The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #164434   Message #3934907
Posted By: Jim Carroll
03-Jul-18 - 03:20 AM
Thread Name: ‘Cursed’ Songs
Subject: RE: ‘Cursed’ Songs
"No-one has objected yet!"
Absolutely - this needs shouting from the rooftops; it is totally untrue that Irish singers sing songs to upset or intimidate tourists
Irish singers sing some songs because it is a part of their history that they are proud of
If it upsets English tourists, perhaps it is because the events described make them ashamed - if that isn't the reason, maybe it should be.
It in no way effects the friendliness of the Irish people towards visitors from anywhere - that friendliness, 'caed mile failte' - (one hundred thousand welcomes) is built into the language.

You want to hear songs deliberately created with the intention of intimidating and insulting, you'll hear them in spades in a couple of weeks time in that little piece of Ireland that still calls itself England
There you'll still hear songs like 'Ee aye, Paddy is a Bastard' or "A rope, a rope to hang the Pope' or 'Croppies Lie Down' - all good clean fun!
An archivist friend of mine went buying up albums of new songs for his archive made during the Troubles and was pretty horrified at what he found, with gems such as 'The Pope's a Darkie'

Shortly after the 'Bloody Sunday' massacre, a well known group of British 'tourists, 'the Paras', were noted for singing (to the tune, Knick knack Paddy Whack':

We've got one, we've got two,
We've got thirteen more than you'

Jim Carroll