Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh

Subject: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: JedMarum
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 07:05 PM

My Dad used to sing this wonderful old song, "Sure It's the Same Old Shillelagh, and many's the time he used it on me to make me understand," etc, etc.

I have asked him for the words, and remembered a verse and the chorus (which I have yet to transcribe). Does anyone know the song? Have all the words? Know any of the song's background?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 07:18 PM

Jed; i do know the song but i'll be buggered if I can think of the lyrics! A singer on the Lawrence Welk show by the name of Dennis O'Day sang it back when dinosaurs walked the earth but you might be able to find a copy of it. It is possible that John McCormack did it also. Try visiting the Irish flok music midi sight or try the digitrad for the lyrics. Although to be honest, it may be one of those perrenials churned out by tin pan alley. Good luck and let me know how you make out. [e-mail], sincerely, Neil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 00 - 07:23 PM

Sure it's the same old Shillelagh
Me Father brought from Ireland.
And Divil a man prouder than he,
As he walked with it in his hand.
Me Father brought from Ireland.
And Divil a man prouder than he,
As he walked with it in his hand.
He'd lead the band on Paddy's Day
And twirle it round his mitt
And divil a bit we'd laught at it
Or Dad would have a fit.
Sure with the same old Shillelagh
Me Father could lick a dozen men
As fastas they'd get up be gorry,
He'd knock'em down again
And many's the time he used it on me
To make me understand
The same old Shillelagh
Me Father brought from Ireland.
And Divil a man prouder than he,
As he walked with it in his hand.
He'd lead the band on Paddy's Day And twirle it round his mitt And divil a bit we'd laught at it Or Dad would have a fit. 2. Sure with the same old Shillelagh Me Father could lick a dozen men As fastas they'd get up be gorry, He'd knock'em down again And many's the time he used it on me To make me understand The same old Shillelagh Me Father brought from Ireland. He'd lead the band on Paddy's Day And twirle it round his mitt And divil a bit we'd laught at it Or Dad would have a fit. 2. Sure with the same old Shillelagh Me Father could lick a dozen men As fastas they'd get up be gorry, He'd knock'em down again And many's the time he used it on me To make me understand The same old Shillelagh Me Father brought from Ireland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: georgeward
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 02:33 AM

It was a favorite of my dad's, too. Same text. Believe the recording we had (78rpm) was by Bing Crosby. Also wonder if the singer Irish Sergeant recalls might have been Dennis Day (no O'), who also sang on Arthur Godfrey's radio shows for a good while. All of this dates it to ca 1950. IS's John McCormack recollection would move it earlier.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: GUEST,DanD
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 10:47 AM

Not to be picky but didn't Dennis Day sing on the Jack Benny show? Frank Parker was Godfrey's guy - before Julius LaRosa. Geez, when did I get old enough to remember this?!?!?!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 06:11 PM

I must confess, George you are quite correct. The singer is Dennis Day and he very well may have been on the Jack Benny Show. I can't remember if i heard John McCormack sing it buut I believe I did. If so it was on one of my dad or mom's 78s. I believe the McCormack recording would date to the 1930-1940s. Bing crosby? Well never heard that one but he did more than his fair share of Irish music. I'll have to ask my mother in law. Have a great evening and dias mhuir a dhuit. Neil

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 06:19 PM

I remember hearing this alos, from one of my dads old 78's ... now that you mention it!

Is is a 40's or 50's origin?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: GreatGoo
Date: 13 Apr 00 - 06:32 PM

Yeah, it was Dennis day on Jack Benny. Lawrence Welk's tennor was Joe Feeney (sp) Always ended his songs on that rising lilt.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: georgeward
Date: 14 Apr 00 - 03:33 AM

Oy! It was the Jack Benny show for Dennis Day. Thanks Dan. I still think Crosby recorded the song. He did do a bunch of Irish stuff. I wonder if the lot of it has been reissued on CD ?

Subject: Lyr Add: IT'S THE SAME OLD SHILLELAGH
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Apr 04 - 09:52 PM

Lyrics copied from http://www.ballintemple.com/history/songs.html

IT'S THE SAME OLD SHILLELAGH
(Pat White, 1940)

1. Fifty years ago me father left old Erin's shore.
He landed here, shillelagh in hand, and divil a penny more.
He got a job, then got a wife, and then a family,
And then he died and left his old shillelagh stick to me.

CHORUS: Sure it's the same old shillelagh me father brought from Ireland,
And divil a roan was prouder than he as he walked with it in his hand.
He'd lead the band on Paddy's day and twirl it 'round his mitt,
And divil a bit we'd laugh at it or Dad would have a fit.

2. Sure with the same old shillelagh me father could lick a dozen men.
As fast as they'd get up, begorry, he'd knock 'em down again;
And many's the time he used it on me to make me understand:
The same old shillelagh me father brought from Ireland.

[Catalog data copied from The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. Since it's still under copyright, they don't have the sheet music online.]

Title: It's The Same Old Shillelagh.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: By Pat White.
Publication: New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc., 1940.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice, guitar
First Line: Fifty years ago me father left old Erin's shore
First Line of Chorus: Sure it's the same old shillelagh me father brought from Ireland
Performer: Dick Robertson
Engraver, Lithographer, Artist: unattrib. photo of Robertson; Im-Ho
Advertisement: ads on back cover for Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. stock
Subject: Portraits
Subject: Ireland
Subject: Dialects
Subject: Immigrants
Subject: Inheritances
Subject: Fathers & children
Call No.: Box: 159 Item: 090

[AMG - All Music Guide says it's been recorded by Bing Crosby, Dennis Day, Morton Downey, Billy Murray, Barry O'Dowd, and Pat White.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: Flash Company
Date: 10 Apr 04 - 10:19 AM

Crosby did record a batch of Irish songs on an LP called Shillelaghs & Shamrocks, but I can't remember if this one was amongs't them. Do remember the words from somewhere, though.

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: Reiver 2
Date: 10 Apr 04 - 09:51 PM

I'm glad to see the words to it. I knew the words at one time but never wrote them down and had forgotten much of it. Since I learned it from listening to Dennis Day on the Jack Benny RADIO show, maybe I can be forgiven the memory lapse. It was one of my two favorite Irish (of a sort) songs along with another Dennis used to sing, McNamara's Band.

Reiver 2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 10 - 06:46 AM

Both Dennis Day and Bing Crosby recorded it.                                                                                                                Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 12 - 11:07 PM

It seems to me that when I was a kid, (back in the late 50's & early '60's), my father used to play an old recording of this song by singer Morton Downey and it contained some additional words that I'm haven't spotted in the on-line lyrics I've glanced through so far. Those (as yet un-spotted) lyrics went something to the effect of " ... poor Culligan was in the chair when he threw it through the wall ... ". I distinctly remember laughing about those words in that song, but as I say, I haven't spotted them yet in the few sets of lyrics that I've glanced through. Doug F. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It's the Same Old Shillelagh
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 17 May 12 - 02:34 AM

I remember it from the singing of Charlie Chamberlain. You can hear it here:
Charlie Chamberlain