Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 29 May 21 - 02:23 PM

A version, from Eastern Massachusetts in the '40's:

Have you ever been into an Irishman's shanty,
Where water is scarce and whiskey is plenty?
A three-legged stool and a table to match,
And a string in the door instead of a latch.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,#
Date: 13 Mar 21 - 10:03 AM

https://www.loc.gov/resource/amss.as106280.0/?st=text

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 21 - 09:55 AM

My father sang it
Did you ever go into an Irishman's shanty
Where the money was short and the whiskey was plenty
A two legged stool and a table to match
And the hair on your head sticking out through the thatch

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 19 - 11:19 PM

Have you ever been out to an Irishman's shanty, where water is scarce but the whiskey is plenty, a three legged stool and a table to match, and a little ol' door that's done up with a latch

Oh McTavish is dead and his brother don't know it, His brother is dead and McTavish don't know it, the both 'em is dead and they're in the same bed, and the other don't know that the other one's dead~

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 16 - 10:51 PM

oh father o'flynn was he tied the knot
for better or worse or whatever you've got
you're married God bless you...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,kathy mac
Date: 20 Dec 16 - 10:46 PM

Have you ever been into an Irishmen'd shanty
Where money is scarce
And whiskey is plenty
with a three legged stool
And a table to match
And a stick in the door
instead of a latch
..ladela ladela...etc
oh father o'flynn
(forgot next line)
you're married God bless you,
were words that he said
while the fiddlers fiddled and fiddled away

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 03 Nov 14 - 05:45 PM

I am reminded of Freewheelin' Franklin saying Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 14 - 04:57 PM

Have ye ever been to an Irishman's shanty?
Where water is scarce and whiskey is plenty?
A three legged stool and a table to match
with a hen in the corner just ready to hatch.

Mcguire was dead and McGinty din't know
McGinty was dead and McGuire din't know
They both were dead in the very same bed
And neither one knew the other was dead.

Oh the night of the party, the night of the fun
The night when all the damage was done
They did it before and they'll do it again
The women were twice as bad as the men.
;)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,dd
Date: 08 Jan 14 - 05:04 PM

Have you ever been into an Irishmen'd shanty
Where money is scarce
And whiskey there's plenty
A three legged stool
And a table to match
A hole in the floor
For the turkey to scratch

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 10:28 PM

A popular comic stage-Irish song of the mid-19th century, the words written, according to songsheets of the time, by one George W. Osborn (an American, apparently) and set originally to a generic "Irish-style" 6/8 tune vaguely similar to The Irish Washerwoman. Two American broadside editions of c.1860 can be seen at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

Irishman's shanty

Sheet music of 1859 can be seen at  The Lester Levy Sheet Music Collection:

The Irishmans Shanty. A Favorite Comic Song With Imitations Albany: E. Hobart & Co., 1859. "As Sung by Matt Peel".

No. 4838 in the Roud Folk Song Index. Fairly common in the USA and Canada, it appears, but not in Britain or Ireland. The song has also been discussed in several other threads here.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 08:06 PM

My mother used to sing:
    Did you ever go into an Irishmans shanty
    Where water was scarce and whiskey was plenty
    A three legged stool with a table to match
    A hen in the corner all ready to hatch

                Sandy

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 03:17 PM

I'm surprised to see several different versions, all with "shanty" rhyming (quite imperfectly) with "plenty." The way I heard it as a young kid in New Jersey, living among first- and second-generation Irish immigrants, was:

Have you ever been back in an Irishman's shanty
Where whiskey is plenty and water is scanty...

Don't remember another line, and in fact rarely heard any entire verses sung -- just heard that one couplet quoted whenever the familiar (instrumental) melody was heard. I know the tune, but have no way of conveying it...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,AtMyWhimsey
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 01:22 PM

And the version we sang:

Have you ever been into an Irishman's shanty
where the women are few and the spuds were plenty
a three-legged stool with a table to match
and the door of the shanty was locked with a latch.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,Lynn
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 10:54 PM

I collected a different version when working on a collection of songs of Upstate NY...to the tune of "Irish Washerwoman"

Did you ever go into an Irishman's shanty
Where money was scarce and whisky was plenty
A three legged stool with a table to match
A door in the corner without any latch

You open the door and you will see
Five little cusses a-milkin' a flea
Two at her head and two at her tail
And one little cuss with his head in the pail

Brian O'Lin and his wife and wife's mother
They all went over the bridge together
The bridge fell down and they all tumbled in
We'll find ground at the bottom says Brian O'Lin.

Of course it never goes to the B section of the tune.

Learned from Agnes Warfield, formerly of Cincinnatus, NY
Can be found in "Folk Songs of Upstate New York", KinderFolk Music Publications, 1990
E-mail me if you're interested - [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Tune Req: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,Anthony
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 01:29 PM

Thanks Sorcha... Now that you gave me the name of the song, I found many variations of this tune.

Subject: Lyr Add: AN IRISHMAN'S SHANTY
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 12:39 PM

I found this--- It's not quite the same; has the "whiskey is plenty" and the same theme, but no chickens.

Did ye's ever go in'till an Irishman's shanty?
Och! b'ys, that's the place where the whiskey is plenty;
With his pipe in his mouth, there sits Paddy so free,
No king in his palace is prouder than he!

CHORUS: Arrah! me honey! w-h-a-c-k! Paddy's the boy.

There's a three-legged stool, with a table to match,
And the door of the shanty is locked with a latch;
There's a nate feather matrass all bustin' with straw,
For the want of a bedstead, it lies on the floor. CHORUS

There's a snug little bureau without paint or gilt,
Made of bords that was left when the shanty was built,
There's a three-cornered mirror hangs up on the wall,
The divd a face has been in it at all. CHORUS

He has pigs in the sty, an a cow in the stable,
And he feeds them on scraps that is left from the table
They'd starve if confined, so they roam at their aise,
And come into the shanty whinever they plase. CHORUS

He has three rooms in one--kitchen, bed-rom and hall,
And his chist it is three wooden pegs in the wall;
Two suits of ould clothes makes his wardrobe complete
One to wear in the shanty, that same for the street. CHORUS

He can relish good victuals as ever ye's ate,
But is always continted with praties and mate;
He prefers them when cowld (if he can't get them hot,
And makes tay in a bowl when he can't get a pot. CHORUS

There is one who partakes of his sorrow and joys,
Attends to the shanty, the girls and the boys;
(The brats he thinks more of than gold that's refined)
But Biddy's the jewel that's set in his mind. CHORUS

The rich may divide there enjoyments alone,
With those who have riches as great as there own;
But Pat hangs the latch-string outside of his door,
And will share his last cent with the needy and poor. CHORUS

Subject: money is scarce, whiskey is plenty,
From: GUEST,Anthony
Date: 01 Apr 02 - 12:31 PM

Can anyone please help me find the name of a song (Irish?) with the lyrics something like:

Money is scarce, Whiskey is plenty, There's a hole in the floor For the chickens to scratch.

thanks, Anthony