Origins: One of the Old Reserves

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: MartinRyan
Date: 24 May 13 - 10:21 AM

Jim McFarland mentioned Jim Bonner's version of the song. Here it is, complete with lyrics, in the Inishowen Song Project at the Irish Traditional Music Archive:

Click here

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: Fergie
Date: 04 May 13 - 09:23 PM

False Lankum sang this song at An Goilin last Friday night and he did a mighty job of it.

Ferg

Subject: Lyr Add: ONE OF THE OLD RESERVES
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 May 13 - 02:00 PM

This may not throw any light on the origin of the song, but it may be useful to somebody:

This song is sung by a character called Dribbler in the play, Amphibians by Billy Roche (New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 2003), page 52:

They came up from the country.
They came up from the farms.
They came up in their thousands
When they heard the call to arms.

I wanted to be a soldier boy
To see what I could gain,
But when I put on the uniform
It was then that I became

One of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves.
Up to the Curragh I was sent.
That's the place they pay no rent;

And when the sergeant saw me,
He said I did deserve
Three pints of beer three times a day
For being one of the old reserves.

One of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves,
One of the old, one of the old,
One of the old reserves.

My first night in the cook house,
My pal he said to me:
"There's something wrong with the cook
Because he's giving us eggs for tea."

Now why he should make this rude remark
I really couldn't tell,
But when I opened up the egg,
It was then that I got the smell.
It was one of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves.

To eat this egg I did my best.
It nearly paralysed my chest.
For a cook to cook an egg like that,
A shooting he deserved,
But we let him go because we know
He was one of the old reserves.

One of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves,
One of the old, one of the old,
One of the old reserves.

One of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves,
One of the old, one of the old,
One of the old reserves.

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 07:35 PM

Thanks for posting the lyrics. Much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 05:15 PM

Q

Here's the words for Maurice Ogg's version from the BL recording.

Mick

---

ONE OF THE OLD RESERVES

Spoken introduction:
Another song I heard a man singing in a pub. He sang several fun songs and this was one he sung me. But his name was John Leary and sung this song one day, stood at the bar, when we was all having a bit of a sing-song.

Oh, me old reserves came marching up and down the town,
They came up in their thousands in their scarlet uniform.
I wanted to be a soldier, I wanted to have the nerve.
The battle they got me in me boys was diddle-ee-ah-dee-dah.

Oh, one of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves.
Up at the corner you'll be sent
There's the place you pay no rent.
The Sergeant there he'll see you, he'll say "How do you do?"
Six pence a day is all of your pay
For being one of the old reserves.

They put me in the uniform, I was strolling along the green
When there I followed a dainty lass, she looked about sixteen.
She wore some dainty stockin's and a bit of a dainty frock,
But when I got up beside her she had a face that would stop a clock.

One of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves,
"Oh, handsome soldier boy", says she, "Hello", says I in me scarlet bold,
"I gather you want a partner", "Aye but he'd need (a) hell of a nerve",
Six pence a day's too much to pay
For one of the old reserves.

They put me in the dining hall and Mary says to me
"Oh, something's going to happen while they're giving me eggs for tea".
Now why she passed the sugar I really couldn't tell,
But when I got the top off the egg 'twas then I got the smell.

Oh, one of the old reserves,
One of the old reserves.
Up at the corner you'll be sent
There's the place you pay no rent.
The Sergeant there he'll see you, he'll say "How do you do?"
Six pence a day is all of your pay
For being one of the old reserves.


Source: Maurice Ogg (d.1980), Coleby, Lincs, UK. Collected by Roy Palmer, ca1979. from BL recording linked above.

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 12:24 PM

The British Library site has thousands of recordings, but unfortunately for North Americans, the items are mostly unavailable to them, or unless they belong to subscribing institutions.

http://sounds.bl.uk

The tune of this song has been used for a number of lyrics.

Perhaps someone with a good ear and the time to do it would transcribe the words for mudcat.

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: GUEST,JIM MAC FARLAND
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 09:15 AM

Hi Martin have no more info. on the song but I remember an old great uncle on my mother's side singing it on big nights at our house years ago and of course Jim Bonner sang it.Sounds like a music hall song and it was always a song I intended to learn (and singing the way my old uncle sang it--very upbeat ) but never did.---Jim

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: MartinRyan
Date: 24 Apr 13 - 11:09 AM

Title seems to vary between reserve/reserves, not surprisingly. Was a hit during the Irish showband days, too, apparently!

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: MartinRyan
Date: 24 Apr 13 - 10:59 AM

This was published in My Parents Reared me Tenderly by Jim McPartland and Jimmy McBride in 1985. Jim visits Mudcat betimes and may well be able to help. I'll pass the enquiry to him.

Regards

Subject: Origins: One of the Old Reserves
From: GUEST,False Lankum
Date: 24 Apr 13 - 09:50 AM

Hi all,

Would anybody have any information relating to this comic song? There is a recording of Jim Bonner, a neighbour of Corney McDaid's in Inishowen, Co. Donegal, singing it on the Inishowen song project:

One of the old reserves

There is also a recording of Maurice Ogg singing it on the British Library website:

One of the old reserves (Ogg)

Any additional info would be well appreciated!