Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly

Subject: Origins: Irish
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Mar 19 - 04:13 PM

Years ago I heard a sketch of a tune from an old friend, Sam Kennedy in Los Angeles and it has haunted me for years. It starts:

"Open the door quietly, there's something to tell you dear.
Open the door no wider than the crack upon the wall....
Open the door quietly, there's something to tell you dear.

Anyone have information on this?

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 17 Mar 19 - 06:18 PM

There have been some earlier requests for this (2000 and 2003 iirc) without success. Hope things have changed!

Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Iains
Date: 17 Mar 19 - 06:26 PM

Is it this?

Pete Seeger sings one verse of "Open the Door" on Love Songs for Friends and Foes, Folkways FA 2453.

Open the door softly, I've something to tell you, dear.
Open it up no wider than the crack upon the floor.
Open the door softly, I've something to tell you, dear.

Warm summer grasses have whispered it in your ear.
Skeins of shining waters ask you patiently to hear.
Tall lonely timbers have taught it to the deer.

Sad winds in autumn will tell you as they pass by.
Wild geese flying eastward leave their music in the sky.
Listen at evening and answer the wild birds' cry.

(repeat first verse)

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=47629

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 19 - 06:40 PM

I KNEW I should have known this! Thank you, iains.
-Joe-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgawtBLj5Bw

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Stringsinger
Date: 18 Mar 19 - 01:09 PM

Thanks, Iains,

This has got to -be it. Now I know.

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Iains
Date: 18 Mar 19 - 03:09 PM

Stringsinger I made a request for lyrics on mudcat 20 years ago. I had a comprehensive reply within 24 hours.
As a result of that response any time I see a request for lyrics I feel compelled to at least make a search, even if I cannot guarantee success.

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: GUEST,JIm I
Date: 18 Mar 19 - 09:51 PM

I heard this sung by Archie Fisher on an old LP many years ago. He said in the notes that he got the first 3 lines from Peter Seeger and added the rest himself.

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: Stringsinger
Date: 19 Mar 19 - 12:54 PM

That's probably where Sam Kennedy got it, from Pete's recording although Sam was a good friend of Pete and it might have been the other way around since I heard the song sung by Sam in 1950. But just the first verse though was with "quietly" instead of "softly". It's a lovely plaintive melody in the Mixolydian mode like many Irish tunes. I think it's sean nos in the keening style.

Subject: RE: Origins: Irish - Open the door quietly
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 19 Mar 19 - 01:16 PM

No a song I’ve heard before. Listening to Seeger’s singing, the tune is bery close to “Lonely Banna Strand” - and probably has antecedents which will bubble up later...

Regards