Lyr Add: Erin's Lovely Home

Subject: Lyr Add: ERIN'S LOVELY HOME (trad)
From: GUEST,John Joe
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 05:18 AM

These words are posted in another thread on this song.
It's a great song but seems a bit short and I have an idea there could be a some more to it.
Geordie Hanna sang this version with just the three verses.
Can anyone help with this one?

ERIN'S LOVELY HOME
(traditional)

My father, he being a farmer reared to industry
He had four sons, two men who'd grown, and lovely daughters three
Our land's too small to serve us all so some of us must roam
Our friends may mourn for we'll never return to Erin's lovely home


My father, he sold the second cow and he borrowed twenty pounds
It being in the pleasant month of May we sailed from Belfast town
With thousands more we left our shore in safety to roam
Our friends may mourn for we'll never return to Erin's lovely home


We hadn't been long sailing when fever it seized our crew
Falling like the autumn leaves and overboard were threw
The ocean waves rolled o'er our graves, our bed the ocean foam
Our friends may mourn for we'll never return to Erin's lovely home"

---

Also note:

Thread #21965   Message #2613006
Posted By: GUEST,Joxer
17-Apr-09 - 07:31 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Irish songs
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish songs


Re: The post above about the Geordie Hanna song "Erin's Lovely Home:

"My father, he being a farmer reared to industry
He had four sons, two men who'd grown, and lovely daughters three".

I have a recording of Geordie singing this song and the line sounds more like " he had four sons to manhood grown" - it makes a bit more sense to me.

Geordie only sings these three verses but I've always felt there must be a few more verses to this great song, but I've never been able to find any.

Anyone out there with any ideas on this?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 05:50 AM

Seven verses here.

Subject: Add version: Erin's lovely home
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 07:11 AM

Sminky. You're confusing two different songs with the same title.

The one John Joe is seeking is an emigration song, and much less common than the text you refer to. Here's a text I copied from the Internet, http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/casey/erins.htm , although I wouldn't like to testify to its authenticity.

ERIN'S LOVELY HOME

Come, all ye sons of Paddy's land and listen unto me
'Til I relate of the hardships great a-crossing over the sea
For the want of bread ten thousands fled so far across the foam
And left the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home

Black forty-seven I'll never forget when the fever, it stalked the land
And the famine without mercy, it stretched forth its dreadful hand
There's many's the child in cold death lay, their parents, they did mourn
While the landlord's agents pulled down our roofs in Erin's lovely home

My father was a farming man reared to industry
He had two sons, they were men strong, and lovely daughters three
Our farm was too small to feed us all, so some of us had to roam
With sisters two I bid adieu to Erin's lovely home

My father sold the second cow, he borrowed twenty pounds
And in the merry month of May we sailed from Sligo town
There were thousands more left upon the shore, all anxious for to roam
And leave the land where they were born called Erin's lovely home

We were scarcely seven days at sea when the fever, it plagued our crew
They were falling like the autumn leaves bidding friends and life adieu
Now the raging waves sweep o'er their graves amidst the ocean foam
Their friends may mourn, but they'll never return to Erin's lovely home

My loving sisters, they both took ill, their lives, they were taken away
And oh it grieves my heart full sore to cast them in the sea
Down in the deep now they do sleep, they never more will roam
In heaven I'll meet with my sisters sweet from Erin's lovely home

I'm in the land of liberty where plenty, it does abound
Where the laboring man gets full reward for the tilling of his ground
There's naught I can see that can comfort me, as an exile I must roam
And end my days far, far away from Erin's lovely home

Also, I checked Steve Roud's Folksong Index, which revealed only three sources, all from Ulster:-

Mary Ellen Butcher, Magilligan, Co. Derry
Eddie Butcher, Magilligan, Co. Derry
Corney McDaid, Buncrana, Inishowen
George Hanna, Derrytresk, Tyrone

I'll have a look at the Butcher and McDaid versions when I've got a minute and see if they have any more verses, or indeed whether they may be the source for the one I'v posted above..

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 07:40 AM

Quite a few songs with this, or very similar titles, inevitably. Sminky's version from Williams is very similar to one in O'Lochlainn's Irish Street Ballads, with Aaron substituting for Erin. It is possible the Corney McDaid song is of the same family?

Regards

Subject: ADD Versions: Erin's lovely home
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 08:57 AM

Martin Ryan.

There's only two songs which I know of which use that title, and only two listed in Roud; 1427, which is the one in O'Lochlainn and Williams and 5175, which is the Hanna/McDaid/Butcher song

Corney McDaid's song is from this family, as is evidenced from his text below.

ERIN'S LOVELY HOME

You patriot sons of old Erin's Isle come listen unto me,
Till I relate, communicate this mournful tragedy.
For the want of trade there were thousands strayed so far away from home,
Far from the cot where they were reared called Erin's Lovely Home.

My father being a farmer lived in Glenswilly,
He had one only son and for daughters lovely three.
The land was small to serve us all some of us had to roam,
And leave that cot where we were reared called Erin's Lovely Home.

My father sold the second cow and borrowed twenty pounds,
It was in the merry month of May we sailed from Derry Town.
There were thousands more along the shore unable for to roam,
And leave the cot where they were reared called Erin's Lovely Home.

We being just one day sailing my sister she took bad.
My sister she took very bad and died the following day.
There was nothing on earth that grieved me so much as to see her flung into the foam,
And the dashing waves rolled o'er her grave so far away from home.

Its now we're safely landed got work the following day,
They say there's bread and work for them that does go far away.
There's nothing on earth that grieves me so much like a pilgrim I must roam,
To leave the cot where I was reared called Erin's Lovely Home.

"This is another of the sad songs. This version, sung by Corney' McDaid, differs slightly from versions found elsewhere in Donegal and Tyrone. It depicts vividly the deep sorrow that befell people who lost dear ones on the dreaded "coffin ships" of a century and a half ago."

---

And here's the Mary Ellen Butcher version.

ERIN'S LOVELY HOME
Mary Ellen Butcher 1969, [Jimmy Butcher 1966]

You patron sons of Paddy's land, come listen unto me,
Communicate till I relate this mournful tragedy,
For the want of trade has thousands made all anxious they might roam
To leave the land where we were reared called Erin's lovely home.

My father was a farming man reared to industry,
He had two sons, they were man big, and loving daughters three;
Our land was small to serve us all, some of us had to roam
To leave the land where we were reared called Erin's lovely home.

My father sold his second cow and borrowed twenty pound,
All in the merry month of May we sailed from Derry quay;
There were thousands more along the shore all anxious they might roam
To leave the land where we were reared called Erin's lovely home.

We were scarcely seven days sailing when a fever plagued our crew,
They were falling like the autumn leaves, bidding friends and lives adieu;
We raised a prayer to heaven: alas that ever we did roam
To leave the land where we were reared called Erin's lovely home.

Alas, my sister she fell sick, her life it was taken away,
It grieved me ten times more to see her body thrown in the deep;
Down in the deep her body lies and it rolls in a terrible foam,
Her friends may mourn but she'll ne'er return to Erin's lovely home.

"This song is distinct from a well-known broadside ballad with the same title: Shields' p. 47-8. It was not printed on broadsides, nor has any more recent printed text come to my notice. Yet it seems to have enjoyed wide usage, in Ireland at least. In Dublin in 1966 Frank Harte asked Eddie Butcher if he could sing it and Eddie provided one verse. In Limavady soon after, Eddie elicited a full version from his brother Jimmy. Three years later, Mary Ellen told me that it was from her uncle Jimmy that she had learnt her version, which is given here with an extra verse (2) from her uncle. Dating no doubt from the post-Famine period, the song recalls one of the most serious hazards to which emigrants were exposed: sickness during the voyage."

The endnotes are from My Parents Reared Me Tenderly, and Shamrock, Rose & Thistle, respectively.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 09:42 AM

Thanks for that, Fred.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: Declan
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 12:51 PM

There's at least one other one that the Keane family Dolores, Sean and co sing, which I think came from Con Greanry.

It starts When I was young and in my prime, my age being 21,
I acted as a servant to a noble gentleman.

Different story again, but maybe the same air - the other versions seem to fit the tune I know at any rate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 26 Jun 09 - 03:01 PM

Declan, I don't know the version which Dolores sings. however, the opening couplet suggests that it's a member of the Roud 1427 family, which is the one Sminky mentioned.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: Declan
Date: 27 Jun 09 - 09:34 AM

I hadn't followed Sminky's link before now and the version is similar. Strange that it refers to Warwick Jail in the County of Tyrone. In the Keane's version the line is Omagh jail in the County of Tyrone, which is geographically correct.

By coincidence Geordie Hanna is from County Tyrone, although this is not the version associated with him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 27 Jun 09 - 03:11 PM

Erin's Lovely Home - as sung by Michael 'Straighty' Flanagan of Inagh, Co. Clare (and virtually every Irish Traveller we recorded).
It can be heard on the double CD of Clare Singers 'Around The Hills of Clare.
Jim Carroll

When I was young and in my prime,
My age being twenty one
I acted as a servant unto a gentleman.
I served him true and honest,
And very well it's known,
But in cruelty he banished me
From Erin's lovely home.

And where want (?) he did banish me
I mean to let you hear;
I own I loved his daughter
And she loved me as dear.
She had a large fortune,
But riches, I had none,
And that's the reason I must go
From Erin's lovely home.

Twas in her father's garden
All in the month of June,
We were viewing all the flowers,
All in their youthful bloom.
She said, "My dearest William,
If along with me you'll roam,
We will bid adieu to all our friends
In Erin's lovely home."

Sure, I gave consent that very night,
Along with her to roam
From her father's dwelling,
It proved our overthrow.
The night was bright, by the moonlight
We both set off alone.
Thinking we'd get safe away
From Erin's lovely home.

When we landed in Belfast,
Just by the break of day,
My love, she then got ready
Our passage for to pay.
One thousand pounds she counted down,
Saying, "This shall be your own,
But do not mourn for those we've left
In Erin's lovely home."

'Tis of our sad misfortune
I mean to let you hear;
'Twas in a few hours after
Her father did appear.
He marched me back to (H)Omagh Jail
In the county of Tyrone,
And there I was transported
From Erin's lovely home.

Now when I heard my sentence passed,
Sure, it grieved my heart full sore.
But parting from my true love,
Sure, it grieved me ten times more.
I had seven links upon my chain,
For every link a year,
Before I can return again
To the arms of my dear.

While I lay under sentence
Before I sailed away,
My love, she came into the jail
And this to me did say:
"Cheer up your heart, don't be dismayed.
For I will ne'er you disown
Until you do return again
To Erin's lovely home."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: Declan
Date: 28 Jun 09 - 08:24 AM

JIm,

That's pretty much the version of the song I was talking about.

Getting back to Sminky's version linked to above I'd say 'Aaron' was a mondegreen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Erin's lovely home
From: GUEST,John Joe
Date: 29 Jun 09 - 09:39 AM

I think the two songs Fred Mc Cormick listed could the source of the Geordie Hanna version, with the version by Mary Ellen Butcher closest to it.
I think Geordie sang "With sisters two, I bade adieu to Erin's lovely home" and this would tie in with the later verse where one sister dies.
Many thanks to everyone who has added info so far.

Subject: Lyr Add: ERIN'S LOVELY HOME (arr. Cecil J. Sharp)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jun 09 - 09:59 AM

From One Hundred English Folksongs by Cecil James Sharp (Boston, Oliver Ditson ©1916) – where it appears with musical notation for voice and piano:


ERIN'S LOVELY HOME
Collected and arranged by Cecil J. Sharp

1. When I was young and in my prime, my age just twenty-one,
Then I became a servant unto some gentleman.
I served him true and honest, and that is very well known,
But cruelly he banish'd me from Erin's lovely home.

2. 'Twas in her father's garden, all in the month of June,
A-viewing of those pretty flow'rs, all in their youthful bloom,
She said: "My dearest Johnnie, if with me you will roam,
We'll bid adieu to all our friends in Erin's lovely home."

3. That very night I gave consent along with her to go
All from her father's dwelling place, which prov'd my overthrow.
The night being bright with moonlight, we both set off to roam,
A-thinking we'd got safe away from Erin's lovely home.

4. But when we got to Belfast, 'twas at the break of day,
My true love she got ready a passage for to pay;
Five hundred pounds she did pay down, saying: "That shall be your own,
And never mourn for the friends you've left in Erin's lovely home."

5. But of our great misfortune I mean to let you hear;
'Twas in a few hours afterwards her father did appear.
He marched me back to Armagh gaol, in the county of Tyrone,
And there I was transported from Erin's lovely home.

6. And now when I heard my sentence it grieved my heart full sore;
And parting from my sweetheart it grieved me ten times more.
I'd seven links all on my chain, and every link a year,
Before I could return again to the girl I loved so dear.

7. But when the rout came to the gaol to take us all away,
My true love she came on to me, and this to me did say:
"Bear up your heart, don't be dismayed, for it's you I'll never disown
Until you do return again to Erin's lovely home."

Subject: Lyr Add: ERIN'S LOVELY HOME (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jun 09 - 01:31 PM

The Bodleian Library has about 12 versions of this. This one is 2806 c.8(297), except for the parts in brackets, which I took from another version:


ERIN'S LOVELY HOME

1. All you that are at liberty, I hope you will draw near,
For a sad and dismal story I mean to let you hear.
Now in a foreign country I languish, sigh and moan
When I think on the days I spent in Erin's lovely home.

2. When I was young and in my bloom, my age was twenty-one,
I had become a servant unto a gentleman.
I served him true and honest, and very well it's known,
With cruelty he banished me from my native home.

3. The reason that he banished me I mean to let you know.
It's true I loved his daughter and she loved me also.
She had a handsome fortune, but I alas had none.
That is the reason I must go from Erin's lovely home.

4. 'Twas in her father's garden, all in the month of June,
While viewing the flowers, all in their youth and bloom,
She said: "My dearest Willie, if you with me will roam,
We'll bid adieu to all our friends in Erin's lovely home."

5. That very night I gave consent, it proved my o'erthrow,
And from her father's dwelling along with her to go.
The night being bright with moonlight, we both set off alone,
And thought we would get off from Erin's lovely home.

6. When we came to Belfast, it was the break of day,
My love she says: "We will prepare our passage to pay."
Five hundred pounds she counted down, saying: "This is all your own,
So never fret for those you left in Erin's lovely home."

7. But to my great misfortune, as you shall quickly hear,
'Twas in a few hours after her father did appear.
He marched me off to Omagh, in the County of Tyrone,
For which I was transported from Erin's lovely home.

8. When I received my sentence, it grieved my heart full sore.
To leave my love behind me it grieved me ten times more.
There's seven links upon my chain, and every link a [year],
Before I can return [to the arms of my dear]*.

9. When the rout came to the gaol to take us all away,
My true love she came to me, and thus to me did say:
"Cheer up your heart—don't be dismayed—I won't you disown
Until you do return to Erin's lovely home."


* The original has:
"There,s seven links upon my chain&every link a #ore
[where # represents an illegible broken letter]
Before I can return unto my native home."

Subject: Lyr Add: THE EMIGRANTS TRAGEDY/ERIN'S LOVELY HOME
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jun 09 - 02:07 PM

This is also from the Bodleian, 2806 c.14(195), page 3 of a 5-page sheet:


THE EMIGRANTS TRAGEDY
(Answer to Erin's lovely home.)

1. Ye Pattersons* of Erin's Isle, come due attention pay,
While bravely I communicate this mournful tragedy.
It was want of trade which thousands made far, far away to roam,
And mourn the day they sailed away from Erin's lovely home.

2. Forty-seven I'll ne'er forget, when fever plagued the land
And famine with gigantic steps stretched forth its devious hand,
Which many men, like infants then, unable for to roam,
In cold death lay to dogs a prey, in Erin's lovely home.

3. My father was a farming man, used to industry.
He had two sons to manhood grown, and lovely daughters three.
Our acres few that would not do, so some of us must roam.
With sisters two I bade adieu to Erin's lovely home.

4. My father sold his second cow, and borrowed twenty pounds,
And in the pleasant month of May, we sailed from Sligo town.
With hundreds more we left the shore, all like obliged to roam.
My heart does break when this I speak of Erin's lovely home.

5. Before we were ten days at sea, the fever seized our crew,
And falling like the autumn leaves bid life and friends adieu.
The raging waves sweep o'er their graves amidst the ocean foam.
Their friends may mourn they'll ne'er return to Erin's lovely home.

6. My loving sisters both took ill, and shortly life gave way,
And O! to me 'twas worse than death to throw them in the sea.
I breathed a prayer to heaven — alas that we did roam
To end our days far, far away from Erin's lovely home.

7. When we had reached America, our numbers were but small,
And fourteen day of quarantine was worse to us than all.
In this sad state we had to wait, though anxious for to roam
In a strange land — a feeble band from Erin's lovely home.

8. This is a land of liberty, where plenty doth abound,
Where men may get the full reward for tilling of the ground.
There's nothing I see can comfort me; a pilgrim I will roam.
In heaven I'll meet my sisters sweet from Erin's lovely home.

9. Erin my country, land of love, my heart doth fill with grief.
May heav'ns high power still guard thy shore and give thee some relief.
May plenty be restored to thee, nor cause thy sons to roam,
But to enjoy without alloy old Erin's lovely home.

10. Now to conclude, I'll bid adieu to all my friends so dear.
I never can return home, nor hope to see them here.
In a strange land some kindly hand will shade beneath its dome,
And on my bier they'll drop a tear far, far from Erin's lovely home.


[*Pattersons (sic): "Patriot sons" makes more sense here.]