As noted by weelittledrummer and by Azizi, Duke Ellington's Black and Tan Fantasy most likely referred to persons of mixed race, and had nothing to do with the British/Irish lore. It may have been a sort of "social commentary" at the time, but the significance of that seems lost now.

Although Ellington probably played it as a straight instrumental (and it's quite danceable) I've heard that a lyric was written for it, but I've never been able to find one.

It does seem perhaps to be somewhat suspect as "not politically correct," as – so far as I've been able to find – it is omitted from all recent fake books or other compilations of Ellington songs. No notations, no discussion – apparently just because of the title.(?)

It appears on a few recordings, but they're mostly out of print and considered "collectibles," so they're on the expensive side. It's a great song, and it seems it must have been of significance musically; but has some "changes" – as I remember it – that I've never been able to quite work out. I've searched, rather casually, for it for several years without finding anything useful.

It was a fairly popular "high school band" number as recently as about 1955-7, and perhaps my trouble with it is the result of playing it with clarinets who were always a bit out of tune; but it seems to have completely disappeared now.

I wonder why. Is it something I'd want to know, should I ever find it and want to play it?

Maybe those two words just don't play well together.

John