Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
mark gregory Origins: The Catalpa (33) RE: Origins: The Catalpa 27 Mar 14


there is also a fragment of the song in an earlier newspaper

The West Australian Wednesday 5 February 1902 p. 3.:--

Some years after private letters were received in Western Australia, one from John Boyle O'Reilly, and another from Collins, which explained the whole of the plot. An American newspaper arrived about the same time, giving the whole details of the plan and the escape, and in this journal it was stated that O'Reilly had admitted that he was largely responsible for the design which had enabled the six men to escape.

Even in those days, the music hall custom of seizing upon prominent events of the day for topical allusions was not unknown in Western Australia, and it is not surprising that such an exciting occurrence should have been availed of by local versifiers. Within a week of the escape, the following doggerel was sung with great gusto in the streets and elsewhere, to the tune of "Botany Bay":

The Georgette was manned by brave warriors,
Who resolved the Catalpa to chase;
But they hoisted their star-spangled banner,
Saying. "You'd better not touch us, I guess."

Now all you brave warders and gaolers,
Remember that glorious day;
Take care of the rest of your Fenians,
Or the Yankees will steal them away.

Chorus.
Singing, tooral lal looral lal laddity,
(Also) tooral lal looral lal lay.
(Likewise) tooral lal ooral lal laddity.
(Not forgetting) tooral lal looral lal lay.

Mark


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.