Lyr Req: Arawana? / Arrah Wanna

Subject: Looking for the song 'Arawana'
From: Columbo
Date: 05 Jul 99 - 01:24 PM

My aging mother is looking for the words and music to a song she calls "Arawana". She says it isn't politically correct, because it has the words "Red man" in it, but she loves the song anyway. It's about an Irishman who is in love with an Indian maiden, Arawana (we're not sure how to spell the name), and is sung to a tune with a cliche-ish Indian beat. Any help will be appreciated.

Subject: RE: Looking for the song 'Arawana'
From:
Date: 05 Jul 99 - 05:42 PM

Sounds like Running Bear And The Little White Dove.

Subject: RE: Looking for the song 'Arawana'
From: John Moulden
Date: 11 Jul 99 - 07:07 PM

Alice Kane (ed Edith Fowke) Songs and Sayings of an Ulster Childhood (McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, 1983 and Wolfhound Press, Dublin, date?) has on p 191:

Arawana on me honour I'll take care of you I'll be kind and true. We can bill and coo. In a wugwam built of shamrock green We'll make those redmen smile When you're Mistress Barney, heap much Carney From Killarney's Isle.

The note - page 236 says "... is from a music-hall song by Jack Drislane and Theodore F. Morse, published in 1906.

When you find the whole thing I want it - just for the record you understand!

Subject: RE: Looking for the song 'Arawana' -
From: GUEST,Ann Cornelius
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 02:27 PM

This was my mother's version:

Out on the wild and western prairies
Lived an Indian maid,
Arawanna, Queen of Fairies
of her tribe afraid.
Each night came an Irish laddie
with a wedding ring.
He would sit outside her tent and
with his bagpipes loudly sing.
"Arawanna on my honor, I'll take care of you,
I'll be kind and true.
We can love and bill and coo
In a wigwam built of shamrocks green
We'll make those red men smile.
When you're Mistress Barney, heap much carney
From Killarney's Isle.

As the moon shown down upon her Arawana sighed,
Some great race must call you Big Chief
Then I'll be your bride.
Sure that's easy whispered Barney,
With a smiling face,
All my family were great runners
And were first in every race!

Arawana on my honor
I'll take care of you.
We can love and bill and coo,
In a wigwam built of shamrock's green
We'll make those red men smile.
When you're Mistress Blaney, heap much carney
from Killarney's isle.

Subject: RE: Looking for the song 'Arawana'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 05:51 PM

It turns out that the right title is Arrah Wanna. For more details and reproductions of sheet music, see

Parlor Songs:
  More songs about Ireland and the Irish

Lester Levy Collection:
  Arrah' Wanna
  Arrah Wanna. An Irish-Indian Intermezzo

Subject: RE: Looking for the song 'Arawana'
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 17 Feb 06 - 07:04 PM

What does "carney" mean?

When I was in New Zealand it meant a sexually experienced girl under 16 (from "unlawful carnal knowledge", what a man was charged with for screwing a girl of that age). Which *could* just fit this song but seems a bit unlikely.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arrah Wanna / Arawana
From: GUEST,jroop
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 11:35 PM

This song can be found on Amazon MP3 downloads. It is an Edison recording by Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arrah Wanna / Arawana
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 10:00 AM

I don't know what it's supposed to be in that song, but in America a carney is a person who works in a travelling carnival.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arrah Wanna / Arawana
From: bobad
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 10:44 AM

It can be streamed or downloaded HERE at the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arrah Wanna / Arawana
From: Commander Crabbe
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 06:27 PM

This probably fits better than Carnival or person that works there. especially since he is trying to coax her into being his woman.

carny or carney 1 (ˈkɑːnɪ)

— vb , -nies , -nying , -nied , -neys , -neying , -neyed
informal ( Brit ) to coax or cajole or act in a wheedling manner

[C19: of unknown origin]


CC

Subject: Lyr Add: I'VE GOT RINGS ON MY FINGERS
From: GUEST,julia L
Date: 08 Dec 10 - 06:35 PM

It's is a bit like the following vintage song

I'VE GOT RINGS ON MY FINGERS^^^

(F J Barnes, R P Weston) 1909

Now Jim O'Shea was cast away
Upon an Indian Isle
The natives there they liked his hair
They liked his Irish smile
So made him chief Panjandrum
The Nabob of them all
They called him Jij-ji-boo Jhai
And rigged him out so gay
So he wrote to Dublin Bay
To his sweetheart, just to say

Sure, I've got rings on my fingers, bells on my toes
Elephants to ride upon, my little Irish Rose
So come to your Nabob, and next Patrick's Day
Be Mistress Mumbo Jumbo Jij-ji-boo J. O'Shea

Across the sea went Rose Magee
To see her Nabob grand
He sat within his palanquin
And when she kissed his hand
He led her to his harem
Where he had wives galore
She started shedding a tear
Said he, "Now have no fear
I'm keeping these wives here
Just for ornament, my dear"

Sure, I've got rings on my fingers, bells on my toes
Elephants to ride upon, my little Irish Rose
So come to your Nabob, and next Patrick's Day
Be Mistress Mumbo Jumbo Jij-ji-boo J. O'Shea

In emerald green he robed his queen
To share with him his throne
'Mid eastern charms and waving palms
They'd shamrocks, Irish grown
Sent all the way from Dublin
To Nabob J. O'Shea
But in his palace so fine
Should Rose for Ireland pine
With smiles her face will shine
When he murmurs, "Sweetheart mine"

Sure, I've got rings on my fingers, bells on my toes
Elephants to ride upon, my little Irish Rose
So come to your Nabob, and next Patrick's Day
Be Mistress Mumbo Jumbo Jij-ji-boo J. O'Shea^^^

This British music hall song was written in 1909.

---

Also in the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arawana? / Arrah Wanna
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 06:39 AM

Lyrics to ARRAH WANNA taken from the sheet music, as well as a link to the sheet music, are posted in another thread: Lyr Add: ARRAH WANNA (1906).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arawana? / Arrah Wanna
From: GUEST,Annette Mallery
Date: 15 Sep 18 - 10:05 AM

I have written words to that song ; got them from garage sale long ago among the papers is words to a bunch of songs dated 1892 feb,24th

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arawana? / Arrah Wanna
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 18 - 10:14 AM

Red men smile those are some of the words I have written by someone in pencil,Arrah wanna looking for how I can get these papers to someone who knows who wrote them and how much they are worth ,I also have others that were with it.like my Irish molly o,young Charlie,wait till the sun shine,Nellie.and everyone works but father.,blue bell, andRainbow very old papers .need to know where I can sell them. My name is Annette Mallery [e-mail] for more info please contact me. Thank you .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arawana? / Arrah Wanna
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 16 Sep 18 - 04:23 PM

on LP San Francisco/Barbary Coast label
San Francisco Records M 33006                         LP 1957
1900 IN HI-FI (Famous Cylinder Recordings)

Barbary Coast 33006
1900 IN STEREO LOW FIDELITY OF ORIGINAL CYLINDERS

A1 –Collins And Harlan          Arra Wanna   

Cheers, Thomas.