Lyr Req: Wild Colonial Boy (Margaret Barry)

Subject: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Roberto
Date: 24 May 08 - 03:20 PM

I'd very much like to get the exact words Margaret Barry sings in her recording of The Wild Colonial Boy. Please, help with this great singer and her very hard to get pronounce and spelling. Thanks R

There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name
He was born and raised in Ireland in a place called Castlemaine
He was his father's only son, his mother's pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild colonial boy

At the (???) age of eighteen years he began his wild carreer
In his (?) heart he (?) knew no danger, with a heart who (?) knew no fear
He robbed the rich to help the poor and stabbed James MacEvoy
An' a terror to Australia was this wild colonial boy

One day on the prairie as Jack he rode along
He was listenin' to the mocking bird singing a mournrful (?) song
Out (?) stepped three mounted (?): Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy
And they all set out to capture him, the wild colonial boy

He fired a shot at Kelly, which brought him to the ground
And turning to FitzDavis, he received a fatal wound
A bullet pierced his proud young heart, from the pistol of Fitzroy
And there (?) is how they captured him, the wild colonial boy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: ard mhacha
Date: 24 May 08 - 03:52 PM

2nd verse "at the early age of sixteen years"
3rd verse" out stepped three mounted policemen,"
4th verse,"and that is how they captured him"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: ard mhacha
Date: 24 May 08 - 03:55 PM

I should have added, Margaret Barry`s version of all of her songs differed from the original, Maggie was a great ad-libber.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Roberto
Date: 24 May 08 - 04:05 PM

I've taken this from the CD Her Mantle So Green. Thanks, Ard Mhacha. I think she sings "out stepped three mounted police", I can't hear "policeman". Could you please say something about the line "In his (?) heart he (?) knew no danger, with a heart who (?) knew no fear"? R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Tangledwood
Date: 24 May 08 - 07:43 PM

There are lots of differences in that version compared with the more traditional one(s). His surname is usually "Doolan", not "Duggan". The trooper firing the mortal wound is "Davis", without the "Fitz".

In particular the third verse doesn't ring true. Australia's grass lands are not known as "prairies" and there are no mocking birds. It seems to have been Americanised.

Perhaps "Australia" should be removed from the second verse?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Roberto
Date: 25 May 08 - 02:58 AM

I've found a transcription of the recording in the booklet of the cd Traditional Songs of Ireland (Saydisc), that is based on Folktrax recordings. It seems correct, but in a couple of cases, I stick to what I've written down before: the booklet has "cheerful song", but I still think Margaret sings "mournful song"; the booklet has "as Jack he's waited long", it could be, but I'm not sure; the booklet has "instead three mounted police", I've kept "out stepped".

There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name
He was born and reared in Ireland in a place called Castlemaine
He was his father's only son, his mother's pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild colonial boy

At the youthful age of eighteen years he began his wild carreer
With a heart that knew no danger, with a heart that knew no fear
He robbed the rich to help the poor and stabbed James MacEvoy
An' a terror to Australia was this wild colonial boy

One day he on the prairie as Jack he rode along
He was listenin' to the mocking bird singing a mournful song
Out stepped three mounted police: Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy
And they all set out to capture him, the wild colonial boy

He fired a shot at Kelly, which brought him to the ground
And turning to fist Davis, he received that fatal wound
A bullet pierced his proud young heart, from the pistol of Fitzroy
And that is how they captured him, the wild colonial boy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Tangledwood
Date: 25 May 08 - 03:33 AM

From http://folkstream.com/097.html

another version with accompanying notes, which probably has nothing to do with your request for the Margaret Barry version. Whatever other variations creep in, praries and mocking birds just aren't Aussie. :)

It's of a wild colonial boy Jack Doolan was his name
Of poor but honest parents he was born in Castlemaine
He was his father's only hope his mother's pride and joy
And so dearly did the parents love their wild colonial boy

Then come along my hearties and we'll roam the mountains high
Together we will plunder together we will die
We'll wander o'er the valleys and we'll gallop over plains
And we'll scorn to live in slavery bound down in iron chains

Twas in eighteen hundred and sixty five he started his wild career
With a heart that had no danger no foeman did he fear
He stuck up the Royal Mail beach coach and robbed Judge MacEvoy
With a tremble hand gave up the gold to the wild colonial boy

As John rode out one morning and riding slowly on
When listening to the little birds they sweetly sang their song
He spied three mounted troopers Kelly Davis and Fitzroy
All riding up to capture the wild colonial boy

Surrender now Jack Doolan You see there's three to one
Surrender in the Queen's name It's of a victory won
He fired at trooper Kelly and he brought him to the ground
And returning right to Davis he received a mortal wound


Notes

From the singing of Sally Sloane, collected by John Meredith. 'The Adventures of Jack Donohoe' c. 1847 is in Cambridge University Library, reprinted in Hugh Anderson's Farewell to Old England.
Donovan, Dowling, Dowlan, Dolan, Doolan, Davis, Dollard, Dubbin, Duggan as well as Donahoe with first name Jack or John have all appeared in what are called the Donohoe ballads.
The 18 year old Irish transport John Donohoe arrived at Sydney Cove in 1825. 3 years later he convicted of highway robbery and sentenced to death. He escaped and waged a guerrilla war against the wealthy for more than 2 years in the country around Sydney. On September 1st 1830 he was ambushed by a police party near Cambelltown and shot dead, his companions Webber and Warmsley escaping into the bush. In his Old Bush Songs , Banjo Patterson wrote "it will be noticed that the same chorus is sung to both 'The Wild Colonial Boy' and 'Bold Jack Donahoo'. Several versions of both songs were sent in, but the same chorus was always made to do duty for both songs."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Roberto
Date: 25 May 08 - 04:14 AM

Thank you, Tangledwood. As for prairies and mocking birds, I think we can't aspect Margaret Barry to be Aussie-correct. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 May 08 - 08:14 AM

Roberto your WCB is the one I remember being sung on Radio Eireann in the 1950s, the singer was Connie Foley, a familiar voice on Irish radio in those days.

Subject: Lyr Add: WILD COLONIAL BOY
From: Jimmy C
Date: 26 May 08 - 12:03 AM

This is one version I heard a few years back:


There was a wild colonial boy. Jack Dougan was his name.
He was born and reared in Ireland, in a place called Castlemaine.
He was his father's only son, his mother's pride and joy,
And dearly did the parents love their wild colonial boy.

At hammer-throwing Jack was great or swinging a caman.
He led the boys in all their pranks, from dusk to early dawn.
At hunting and at poaching trout, he was the real McCoy,
But all the neighbours loved young Jack, the wild colonial boy.

At the early age of 18 years, he left his native home,
And to Australia's sunny land, he was inclined to roam.
He robbed the rich to help the poor. He stabbed James McAvoy.
A terror to Australia was the wild colonial boy.

He loved the prairie and the bush, where rangers rode along.
While listening to the mockingbirds, he sang a cheerful song.
But if the foe would cross his tracks, or force him to deploy,
They'd get fast shooting sure from Jack, the wild colonial boy.

For three long years this daring youth, ran on a wild career
With a head that knew no danger and a heart that knew no fear.
He robbed outright the wealthy squires. Their arms he did destroy,
And woe to all who dared to face the wild colonial boy.

One morning on the prairie wild as Jack he rode along,
With his gun stuck in his holster deep, he sang a merry song.
Out jumped a band of troopers, Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy.
They had all set out to capture him, the wild colonial boy.

“Surrender now Jack Dougan, for you see we're three to one.
Surrender in the King's high name. You are a plundering son.”
Jack drew two pistols from his belt, and proudly waved them high.
“I'll fight but not surrender,” said the wild colonial boy.

He fired a shot at Kelly that brought him to the ground,
And turning then to Davis who received a fatal wound.
But a bullet pierced his brave young heart, from the pistol of Fitzroy,
And that was how they captured him, the wild colonial boy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: freda underhill
Date: 26 May 08 - 07:19 AM

Tanglewood, I learnt your version in primary school in Canberra (Australia), except that instead of mockingbird we sang "laughing birds"

freda

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: freda underhill
Date: 26 May 08 - 07:27 AM

correction, after re-reading this thread, I can see I sang a mutation of tanglewoods and the other versions..

One day as he was riding the mountainside along
alistening to the little birds,
their pleasant laughing song
..three mounted troopers rode along
Kelly, davis and Fitzroy
I'll fight but not surrender said
the Wild Colonial boy..

Subject: Lyr Add: WILD COLONIAL BOY (from Burl Ives)
From: kendall
Date: 26 May 08 - 07:49 AM

I recorded this one on Folk Legacy back in the mid 70's, and I got it from Burl Ives off his collection of Irish songs.
His version (and mine) went:

There was a wild colonial boy, Jack Duggan was his name
He was born and raised in Ireland in a place called Castlemaine
He was his Father's only son, his Mother's pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love the wild colonial boy.

At the early age of 16 years he left his native home
And to Australia's sunny shore he was inclined to roam
He robbed the rich, he helped the poor, he shot James McEvoy
A terror to Australia was the wild colonial boy.

One morning on the prairie as Jack he rode along
Listening to the Mockingbirds singing a cheerful song
Up stepped a band of troopers, Kelly, Davis and Fitzroy
They all set out to capture him, that wild colonial boy.

"Surrender now Jack Duggan for you see we're three to one,
Surrender in the King's high name, you are a plundering son"
Jack drew two pistols from his belt and proudly waved them high,
"I'll fight, but not surrender" said the wild colonial boy.

He fired a shot at Kelly which brought him to the ground
Then, turning around to Davis, he received a fatal wound,
A bullet pierced his proud young heart from the pistol of Fitzroy
And that was how they captured him the wild colonial boy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Tangledwood
Date: 26 May 08 - 06:33 PM

Thanks Freda, at least another Aussie recalls it. LOL. I was mistaken about one thing - until now I'd always taken Castlemaine to refer to the town in NW Victoria.

It seems that there are Irish and Australian versions - a perfect example of "Green amongst the Gold".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Rowan
Date: 26 May 08 - 07:00 PM

Like Freda, I learned the song (in Melbourne) at school; in my case it was in the late 40s-early 50s. One of the heavies who published the monthly "newspaper" sent to primary school students in Victoria was very keen to have us learn Oz traditional songs in amongst the English maypole and Celtic folk dances taught by our PE teachers. Over the years I've sung (and heard sung) almost all the permutations and combinations above (even to the Tramps and Hawkers tune) but I've never heard "prairies" or "mockingbirds" mentioned in any of them.

And, yes, tangledwood, both the Irish and the Australians have proved adept at acquiring good songs and turning them to good use.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Leadfingers
Date: 26 May 08 - 08:15 PM

I have nothing to add regarding the lyrics - Pretty well as in a combination of posters - but it a good one to get them dancing if you acn get a good three four going !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Tangledwood
Date: 27 May 08 - 02:02 AM

"Over the years I've sung (and heard sung) almost all the permutations and combinations above (even to the Tramps and Hawkers tune)"

Nice one, that works well!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Rowan
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:00 PM

Just remember to duck, tangledwood, if you ever sing it (in public) to the tune used in "Ghost riders in the sky".

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Margaret Barry's Wild Colonial Boy
From: Tangledwood
Date: 28 May 08 - 06:10 AM

No worries Rowan, I'm still working on doing Wild Rover fluently to that tune. Thanks for the warning though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wild Colonial Boy (Margaret Barry)
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Dec 18 - 05:45 PM

"Mockingbirds" could be a non-Ozzie mishearing of "kookaburras" - which is how I learned it around 1965.

They had a "cheerful, laughing song."

The Oxford English Dictionary gives an example of "prairie" (in the obsolete variant "peraira") from Australian novelist Rolf Boldrewood's 1880's bushranger novel, "Robbery Under Arms."

However, the speaker is an American from Arizona.

But, in the song, if not "prairie" or "peraira," what would fit?