Lyr Req: Johnny McEldoo

Subject: Johnny McAdoo
From:
Date: 25 Nov 96 - 11:05 AM

Looking for the words to Johnny McAdoo sung by the Clancy Brothers.

There was Johnny McAddo and McGee and me and a couple or two or three went on a spree one day...

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY MCELDOO
From:
Date: 25 Nov 96 - 01:41 PM

There was Johnny McEldoo and McGee and me
And a couple or two or three went on a spree one day
We had a bob or two which we knew how to blew
And the beer and whiskey flew and we all felt gay.
We visited McCann's McIllmann's Humpty Dan's.
We then went into Swann's our stomachs for to pack.
We ordered out a feed, which indeed we did need
And we finished it with speed but we still felt slack.

Johnny McEldoo turned red, white and blue
When a plate of Irish stew he soon put out of sight
He shouted out "Encore" with a roar for some more
That he never felt before such a keen appetite
He ordered eggs and ham, bread and jam, what a cram!
But him we couldn't ram though we tried our level best
For every thing we brought, cold or hot mattered not,
It went down him like a shot, but he still stood the test

He swallowed tripe and lard, by the yard, we got scared
We thought it would go hard when the waiter brought the bill
We told him to give o'er, but he swore he could lower
Twice as much again and more before he had his fill
He nearly supped a trough full of broth says McGrath,
"He'll devour the tablecloth if you don't hold him in
When the waiter brought the charge, McEldoo felt so large
He began to scowl and barge and his blood went on fire

He began to curse and swear tear his hair in despair
And to finish the affair called the shopman a liar
The shopman he drew out, and no doubt, he did clout
McEldoo he kicked about like an old football
He tattered all his clothes, broke his nose, I suppose
He'd have killed him with a few blows in no time at all

McEldoo began to howl, and to growl, by my sowl
He threw an empty bowl at the shopkeeper's head
It struck poor Mickey Flynn, peeled the skin off his chin
And the ructions did begin and we all fought and bled
The peelers did arrive, man alive, four or five,
And at us they made a drive for us all to march away.
We paid for all the mate, that we ate, stood a trate,
And went home to ruminate on the spree that day.

May be two lines missing from verse 4. Don't have the record handy right now, but I'll check.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Johnny McAdoo
From: Ian
Date: 25 Nov 96 - 05:57 PM

Hilary,

Looks like Bob's done well by you. I remember seeing this one in an old Clancey Bros. songbook if you need chords/melody/etc.

There a couple of small differences in the way I learned it. Could be regional influences or just the folk process. That's the way it works, after all!

The words I learned were "he'll devour the tablecloth if you don't haul him in" and "McEldoo he kicked him out like an old football". But, hey, use whatever you like!

Enjoy! - Ian

Subject: Words for Johnny Mcadoo
From:
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 06:58 AM

Would anyone have the words for an Irish folk song called Johnny Mcadoo

There was Johnny Mcadoo and Magee and me and we had a bob or two which we spent one day ........

Thanks Mike

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY MCELDOO (from the Clancy Brothers)
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 08:17 AM

Mike.... There's a version in the database as "The Spree" but it's incomplete. Here's the whole thing as done by the Clancy Brothers...Tiger

JOHNNY MCELDOO

There was Johnny McEldoo and McGee and me,
And a couple or two or three went on a spree one day.
We had a bob or two, which we knew how to blew,
And the beer and whiskey flew and we all felt gay.

We visited McCann's, McLemann's, Humpty Dan's;
We then went into Swann's our stomachs for to pack.
We ordered out a feed, which indeed we did need,
And we finished it with speed, but we still felt slack.

Johnny McEldoo turned as blue as a Jew,
And a plate of Irish stew he soon put out of sight.
He shouted out "Encore" with a roar for some more,
That he never felt before such a keen appetite.

He ordered eggs and ham, bread and jam, what a cram,
But him we couldn't ram though we tried our level best,
For everything we brought, cold or hot, mattered not,
It went down him like a shot, but he still stood the test.

He swallowed tripe and lard by the yard. We got scared,
We thought it would go hard when the waiter brought the bill.
We told him to give o'er but he swore he could lo'er
Twice as much again and more before he had his fill.

He nearly sucked a trough full of broth. Says McGrath,
"He'll devour the table cloth, if you don't hold him in."
When the waiter brought the charge McEldoo felt so large,
He began to scowl and barge and his blood went on fire.

He began to curse and swear, tear his hair in despair,
And to finish the affair, called the shopman a liar.
The shopman he drew out and no doubt he did clout,
McEldoo he kicked about like an old football.
He tattered all his clothes, broke his nose, I suppose
He'd have killed him with a few blows in no time at all.

McEldoo began to howl and to growl by my soul,
He threw an empty bowl at the shopkeeper's head
It struck by Mickey Finn, peeled the skin off his chin,
And the ructions did begin and we all fought and bled.

The Peelers did arrive, man alive, four or five.
At us they made a drive, for us all to march away.
We paid for all the meat that we ate, stood a treat,
And went home to ruminate on the spree that day.

Subject: RE: Words for Johnny Mcadoo
From:
Date: 04 Jan 98 - 05:57 PM

Ralph

Many thanks I didn't think I would get a reply so soon.

Happy New Year

Mike

Subject: Johnny McEldoo lyrics wanted
From:
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 11:41 PM

I am searching for any lyrics to Johnny McEldoo. It may be known by another name, but that is the one I know it by. I am also looking for a drinking song, I am not sure of the style and I have only heard of it as a song where the cup gets progressively smaller. It may be a Rattlin' Bog or Hole in the log type of song. I am not sure. It's a tall order, I know, but I figured this was the place to look.

Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Johnny McEldoo lyrics wanted
From: Barry Finn
Date: 09 Mar 98 - 11:58 PM

Search the DT database using the box in the upper right hand corner & enter Johnny McEldoo or The Spree. On the other song, try the Barley Mow, it mentions different size drinking vessels. You might also want to post inquries separately, you'll get better results by not having one buried by another. Barry

Subject: Johnny McEldoo
From:
Date: 22 Dec 98 - 10:05 PM

Does anyone have these lyrics and also Mick Mcgiligana's Ball

Subject: RE: Johnny McEldoo
From:
Date: 22 Dec 98 - 10:08 PM

Never Mind - I found it under The Spree

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny McEldoo
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 04:26 PM

I was looking for these - thanks - i sang a version in a play in the Lyric Theatre Belfast called - The Blind Fiddler - by the author of Stones in his Pckets - Marie Jones - here are the words i sang which came from a musician in Co Tyrone - it's interesting how the thing evolves as it's passed around - best Dan

Johnny McAdoo

Johnny McAdoo and me and McFee
And another two or three went on a spree one day
We had a bob or two which we knew how to blew
And the beer and whiskey flew and we all felt gay.
We visited McCann's Humpy Dan's Michael Mans
Then we then we all went down to Span's our bellies for to pack.
We ordered such a feed, which indeed we did need
We finished it was greed and we all felt slack.

Johnny McAdoo turned as blue as a shrew
When a plate of Irish stew sure he buried out of sight
He shouted out and called for some more with a roar
For he never felt before such a keen appetite
He ordered eggs and ham, bread and jam, such a cram!
But then they couldn't ram though they tried their level best
No matter what they brought, cold or hot mattered not,
It went down him like a shot, and he still stood the test

Sure he nearly took the croup, supping soup, pull the scoop
He was hardly fit to stoop, but he didn't care a pin
And he ate about a trough full of broth says McGough
He'll devour the table cloth if you don't houl him in
He swallowed tripe and lard by the yard he was scarred
For he knew it would go hard when they brought in the bill
And we told him to give o'er, but he swore he would lower
Twice as much again and more, aye, before he had his fill

When the waiter brought the charge, McAdoo was so large
Then he started for to barge and his blush caught fire
He started for to swear, pull his hair in despair
And to finish the affair called the shopman a liar
The shopman he drew out, and no doubt, he could clout
McAdoo went up and out like an old football
And he tattered all his clothes, broke his nose, I suppose
Nearly killed him with the blows in no time at all

McAdoo starts to howl, and to growl, by my sowl
And he threw an empty bowl at the shopkeeper's head
It hit oul Mickey Flynn, peeled the skin off his chin
And the row it did begin and we all fought and bled
The peelers did arrive, man alive, four or five,
And they hauled us all outside for to march away.
We paid for all the mate, that we ate, stood a trate,
We went home and ate a cow before the spree next day.