The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18014   Message #2483955
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
03-Nov-08 - 08:19 PM
Thread Name: Origin: I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground
Subject: RE: Help: I wish I was a mole in the ground
For Richie-
"The Mountain Dew," 1882, Edward Harrigan and music by Dave Braham, from the Irish drama, "The Blackbird," pub. W. A. Pond, NY, sometimes is confused with other songs about the good old stuff.
First line:
Let grasses grow and water flow in a free and easy way.
Chorus first line:
Ye guagers all from Donegal, Galway and Wesford, too.

In Mudcat DT, the song is mis-titled "Real Old Mountain Dew," which is a different song.

Looking around the net, versions attributed to Harrigan show up in which some of the text is changed. Original sheet music is online in the Lester Levy Collection. The chorus 1st line has the incorrect spelling 'guagers'.