Lyr Req: Off to California

Subject: Off to California--are there lyrics??
From: Curtis & Loretta
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 12:45 PM

Does anyone know if there are lyrics to the Irish instrumental, "Off to California"? I checked the Mudcat database, and got a bunch of songs with that phrase in it, but no actual songs with that name. It's a great old fiddle tune. Also, does anyone know how old it might be, since it mentions leaving the old country for California? Thanks, Loretta Simonet

Subject: Tune Add: OFF TO CALIFORNIA
From: Harald
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 01:15 PM

I´m sorry, but I only know the tune. I did a little search and found the following for those others, who don´t have tune yet.

ABC:
X: 1
T:Off to California
M:4/4
R:Hornpipe
E:7
K:G
(3DEF|GFGB AGED|GBdg e2 (3def|gfgd edBG|ABAG E2 (3DEF|
GFGB AGED|GBdg e2 (3def|gfgd edBG|ABAF G2:|
(3def|gfeg fedf|edef edBd|gfgd edBG|ABAG E2 D2|
(3GAG BG AGED|GBdg e2 (3def|gfgd edBG|ABAF G2:|

tune as gif

Subject: RE: Off to California--are there lyrics??
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 02:17 PM

Check out the refershed thread "Off To Philly" Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,maryb
Date: 04 May 08 - 02:24 PM

yes there is a song off to california and its a lovely song.. im trying to find lyrics....choruus is " im off to cali...to taste the sunshine and the wine"
tried so hard to get it but i will!

Subject: Lyr Add: GOING TO CALIFORNIA (Johnny McEvoy)
From: Peace
Date: 04 May 08 - 02:28 PM

Going to California (Johnny McEvoy)

Try that Mudcat thread.

From that thread:

"Subject: Lyr Add: GOING TO CALIFORNIA (Johnny McEvoy)
From: Shaneo - PM
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 10:17 AM

Here you go guest and Lorie b , no chords at present


He was never there when needed
and oh who much she pleaded
Saying darling wont you stay home just one time
He'd just smile and say I'm sorry
But there's no need to worry
Just gonna meet some army buddies
Drink some beer and fight the war.

In the kitchen making wishes
As she tidies up the dishes
On another lonely weekend
And the wine she drank alone
And the nights they hold no pity
In the cold of New York city
As she waits there in the darkness
To hear his key turn in the door

[Chorus]
She said I'm going to California
To taste the sunshine and the wine
Sit beside the rolling ocean
And slowly pass the time
Reading books and old love stories
And forget about my worries
And maybe who knows maybe
We'll meet again sometime.

Then one night he came home sober
With a longing just to hold her
When he found the note she'd written
Waiting by the telephone
And she said ''I'll always love you
And never will forget you
Bit I just can't take this lonely feeling anymore''

Now the nights are cold and lonely
And he sits and watches TV
Drinking beer and chasing whiskey
Wondering where it all went wrong
And his eyes are tired and burning
From the dreams that kept returning
And all his yesterdays they wont leave him alone
[Chorus] "

Subject: Lyr Add: OFF TO CALIFORNIA (Riggy Rackin)
From: Barry Finn
Date: 04 May 08 - 04:32 PM

This was how I learnd it from Riggy. I belive Riggy got it from Tommy a alto banjo player that long ago was in Boston.

Subject: Lyr Add: OFF TO CALIFORNIA (from Riggy Rackin)
From: radriano - PM
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 11:20 AM

OFF TO CALIFORNIA
As sung by Riggy Rackin

O me name is Paddy Leary from a spot in Tipperary
The hearts of all the ladies there I am a thorn in
But come the break of mornin' it is they who'll be forlorn
For I'm off to California in the morning

Chorus:
With me bundle on me shoulder, faith, there's no man can be bolder
I'm leaving dear old Ireland without warning
For I lately took the notion for to cross the briny ocean
And I'm off to California in the morning

There's a girl named Kate Malone who I'd hope to call my own
And have our children on my little cabin floor adornin'
By my heart is sad and weary, how can she be Mrs. Leary
When I'm off to California in the morning

Chorus

When they told me I must leave the place I tried to wear a cheerful face
To show me heart's deep sorrow I was scornin'
But the tears will surely blind me for the friends I leave behind me
When I'm off to California in the morning

Last chorus:
With me bundle on me shoulder sure there's no man can be bolder
I'm leaving just the spot that I was born in
But some day I'll take the notion to come back across that ocean
To me home in dear old Ireland in the morning


Riggy sang this last Thursday at his wonderful concert at Boaz Accordions in Berkeley (Oakland?), California. He's the only person I've ever heard sing it.

Good Luck
Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: open mike
Date: 05 May 08 - 12:09 AM

I would like to see a comparison of the tunes
"Off to CALIF. " and "Going to CALIF."
These are two different tunes, I believe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 05 May 08 - 01:46 AM

Irish dance tunes as a general rule don't have words, ie. it's a dance tune not a song !

eric

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Rowan
Date: 05 May 08 - 02:18 AM

In Oz the tune "Off to California" is played as a hornpipe and, while the second set of words postted above could be forced to fit the phrases of the tune the resulting scansion isn't great; the first set of words appear to have no relation to the hornpipe I know.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 May 08 - 07:27 AM

The hornpipe tune(not that this has any particular relevance), is also called the Whisky Hornpipe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 06:18 AM

Just to confuse things , I have met people who call 'The Humours of California' an excellent hornpipe , off to california !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 10:40 AM

The second part of "Off to California" is the tune of the song "Follow Me up to Carlow".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,Francis
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 04:01 PM

Does anyone know where this can be found online ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 08:22 PM

Dave, Follow Me Up To Carlow is the second part of the set dance ' The Sweets Of May ' NOT Off to California.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,Harpdog Bob
Date: 26 Jun 11 - 05:07 PM

Try these. They seem to fit much better:

In the days I went a courting,
I was never tired resorting
To the alehouse and the playhouse
Or Many a house beside,
I told me brother Seamus
I'd go off and go right famous
And before I'd return again
I'd roam the world wide.

So goodbye Muirsheen Durkin,
l'm sick and tired of working,
No more I'll dig the parties,
No longer I'll be fool.
For as Sure as me name is Carney
I'll be off to California,
Where instead of diggin' praties
I'll be digging' lumps of gold.

I've courted girls in Blarney,
In Kanturk and in Killarney
In Passage and in Queenstown,
That is the Cobh of Cork.
But goodbye to all this Pleasure,
For l'm going to take me leisure
And the next Time you will hear from me
Will be a letter from New York,

So goodbye Muirsheen Durkin...

Goodbye to all the boys at home,
l'm sailing far across the foam
To try to make me fortune
In far America,
For there's s gold and money plenty
For the poor and gentry
And when I come back again
I never more will stray,

So goodbye Muirsheen Durkin...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,Oz Childs
Date: 30 Jul 11 - 05:02 PM

True, most Irish dance tunes don't have lyrics, but it is easy to imagine that there *were* lyrics, that provided the name of the tune. Since no one remembers what they were, people have been known to write new ones. True of "Off to California", true, too, I suspect, for
"The Rocky Road to Dublin". I'd love to see an uncensored set of lyrics for "Kitty got a Clinking"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 04 Oct 19 - 02:23 PM

The words posted by Barry in 2008 were famously sung by Count John McCormack, but with "Philadelphia" instead of "California." I think I might be up on YouTube somewhere playing the hornpipe on the harmonica. It was a long time ago...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,Felipa
Date: 04 Oct 19 - 02:45 PM

There are quite a few melodies which are played both as tunes and songs. Sometimes the lyrics are very simple and/or don't make a great deal of sense, "mouth music" or port a' bhéil/port á beul. Others are fully-fledged songs. But the lyrics offered on this thread aren't sung to the air of the Off to California hornpipe and I don't know of any lyrics for that tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Oct 19 - 03:41 PM

I can see similarities between OTC and Goodbye Muirsheen Durkin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Off to California
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 04 Oct 19 - 06:47 PM

Anyone wanting to hear a few presentations of it will find them with a Google of

"Off to California"

Search with quotation marks left on.