Lyr Add: 'Tid Re I' or 'Paddy's Wedding'

Subject: Lyr Add: 'Tid Re I' or 'Paddy's Wedding'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jul 04 - 12:51 AM

I had planned to post this in the thread called Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees, but it seems interesting enough to deserve its own thread. There are variants that go by the name PADDY'S WEDDING or THE IRISH WEDDING. I will post them later.

From The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music:

TID RE I
Or the Marriage of MISS KITTY O'DONAVAN to Mr. PADDY O'RAFFERTY.
Sung by Mr. TWAITS at the NEW THEATRE with unbounded applause.
PHILADELPHIA. Published by G. E. Blake, South 3d Street. Price 25 cents. [no date]

[1.] Sure won't you hear what roaring cheer
Was spread at Paddy's wedding oh!
And how so gay they spent the day,
From churching to the bedding oh!
First, book in hand, came Father Quipes,
With the Bride's Dadda, the Baily O,
While the Chaunter with the merry Pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O.

[SPOKEN:] So as soon as Peter O'Rieley heard there was a wedding on the carpet, he went directly to Father Quipes and told him of the whole affair, who thrust his arm up the chimney & pull'd down his pipes, & squaz'd them under his arm & blew a blast into them & play'd a little bit of a—

[CHORUS:] Tid re i tid re i tid re tid re i de O.

[2.] Now there was Mat and sturdy Pat,
And merry Morgan Murphy O,
And Murdock Mags, & Tirloch Skaggs,
McLaughlin, and Dick Durfey O;
And then the Girls, rigged out in wipes,
Led on by Dad O'Rilly O,
While the Chaunter, &c.

[SPOKEN:] By the powers it would have done your heart good to see the Boys & Girls hopping over the gutters, two by two in couples one after another, while the piper was jogging on before playing a little bit of a tid re I, &c.

[3.] When Pat was asked if his love would last,
The Chancel echoed wid laughter O,
By my soul says Pat, you may say that,
To the end of the world and after O;
Then tenderly her hand he gripes,
And kisses her genteely O,
While the Chaunter, &c.

[SPOKEN:] When the ceremony was over, and Father Quipes told her that she was no longer Miss Kitty O'Donavan but Mrs. Paddy O'Rafferty to be sure Paddy didn't take hold of her by the back of the neck, and gave her such a kiss that when he took his lips away, you might have heard it all over the Chapel, whilst the Boys and Girls seeing so neat an example before them, all began, while the piper who was seated near the Communion Table kept time with his tid re I, &c.

[4.] Then a roaring set at dinner met,
So frolicsome and so frisky O,
Pratoes galore, a skirrag or more,
With a flowing madder of Whiskey O;
Then round to be sure didn't go the wipes,
At the Bride's expence so gaily O,
While the Chaunter, &c.

[SPOKEN:] For Pat dy'see was resolved to do the thing in a genteel way, so he ordered in tha[illegible] bowls of Pratoes, and a dish full of red Herrings; and while they were masticating the pratoes, their jaws went faster than the Piper's elbow, who was seated in a corner playing a little bit of tid re I, &c.

[5.] And then at night, O what delight,
To see them cap'ring and prancing O,
An Opera's Ball were nothing at all,
Compared to the stile of their dancing O;
And then to see old Father Quipes,
Beating time with his Shilela O,
While the Chaunter, &c.

[SPOKEN:] By the power of mud, if he happened to place his thumb on the hole where his little finger should be, to be sure Paddy didn't jump up from the throne of turf where he was sitting and gave him such a poult over the place where he took his snuff, that it knock'd him clean into the mud. "There's a suit of brown for you," says he, "lie there you thief of the world till the cows come home, & let it learn you all the days of your life and for ever after if you die tomorrow, that whenever you come to a gentleman's wedding, his funeral, or any such a merry making matter, not to be playing any of your damn'd Cantabaribs, but nothing neither more nor less, than the neat little bit of tid re I, &c.

[6.] And now the knot so sucky are got,
They'll go to sleep without rocking O,
While the Bridemaids fair, so grave prepare,
For throwing off the stocking O,
Decadorus we'll have says Father Quipes,
Then the Bride was kiss'd round genteely O,
While to wish them good fun the merry pipes,
Struck up a lilt so gaily O.

[SPOKEN:] So when the bride & bridegroom had determined to go to bed Paddy took the candle & lit them all to the door, every soul of them; & as he was lighting Mrs. O'Rafferty up the ladder that they come downstairs by, her wooden leg slip'd & went clean though the Piper's bags & spoil'd his little bit of a tid re I, &c.

Subject: Lyr Add: PADDY'S WEDDING
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 07:53 AM

From The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

W. S. & J. CROWLEY.
BOOKSELLERS AND STATIONERS,
146 Baltimore Street.-- Wholesale Ag'ts for Baltimore.

PADDY'S WEDDING

Sure won't you hear what roaring cheer
Was spread at Paddy's wedding, O,
And how so gay they spent the day,
From churching to the bedding, O?
First, book in hand, came Father Quipes,
With the bride's dadda, the Bailie, O,

[CHORUS:] While the chaunter with the merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O.
Tiddery, tiddery, &c.

Now there was Mat and sturdy Pat,
And merry Morgan Murphy, O,
And Murdock Mags, and Tirloch Skaggs,
M'Laughlin, and Dick Durfey, O,
And then the girls, rigged out in white,
Led on by Ted O'Rielly, O,
While the chaunter, &c.

When Pat was asked if his love would last
The chapel rung with laughter, O,
By my soul, says Pat, you may say that,
To the end of the world and after, O,
Then tenderly her hand he gripes,
And kisses her genteely, O,
While the chaunter, etc.

Then a roaring set at dinner met,
So frolicksome and so frisky, O,
Potatoes galore, a skirrag or more,
With a flowing madder of whiskey, O,
Then round, to be sure, didn't go the wipes
At the bride's expense so gaily, O,
While the chaunter, etc.

And then at night, oh! what delight,
To see them capering and prancing, O,
An opera or ball were nothing at all
Compared to the style of dancing, O,
And then to see old Father Quipes,
Beating time with his shillelah, O,
When the chaunter, etc.

And now the know so soaky are got,
They'll go to sleep without rocking, O,
While the bridemaids fair so grave prepare
For throwing of the stocking, O.
Decadorus we'll have, says Father Quipes,
Beating time with his shillelah, O,
While the chaunter, etc.

Harris, Printer, S. E. cor. of 4th & Vine, Phila.

Subject: Lyr Add: PADDY'S WEDDING
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 08:04 AM

From The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

PADDY'S WEDDING.

Sure won't you hear
What roaring cheer
Was spread at Paddy's wedding, O!
And how so gay
They spent the day,
From the churching to the bedding, O!
First, book in hand, came Father Quipes,
With the bride's dadda, the bailey, O!
While all the way to church the pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O!

Then there was Mat,
And sturdy Pat,
And merry Morgan Murphy, O!
And Murdock Mags,
And Tirlogh Skaggs,
Maclochan, and Dick Durfey, O!
And then the girls, dress'd out in wipes,
Led on by Tad O Rielly, O!
All jigging, as the merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O!

When Pat was ask'd
Would his love last?
The chancel echoed wid laughter, O!
'Orrah, fait!' cried Pat,
'You may say dat,
To the end of the world and after, O!
Then tenderly her hand he gripes,
And kisses her genteelly, O!
While all in tune the merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O!

Now a roaring set
At dinner are met,
So frolicksome and so frisky, O!
Poratoes galore,
A skirraig or more,
And aflowing madder of whisky, O!
To the bride's dear health round went the swipes,
That her joys might be nightly and daily, O!
And still as they guttled, the merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O!

And then, at night,
O what delight,
To see them all footing and prancing, O
An opera or ball
Were nothing at all
Compar'd to the style of their dancing, O!
And then see old Father Quipes,
Beat time with his shelaly, O!
While the chanter wid his merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O!

And now the knot
So tipsy are got
They'll all go to sleep without rocking, O
So the bridemaids fair
Now gravely prepare
For throwing off the stocking, O,
And round to be sure, did'nt go the swipes
At the bride's expense so freely, O,
While to wish them good night the merry pipes
Struck up a lilt so gaily, O.

Andrews, Printer, 38 Chatham St.N. Y.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'Tid Re I' or 'Paddy's Wedding'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 09:12 AM

I found several references to PADDY'S WEDDING on the Internet:

Early American Secular Music and Its European Sources, 1589-1839 lists "Tid Re I, or Paddy's Wedding" as appearing in a collection called "Martial Music," published in Albany, NY, in 1807.

Click here quotes An Irishman in the Iron Brigade: The Civil War Memoirs of James P. Sullivan, Sergt. Company K, 6th Wisconsin Volunteers, Fordham University Press, 1993 – as saying that "Paddy's Wedding" was played at Gettysburg.

PADDY'S WEDDING was recorded by Dan Kelly in 1894, Peter Dawson in 1929.

There is an archived radio program containing the Dan Kelly recording on this page.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'Tid Re I' or 'Paddy's Wedding'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jul 04 - 09:29 AM

Here's a quote from Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812 by Benson J. Lossing, 1869:

One of the most popular songs of the day was composed in honor of the capture of the Java, and called "Bainbridge's Tid re I," in which, after every verse, the singer gives a sentence in prose, winding up with the chorus "Tid re I, Tid re I, Tid re id re I do." The following is a specimen of that kind of song, once so popular:

"Come, lads, draw near, and you shall hear,

In truth as chaste as Dian, O!
How Bainbridge true, and his bold crew,
Again have tamed the lion, O!
'Twas off Brazil he got the pill
Which made him cry peccavi, O
But hours two, the Java new,
Maintained the battle bravely, O!

"But our gallant tars, as soon as they were piped to quarters, gave three cheers, and boldly swore, by the blood of the heroes of Tripoli, that, sooner than strike, they'd go the bottom singing

Tid re I, Tid re I, Tid re id re I do."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'Tid Re I' or 'Paddy's Wedding'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 03:52 PM

Further evidence that PADDY'S WEDDING was once a very popular song:

It is mentioned in THE FATHER OF ALL SONGS which Masato posted in the thread called Lyr Add: Patchwork Song (1860s Pop).

It is mentioned in WIDOW MULROONY'S BALL which I posted in the thread called Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees.

There are 11 variants at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads. Since reproducing them here would be mostly redundant as well as very tedious, I will summarize the variations:

NONE of these have a spoken narrative.
1-4: "From the church unto the..."
1-4: "From the churching to the..."
1-5 and 5-5: "...old Father Gripes"
1-6: "daddy" rather than "dadda"
1-7: "While all the way to church, the pipes..."
1-8: "Struck up a lilt..."
1-8: "Play'd up the lilt..."
2-3: "And Muirlips Megs, and Scurlips Scegs"
2-4: "...Dicky Durfey..."
2-5: "And then the girls dress'd out in swipes"
2-5: "And then the girls dress'd out in white"
2-5: "And then the girls dress'd out in whites"
2-5: "And then the girls drest in their stripes"
2-6: "Led on by Tad O'Reilly O,
2-7: "All jigging as the merry pipes"
3-1: "When Pat was asked if his love would last"
3-1: "When Pat was asked would his love last"
3-3: "Arrah! Faith, cries Pat"
3-5: "...her hand he grips"
3-7: "While all in tune the merry pipes"
4-2: "With spirits so gay and frisky, O"
4-3: "...a scroggan or more"
4-3: "...a skirrages or more"
4-3: "...A skirraik or more"
4-4: "...bladder of whiskey O"
4-5: "To the bride's dear health, round went the swipes"
4-6: "That her joy might be nightly & daily O"
4-7: "And as they guttled, the merry pipes"
4-7: "And still has he guzzled, the merry pipes"
5-2: "To see them all footing and..."
5-3: "An opera or ball was..."
6-1: "And now the knot so tipsey had got"
6-1: "And now the lot so tipsy are got"
6-4: "For the throwing of the stocking, O"
6-5: "And round to be sure did not go the swipes"
6-6: "At the bride's expence so freely, O"
CHORUS: "Didderum hi, &c."
CHORUS: (none)

Dang! I thought making a detailed comparison of all the versions would be an interesting project, but I got sick of it long before being finished. The above list is incomplete, but I hope someone will find it enlightening.