Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Helen
Date: 01 Dec 25 - 03:50 PM

Is it likely that the OP will come back to find the answer to the mystery? It's frustrating to see the Mudcat community working together, finding the answers, and then not seeing that the person who asked the question knows that the answer is here.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Helen
Date: 29 Nov 25 - 08:16 PM

This is the tune I have been thinking of, but never thought to look at my (large collection of) Pogues' CD's. LOL This tune is also on the playing list for my musical friends, and sadly for my mental health, I no longer play music with them but that's another story.

Repeal of the Licensing Laws

A note on The Session page for the tune says that The Pogues credited the tune to Spider Stacy

I looked at my CD's by a couple of other artists e.g. Tim O'Brien, a CD by Butch Baldassari, Robin Bullock & John Reichman, etc but nothing seemed to fit and then I started hearing Repeal of the Licensing Laws in my head.

It may not be exactly the same tune as Angelita but it is definitely in the same style and also, I am not sure of the actual history of the RotLL tune either.

Also, I keep forgetting to say that on the Newtown live video page there are a couple of comments from 4 years ago and someone said they have the lyrics of the Angelita song. Whether the email is still valid now is another question.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Helen
Date: 29 Nov 25 - 05:26 PM

I'm hoping gillymor might pop into this thread and maybe identify the tune or the tune it sounds a bit like. I know I have heard a similar tune before.

I'm also hoping that the guest who asked for info in the other thread comes back to see that the mystery has been solved.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Helen
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 06:03 PM

Unfortunately on that live video Terry Poirier's face is obscured by his double bass and the video quality is fuzzy, otherwise some clever lip-reading might have solved the mystery lyrics.

Joe, in the second last line of verse 3 it sounds to me like, "When we first spoke heart to heart" but I'm useless at deciphering lyrics so you can feel free to ignore my suggestion. LOL

Also, I'm wondering if the boy's name in the 4th verse could be Seamus (pronounced Shay-mus) but that's an Irish name, so maybe not.

True confessions: it's not my favourite style of music, but the tune definitely sounds familiar.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Helen
Date: 28 Nov 25 - 05:42 PM

I found another video of the band performing the song live and songwriter Terry Poirier is playing bass and singing the song.

Newtown ~ Angelita

Subject: ADD: Angelita (Terry Poirier)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 May 22 - 08:04 PM

I've been able to determine that Terry Poirier was a member of the band that called themselves "Newtown."
Here's the recording from the self-titled Newtown album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsXqm3IaokE

The chorus in the first post is correct.

ANGELITA
(Terry Poirier)

CHORUS
Oh Angelita, my love for you is an open door
If you'll come and stay with me
My heart will sing forevermore.

1. Sit out on my new front porch,
Watch the sun a-sinkin'
Flowin' through the cypress trees,
It's of you I'm thinkin'

2. Met you at a Sunday dance,
Many an eye upon it,
Seemed to me an artist fair,
With a golden hand had drawn it.

3. If I was gone a thousand years,
No one 'd even miss me
[no idea]
The moment that you first kissed me.

Some folks covet gold and coin
Some want to be famous,
All I want is your sweet love,
And a little boy name's Amos (???)

Love to hear the way you laugh,
Hurt to hear you cryin'
Hope that it's your voice I hear
On the day that I lie dyin'


As you can see, I need some help on the verses. Post corrections below, and I'll add them here.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita
From: GUEST,RH
Date: 14 May 22 - 05:53 PM

All the members of Newtown are friends of mine. I believe the song was written and sung by Terry Porier, who was their bass player at the time. Terry comes from a musical family and was born and raised in Canada, but I told him he must have a little Cajun in him. Oh, Angelita is a great song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita
From: GUEST,Bill / guest
Date: 18 Aug 15 - 12:48 PM

...although it sounds very old, this is a tune written by Mark Simos. Mark is a professor at the Berklee School of Music. It is an absolutely awesome tune and I would love to decipher some more of the lyrics so I can sit around on MY front porch and pick and sing the tune. I have figured out most of the lyrics based on the Newtown recording from 2011...just a few words I can't quite get. I saw Newtown perform this at the 2015 Busybird Bluegrass Festival in Berkshire, NY and I bought the CD within minutes!

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita
From: GUEST,Robin
Date: 20 May 13 - 08:44 PM

Just heard it on WAMU ... Kati Penn and Newtown at least covered it

Subject: RE: Origins: Angelita
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Dec 10 - 05:05 PM

Does the cd have any data with it? What company issued it?
There are several "Angelita" songs.

Subject: Origins: Angelita
From: GUEST,doryman
Date: 13 Dec 10 - 04:38 PM

I have a cd with this song on it. The chorus--
" Oh Angelita, my love for you is an open door
If you'll come and stay with me
   My heart will sing for ever more..."
The tune ,I think, is an old fiddle tune.
I would love to know who sings/wrote it so I could give proper credit if I ever manage to learn it. Any ideas??