Paddy did go,
Paddy whack etc

Paddy he landed all safe on the shore
He swears that he'll ne're go to sea anymore
The next time he wishes old England to see
Will be when the railroads run over the sea,
Paddy whack etc

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 07:27 PM

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Amos
Date: 01 Jul 01 - 09:30 PM

Exactly as I remember it, Kendall!! Bravo!

A

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: GUEST,Garydon
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 02:22 PM

The version I know is

Paddy Maloney left the isle of green
he had a strange notion to sail the front sea
He set a whale hatchet boys called Georgie About
The whale the she fished made his head turn about

Capt's haulin Cod Callin, Harpoonin and more

Now Paddy he's never been sailin before
It made his heart beat when he heard a loud roar
A whale at night off the masthead did cry
Oh my god said poor Paddy I'll be et by and by

capt

Then Paddy was torrid and he reached for the mast
He took hold of the gripper and then he held fast
The boat she gave a tip boys and Pad lost his grip
And into the whales belly the silly fool slipped

capt

He was in that whales belly for 6 months and a day
till one morin by chance to it's throat he made way
That whale she gave a hooch boys and then she did blow
A mile into the air went ol Paddy Maloney

capt

Now Paddy got landed quite safe on the shore
And he swears he'll not go to sea any more
The next time he has such adventures of notion
It'll be when the railway runs over the ocean


Next time I think I'll cut and past that felt like alot of typing to me. Off to work w/ me

Gary

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 02:43 PM

Um - what does this have to do with a racing dog? Or is that nautical terminology with which I'm unfamiliar? I was thinking this would be a Master McGrath type of song... O Sea Dogs, is my landlubberiness showing?

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Mudlark
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 03:34 PM

Thanks guys, for the instant response...

Kendall....all the verses sound just as I remember them except the second, which doesn't scan (at least to the tune I know....first 2 lines the same, but the 3rd I cant remember, 4th was "I'm goin' to the head, says old Pat, by and by...." I always thot he was on his way to the head to get rid of the whiskey when he fell overboard....but it was a long time ago, and maybe I had my own agenda for hearing that in the song!

Gary...thanks for all the typing. The version Kendall has is the one I'm remembering, but it sounds like the version you give fits the same tune

Mrrzy.... It was just the similarity of the two tunes that reminded me of this one.... If you can spell landlubberiness you know more about boats than I do!

In fiddling with chords for it, seems I can do the whole thing (on guitar) in Em and D, except the last note of the refrain doesn't feel quite right...any suggestions?

Thanks again for the help...

Nancy

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: GUEST,Garydon
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 04:24 PM

I just use the Bodhran when I do the song. Have to admit the racing dog bit got got me too. Was hoping to see some other versions or added verses

Gary

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 04:41 PM

I have only heard this as a whaling song, and it was "had a strong notion old Greenland to see. It works better with the whale later in the song.

DAve Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: kendall
Date: 02 Jul 01 - 04:54 PM

I got this from Buryl Ives in the early 50's, and, it's the only version I have ever heard. He claimed to have learned it in Ireland.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Mudlark
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:24 PM

Dave....I think the version I heard was "Greenland"now that you mention it....it fits, too, as I heard it on a whaling chanties album in the '50's. Any suggestions for chords?

Nancy

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: kendall
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:41 PM

Actually, the whaling thing works.

Subject: Lyr Add: PADDY MALONEY LEFT IRELAND IN GLEE
From: mbridgham
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 03:11 AM

This is the way I've always sung it. Got it from the singing of, damn, the name just went out of my head, one of the singer/collectors.

Paddy Maloney left Ireland in glee
He took a strange notion to cross the Ross
He shipped on a whalecatcher South Georgia bound
And the way that she slipped made his head go around

Caterwhauling Tarpaulin Harpoonin and all

Now Paddy had never been whaling before
And it made his heart leap when he heard the wild roar
As the lookout he cried that a whale he had spied
Begod says poor Pat I'll be et by and by

chorus

Now Paddy ran forward and reached for the mast
He caught it a gripper and there he held fast
But the boat she did pitch and then she did flip
And in the whale's belly poor Paddy did slip

chorus

Paddy lived in that whale for six months and a day
Till one morning by luck to the shore he made way
Well she did whoop and then she did blow
And a mile in the air went Paddy Moloney

chorus

Now Paddy was washed up quite safe on the shore
And he swears that he'll not go to sea anymore
And if ever he gets such a fanciful notion
It'll be when the railway runs over the ocean

Chorus

Marc Bridgham

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: Mudlark
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:04 PM

Thanks, Marc...except for the first and last verse, and the chorus( which I remember being of the whack fol the diddle ilk) that is just as I heard it sung.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Paddy O'Brien left Ireland in glee.
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 10:41 AM

Burl Ives did indeed sing this song, with the fol-de-rol chorus, on his 'Songs of Ireland'LP published in the UK on Brunswick LAT 8344, in 1960. Originally recorded in USA on Decca. He called it 'Paddy and the Whale'. So did A.L. LLoyd,who was the first one I ever heard sing it with the 'Caterwaulin', Tarpaulin, Harpoonin'etc chorus. He recorded it on the Topic Records LP 'Leviathan'in 1967, with Alf Edwards (concertina and ocarina), Dave Swarbrick (fiddle), Martin Carthy (mandolin), and Trevor Lucas and Martyn Wyndham Read, as chorus singers. This was re-issued in CD, Topic TSCD497, in 1998. Available from Camsco I would guess.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Paddy and the Whale
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 12 May 08 - 08:08 PM

Looks like Lloyd (and possibly MacColl) had a hand in this one.

Kendall's version above is what the duo recorded on "There She Blow!" for Riverside, ca1956.

MarcB's version is from Lloyd et al's "Leviathan" of 1967. The tune in both cases is "Erin Go Bragh."

According to Steve Roud's indispensable index, the only known text recorded before that on "There She Blows!" appeared in Greenleaf & Mansfield's "Ballads & Sea Songs of Newfoundland" (1933). It's pretty much the same as what L & M recorded ca1956, but Paddy O'Brien
wants to see England rather than Greenland. And Paddy "had never been sailing before." Not "whaling," as L & M have it. The Newfoundland text is not really a "whaling ballad."

By 1967, Lloyd had made additional changes to the song, replacing the "Paddy whack" refrain with the clever "Caterwaulin', tarpaulin, harpoonin' and all."   

He also introduced "South Georgia" and the "Ross Sea."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Paddy and the Whale
From: Nerd
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:06 AM

Not to mention Paddy Moloney, which is the name of a prominent Irish musician whom Lloyd might have met by 1967!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Paddy and the Whale
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:05 PM

That's the sort of change I'd consider inconsequential - but
you've hit on a possible explanatiion for it!