Lyr Req: I Don't Mind If I Do (Irish song)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Don't Mind If I Do (Irish song)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Jul 14 - 02:02 AM

A twist on the theme - from pre-World War One Ireland
Jim Carroll

I Don't Mind If I Do,
Michael 'Straighty' Flanagan, Inagh, County Clare
Carroll Mackenzie Collection

King George met Joe Devlin a short time ago,
And he said 'Good morning, how do you do, Joe?
Will you drop into breakfast, and see Mary, too?'
'Oh, be God then', said Joe, 'I don't mind if I do.'

To the palace they rambled – T.P. he was there,
John Dillon he sat on a plush-covered chair,
'Will you all', says Queen Mary , 'have some Irish stew?'
Oh they roared in one voice, 'We don't mind if we do.'

'Sinn Feiners', said Georgie, 'are spoiling my plan.
DeValera, their leader, he seems a strong man.
Will you tell him his flag should be red, white and blue?'
'It's no use', says T.P., 'he won't mind if I do.'

'Behind prison walls they should all be', said Joe.
'When you had them in there sure you let them all go.
To spread their sedition each county around,
And to knock out the men with the four hundred pounds.'

'That's right', said T.P., 'I agree with you there.
The rod on the rebels, oh Georgie, don't spare!
The whole world over sure they've knocked me flat,
I am back from the States with a big empty hat.'

The flag of Sinn Fein everywhere it do fly,
And 'Down with the Party' is now Ireland's cry.
The green, white and orange, alas and alack,
Has taken the place of the old Union Jack.

'Recruiting', said Mary, 'is now very low.
To the trenches in Flanders the Irish won't go.
Why not try conscription – oh John, what says you?'
'Oh be God then', said Joe, 'there'll be hell if we do.'

"According to historical accounts the 1910 British General Election left the Liberals as a minority government dependent upon the votes of Irish Nationalist parliamentarians so, in order to gain their support, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, introduced legislation that would give Ireland Home Rule; the bill was opposed by the Conservatives and Unionists. Desperate to avoid the prospect of Civil War in Ireland, King George V called a meeting of all parties at Buckingham Palace in July 1914 in an attempt to negotiate a settlement. After four days the conference ended without an agreement so, on 18 September 1914, the King, having considered vetoing the legislation, gave his assent to the Home Rule Bill after it had been passed by Westminster. Its implementation was postponed due to the outbreak of the First World War. Joseph Devlin, mentioned in the song, was an Irish journalist and influential nationalist politician, a member of the British parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party This wonderful parody commemorates 'The Buckingham Palace Meeting'."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Don't Mind If I Do (Irish song)
From: GUEST,John Ebzery
Date: 11 Jul 14 - 11:07 PM

My father use to sing this song. I have been trying to find the lyrics for a long time
He used the version I don't care if I do
He won a competition on the radio singing this once

Subject: Lyr Add: JOE MOGGINS (from Cyril Poacher)
From: IanC
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 10:31 AM

Sounds very like "Joe Moggins". Sung by Cyril Poacher and most probably an English music hall song, with some floating verses.

My name is Joe Moggins, a farmer am I,
I once courted a pretty girl who felt rather shy.
I fell in the water tank, got nearly wet through.
Then she said, "Yo! me love! Won't you come in and dry yourself?"
"I'm a careless young lad, I don't care if I do."

I went down to the kitchen, I made things alright.
Ten pound of fat tiger(?) I popped out of sight.
Then she said," Yo! Have a dumpling or two."
"I'm a careless young lad, I don't care if I do."

I hugged her, I squeezed her, 'til lovers' delight.
She wanted for to get married all on that same night.
Then in come the parson, book in his hand,
From this book these very words said,
"Better or worse, take her and go."
"I'm a careless young lad, I don't care if I do."

And now we are married and happy live we,
We've got no little children to hop round our knee.
Then she said, "Yo! We'll have a dozen or two."
"I'm a careless young lad, I don't care if we do."

:-)

Subject: Lyr Add: I DON'T MIND IF I DO (Charlie McGee)
From: gnomad
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 10:22 AM

Another variant, taken from an old LP by Charlie McGee purchased around 1968.

Now you ask me to sing you a bit of a song,
'Tis not very short, and it's not very long,
You ask me to sing about something that's new,
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

Well my name 'tis Dan Murphy, and a farmer am I,
I courted a lass, and I felt rather shy,
She invited me in for a moment or two,
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

When we entered the kitchen it was cosy and bright,
Soon a fine hearty supper I put out of sight,
Says she "Would you care for one glass, or two?"
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

When the supper was finished I reached for my hat,
Said Peggy, the darlin' "Don't leave me like that,
Now, wouldn't you care for one kiss, or two?"
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

So we talked about that, and we talked about this,
During the time she was stealing a kiss,
"Do you love me?" asked Peggy, "For I do love you."
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

So we hugged and we squeezed in fond lovers' delight,
Says Peggy, the darlin' "Please make me your wife,
I've an acre of ground, and I've one cow or two."
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

We went the next morning to the church to be wed,
The preacher presented the book, and he said,
"Now let you take Peggy, and Peggy'll take you."
"Bedad, now" says I "I don't mind if I do."

Twelve months we've been married, and we've one little lad,
The neighbours do swear that he's just like his dad,
But Peggy wants more, at least one or two,
"Bedad, now" says I... "I don't mind if I do."

Subject: Lyr Add: I DON'T CARE IF I DO (McNulty Family)
From: clueless don
Date: 23 Mar 10 - 09:09 AM

I think the original words were definitely "I don't care if I do", which was presumably an older idiom for "I don't mind if I do". I have a recording of it by the McNulty Family. The words they sang are (allowing for possible transcription errors on my part):

You ask me to sing you a bit of a song
It's not very short or it's not very long
You ask me to sing you of something that's new
Well me darlin', says I, I don't care if I do

Me name is Dan Murphy, a farmer am I
I courted a lass and I felt rather shy
She bid me come in for a moment or two
Well me darlin', says I, I don't care if I do

We entered the kitchen, 'twas cozy and bright
A fine hearty supper I put out of sight
Says she "Have a drop of the old mountain dew
"Well me darlin', says I, I don't care if I do

And when I was finished, I picked up my hat
Says Peggy, the darlin', "Don't leave me like that
"She asked me to kiss her like fond lovers do
Well me darlin', says I, I don't care if I do

And now Peggy darlin's my beautiful wife
With fine healthy children to brighten our life
For the rest of the world I don't give a straw
We've a rose-covered cottage in Erin go Bragh

(repeat last verse)


The McNulty's may have altered the lyrics somewhat from their source material - for example, the last verse where they have children, instead of "...no little babies to dance on our knee".

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Don't Mind If I Do (Irish song)
From: GUEST,John Diehnel
Date: 22 Mar 10 - 10:31 PM

From Shamrocks In The Wind. I really don't remember where the song came from. I have been singing it for close on to 50 years. I suspect it came from one of my relatives, but I can't be sure.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Don't Mind If I Do
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Mar 10 - 07:09 PM

A duo called Shamrocks in the Wind (Karol and John Diehnel from Tillamook, OR) performs I DON'T MIND IF I DO on their album "Frolick'n with Friends" (1997).

It looks as if the lyrics that Nerd posted above were copied from Shamrocks in the Wind's web site, but he missed the chorus which they show at the beginning of the song:

"Tour a lay, tour a lay, with my tour-a-li-your-a-li-your-a-li-a."

By the way, Shamrocks in the Wind don't say where they got the song, either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Nerd
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 05:38 PM

Yes, good point. There is a

Toor a lay, toor a lay, with my toor-a-lie-oor-a-li-oor-a-li-ay

in there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Mysha
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 05:33 PM

Hi,

Yes, that's much as I recall it, though I was right in not posting the text as I knew it, as I seem to have misinterpreted some of it when I heard this in my youth. Come to think of it, wasn't there a
"Tooraloo, tooralay, with my tooralye-ooralye-oorali-a" (How does one spell that?) in between verses?
                                                                   Mysha

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Nerd
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 04:54 PM

By the way, we had Rosie Stewart from Fermanagh at the Library of Congress in May, and she sings it as "I don't care if I do." I can't remember if the unconnected first verse is there in her version or not.

To answer Mysha's other question, I don't know how that verse came to be in the song. I might guess that the writer was trying to evoke the tradition of "come all ye" verse, which frequently start something like "Come all ye pretty fair maids and listen to me song/it's just a little ditty and it isn't very long...."

Now, if you wanted to adapt that opening to a song in which every verse has to end "me darlin', says I, I don't mind if I do," you'd have to change it into a conversation between the narrator and his girlfriend. You'd keep the "song" and "isn't very long" but make the rest more personal. What you got out of that would be very much like this first verse.

I agree that it doesn't work all that well--but the rest of the song is charming when it's done well.

Subject: Lyr Add: I DON'T MIND IF I DO
From: Nerd
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 04:39 PM

Try this:


She asked me to sing her a verse of a song,
It's not very short and it's not very long
She asked me to sing about something that's new
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do.

My name is Dan Murphy, a barber am I
I courted a girl, though I felt rather shy
She bid me come for a moment or two
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do.

I entered the kitchen, twas cosy and bright
Soon a fine hearty supper, I put out of sight
Say's she' Have a drop of the old mountain dew"
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do
.
I walked out of the kitchen and picked up my hat
"Och, darlin'" says she, "Don't you leave me like that."
Says she, "wont you stay for a wee kiss or two?"
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do.

Well we kissed and we squeezed and found lover's delight
And Peggy asked me if I'd make her my wife
Says she, "I've a plow and an acre or two,"
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do.

Next mornin' we went to the church to be wed
& the priest stood before us with a book and he said
"Now let you take Peggy, and Peggy take you."
And father, says I, I don't mind if I do.

And now we are married, and happy are we
Though we've no little babies to dance on our knee
Say's she wait a while and we might have a few
And me darlin, says I, I don't mind if I do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Mysha
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 05:27 PM

To interpret that question in a way that makes sense in this context: The rest of the lyrics are about the first person courting a girl, or rather mostly she taking the initiative.
But other than that: That is indeed the question I asked.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Peace
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 04:22 PM

What's the rest of the lyrics?

Subject: Lyr Req: I don't mind if I do
From: Mysha
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 01:46 PM

I actually expected to be this one to have been in here for years. It's another one from the early Wild Rovers repertoire. It has the curious first verse:

She asked me to sing here a verse of a song
It's not very short and it's not very long
She asked me to sing about something that's new
And "Me darling," says I, "I don't mind if I do."

which doesn't seem to be connected with the rest of the lyrics at all. I always wondered how that came about. (Hm, maybe I should have started an origins thread as well?)

                                                                   Mysha