Lyr Req: Paddy on a Handcar

Subject: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From:
Date: 07 Nov 00 - 01:43 AM

I am a civil war reenactor, part of the 116th Penn Infantry, a unit of the Irish Brigade. With us we have a wonderful fife and drum corp, which plays a great tune "Paddy on a Handcar". It seems to be a US railroal song, but we can't find the lyrics, and our unit wants to sing along as we march and it is played.

Can someone out there help? Thanks so m

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From: GUEST,Uncle Jaque, 3rd Maine
Date: 07 Nov 00 - 08:39 AM

Were you at Cedar Creek last Month? Members of the 3rd Maine (to which I am occasionally attached) returned with glowing reports of how the Irish brigade sang along with nearly every tune the Fife & Drum Corps struck up, and even kept on singing after the standard set of double "A-A/B-B" had run it's course. I'm told that "Gary Owen" was a frequent request, and that campfire singing went right up to the official "lights out and shut up" command at midnight. I kind of wish I was there! We would like to get that tradition going in the 3rd, as according to period newspaper reports, the Old 3rd Maine was frequently observed singing on the march and in camp (one officer wrote that the boys were singing "Penny Royal" tunes outside his tent as he wrote, going from the "sacred to the profane" with apparantly seamless ease. Sorry; I don't have the tune for "Paddy"; they were probably "censored" by later, more genteel generations, and slipped into oblivion as many of the "saltier" work songs and sea chanteys tended to do. They were carried on for a while by oral tradition, but not many "civilized" collectors of the period would lower themselves to writing them down. I suspect that by today's standards, the lyrics would not be all that alarming, although they may be considered somewhat ethnically insensitive. I can show you some old Minstrel and Stephen Foster stuff that will just about guar-un-teed get you killed or seriously maimed if performed before the "wrong crowd" today!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From: kimmers
Date: 07 Nov 00 - 11:52 AM

Mark, you old bean-eater! Welcome to the 'cat. Yes, these are the folks to answer all your musical questions, and some that have nuthin' to do with music as well.

Never heard of this one. The OFDC plays it? You'll have to hum it for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From: kimmers
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 11:11 PM

Just regreshing this question. It's been a busy week full of happenings, and I wanted to make sure people had the chance to scratch their heads and think about this one.

Now I remember this tune, after hearing in our parade, Mark. It's a good 'un... surely someone knows the words?

Kim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 03:26 PM

"Paddy on the Handcar" seems to have been recorded several times. See the Folk Music Index. Unfortunately, the site doesn't have words, and it doesn't indicate whether it's a song or tune. It does call it a variant of "Paddy on the Turnpike." I have been unable to find any words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From:
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:33 AM

Thanks! Now I have som0e leads! I'm still looking!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From: Stewie
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 12:53 AM

I've got the Red Headed Fiddlers and the Fiddlin' Powers cuts mentioned in the folk index, but they are both tunes only. The Fiddlin' Powers one at the Mountain City Convention is actually titled 'Patty on the Turnpike'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Paddy on a Handcar'
From:
Date: 17 Nov 00 - 11:38 AM

Found a reference says first prinyed as sheet music in US in 1872, so I'm closing on it!