Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia

Subject: Lyr Add: OFF TO PHILADELPLHIA (Temple/Haynes)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 12:42 PM

The National Library of Australia has this sheet music.

I have standardized the dialect words (e.g. "shpot" for "spot") and boldfaced the words that are different from the above versions.

The tune seems a bit different from the midi file that Joe posted above.


OFF TO PHILADELPHIA
Words revised & edited by Stephen Temple.
Music adapted from an old Irish melody by Battison Haynes.
London: Boosey & Co., [1889?]

1. My name is Paddy Leary,
From a spot called Tipperary.
The hearts of all the girls I am a thorn in;
But before the break of morn,
Faith! 'tis they'll be all forlorn,
For I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'.

CHORUS: With my bundle on my shoulder,
Faith! there's no man could be bolder.
I'm leaving dear old Ireland without warnin',
For I lately took the notion
For to cross the briny ocean,
And I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

2. There's a girl called Kate Malone,
Whom I'd hoped to call my own,
And to see my little cabin floor adornin',
But my heart is sad and weary.
How can she be Mrs. Leary
If I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'?

3. When they told me I must leave the place,
I tried to keep a cheerful face.
For to show my heart's deep sorrow I was scornin',
But the tears will surely blind me,
For the friends I leave behind me,
When I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

LAST CHORUS: But though my bundle's on my shoulder,
And there's no man could be bolder.
Though I'm leavin' now the spot that I was born in,
Yet someday I'll take the notion
To come back across the ocean,
To my home in dear old Ireland in the mornin'.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia
From: GUEST,Andrew Lenton
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 07:36 PM

Just in case anyone else comes across this ancient thread, I first heard the song when I was hitch-hiking in Ireland in 1973. When I responded to the driver's question as to where I was from, he started singing the song. I've never forgotten it.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 04:58 PM

Joe Offer posted "I'm Off For California" in thread 69038. California

'Off' in the sense of 'to' is still common in speech in the United States. The difference is not meaningful with regard to 19th c. songs. The usage is given in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as 1b under 'for' (to indicate an intended goal).

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M OFF TO PHILADELPHIA (J. P. Skelly)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 04:11 PM

Lyr. Add: I'M OFF TO PHILADELPHIA
Words and music J. P. Skelly

I'm off to Philadelphis,
Among the scenes so gay;
The Glory of America
Is there in good array.
The flags are floating in the air,
Among the high and low;
The nation won its freedom
Just a century ago.

Chorus:
I'm off to Philadelphia.
Harrah! Harrah!
To celebrate our liberty.
Harrah! Harrah!
The drums are beating loud,
And banners wave so proud;
I'm off th Philadelphia.
Harrah! Harrah!

It's there you'll see the "pumpkin pies,"
The "apple sass and "greens,"
The famous "Yankee notions,"
And the pans of "pork and beans!"
Each day you'll meet a stranger,
With a bundle in his hand,
Who wants to see the glory
Of this great and happy land.

From all the world the curious folks
Are here the sights to see;
They sing the songs of freedom's land,
The same as you and me.
They shout the praise of Washington,
With all their might and main,
And everywhere a multitude,
Is rushing for the train.

Linked in a post above by Masato.
The song commemorates the U. S. Centennial, and the great Philadelphia exhibition of that year, 1876.

Printed in New York by E. H. Harding, 1876. Sheet music.

The origin of the song and phrase may lie in the song, "I'm Off for Charleston," pub. in New York by Firth Pond and Co., 1850, composed by William Donaldson; a popular minstrel offering. The British Isles versions of "I'm Off to Philadelphia" all seem to be later than these songs.

Chorus:
I'm off for Charleston, early in the morning,
I'm off for Charleston a little while to stay.
Give my respects to ev'ry pretty yaller gal,
I'm for Charleston before de broke ob day.

American Memory, sheet music at Titles

"I'm Off For California" has a title similar to "I'm Off For Charleston," but the California song (from Turner et al. 1858) has the tune of Oh! Susannah, and bears similarity in its verses to that song. It seems unrelated to "I'm Off to Philadelphia."

Subject: Lyr Add: OFF TO PHILADELPHIA
From: weerover
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 07:04 AM

This is the one I have:

Oh me name is Paddy Dailey,
From a spot called Tipperary,
The hearts of all the girls I'm adornin'
But before the break of mornin',
Faith they'll be all forlornin'
For I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'.

2. With me bundle on me shoulder,
Faith there's no man could be bolder.
I'm leaving dear old Ireland without warnin'.
For I lately took the notion,
For to cross the briny ocean,
And I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

3. There's a girl called Kate Malone,
Whom I hoped to call my own,
And to see my little cabin floor adornin'.
But my heart is sad an weary,
How can she be Mrs. Leary?
If I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

4. With me bundle on me shoulder,
Faith there's no man could be bolder.
I'm leaving dear old Ireland without warnin'.
For I lately took the notion,
For to cross the briny ocean,
And I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

5. When they told me I must leave the place,
I tried to keep a cheerful face.
For to show my heart's deep sorrow I was scornin',
But the tears will surely blind me,
For the friends I leave behind me,
When I start for Philadelphia in the mornin'.

6. With me bundle on me shoulder,
And there's no man could be bolder,
As I leave this spot I was born in.
Yet someday I'll take the notion,
To come back across the ocean,
To my home in dear old Ireland, In the mornin'.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 04:45 PM

Also much interested in seeing the Johnny Patterson lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 03:49 PM

Of course, there's also Kipling's verse, published in his book "Rewards and fairies"(1910) If you're off to Philadelphia in the morning
The 1910 date may not be original, as the book seems to have been used to pull disparate verses together in one place (as did the previous "Puck of Pook's Hill")

CHEERS

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 11:52 AM

Along with Kipling's other poetry, "Philadelphia" is here: Phila-Kipling

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 10:25 AM

Tim,

I have words to a song of that name; will root them out tomorrow if they don't appear here.

wr.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Big Tim
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 01:28 PM

Johnny Patterson (1840-89) wrote a song called "Off to Philadelphia in the Morning", anyone got the words?

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 11:12 PM

G'day Symlog,

Doesn't add much, I know, but I thought you'd like to know.

Actually, it is probably the explanation for why jimk thought:

"... it seems there was possibly a hymn of this name composed by one Joseph Parry ...".

Some web reference on Parry possibly mentioned the book's name ... and jimk took it for the song.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 09:27 PM

There's another song "I'm off to Philadelphia" (words and music by J. P. Skelly; New York: E.H. Harding, 1876) at American Memory.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: GUEST,Symlog
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 05:36 PM

Interesting that jimk at the beginning of the thread should mention 'Joseph Parry, a welshman [Welshman, please!] and classical music composer'. Parry (1841-1903) the composer of some of the most famous and best Welsh hymn tunes, emigrated with his family to America in 1854, later to return to become the first Professor of Music at the first college of the University of Wales (a Federal University) at Aberystwyth. He was a Merthyr Tudful man, and in 1947, another famous son of Merthyr, the novelist Jack Jones (1884-1970) published a novel, in which Joseph Parry and his family feature, called 'Off To Philadelphia in the Morning'. Doesn't add much, I know, but I thought you'd like to know.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Amos
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 04:20 PM

American Heritage: Philadelphia lawyer

NOUN:
A shrewd attorney adept at the discovery and manipulation of legal technicalities.

A

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 04:15 PM

Joe the midi is spot on, that is the way I have always heard it played. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: GUEST,R.L.Wright
Date: 03 Sep 03 - 04:08 PM

I found the sheet music at the Free Library of Philadelphia and included the song in my "Irish Emigrant Ballads and Songs"(1975),pages 578-584.Similar songs appeared on hundreds of broadsides and in dozens of songsters.Even Weber and Fields took advantage of the popularity of the Stage Irishman and started out at age twelve as"hilarious Hibernian hellions."

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Joe_F
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 04:29 PM

Oddly, there is also a song by Kipling, "Philadelphia", which begins:

If you're off to Philadelphia in the morning,
You mustn't take my stories for a guide....

I wonder if it could allude to the one mentioned here.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Alice
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 11:19 AM

Joe, this is a song I sing, and the midi sounds pretty much as it should be. I could sing a bit into an mp3 file and email it to you if your email box can accomodate a large file.

Alice

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 01:39 PM

MMario sent me Lin's MIDI, and it sounds the same as mine. The tune just sounds clumy to me, but that's how it's written.
Any suggestions on where Lin and I may have erred?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: MMario
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 08:31 AM

joe - there is a midi out on the page that Lin in Kansas sent me earlier

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Jun 03 - 10:06 PM

I got this tune from a songbook called Ireland in Song from the Remick Music Corporation "Music for Everyone" series. It says the song is "Adapted from the arrangement of an old Irish Melody by Battison Haynes 1859-1900)." Remick copyrighted the adaptation in 1915. The Remick version has some strange changes - boulder instead of "bolder"; shtart instead of "start," and others. I'm not totally happy with this tune, but it's what I read on the sheet music. The full-octave interval on the "off to Philadelphia" bothers me. Can anybody suggest something better?
-Joe Offer-

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Apr 99 - 02:16 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From:
Date: 04 Dec 97 - 03:00 AM

Thanks Bert and Jerry. Between the two you answered my questions and I learned about an interesting-sounding newsgroup.

By the way, I am originally from Phila. and I am pretty sure the term did come from the past, rather than the present.

Sorry to have bent this thread a bit.

Murray

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Bert
Date: 03 Dec 97 - 01:23 PM

The Philadelphia Lawyer is by Woody Guthrie. It's in DT.

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 11:30 PM

(I should have added that the Philadelphia lawyer is imaginary. That is, I don't think you'd call a sophisticated attorney from New York or Kansas City a Philadelphia lawyer. The usage is more like, "Even a Philadelphia lawyer couldn't get you out of that!" I believe a good place to ask these questions is alt.english.usage--wish I had access to it!)

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 11:26 PM

A "Philadelphia lawyer" is one who is expert at nuances, loopholes, evasions, distractions, and all those semi-honest lawyer tactics. I don't think the phrase is used much any more. (Since Philadelphia was one of the first U.S. cities founded, it had for a long time a reputation for sophistication in this as in other areas.)

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From:
Date: 02 Dec 97 - 10:43 PM

This is stretching the thread a bit but: There is a song, I think sung by Gene Autry about a Philadelphia Lawyer. It is essentially about a Philadelphia Lawyer in Reno Nevada trying to run off with a Hollywood Cutie and who runs a-cropper with her tough western boyfriend.

Question 1. I have heard the phrase "Philadelphia Lawyer" many of times as a description of a type of person rather than just a lawyer practicing in Philly. What does the phrase mean?

Question 2. What is the name of the song, and who did sing it?

Thanks,

Murray

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: leprechaun
Date: 30 Nov 97 - 02:23 PM

I have an album in which Bing Crosby sings the tune as "Off to Tipperary In the Morning," - with me shillelagh under me arm and a too ra loo ra lai, I'll be off to Tipperary...

Subject: RE: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From: Ricky Rackin
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 07:35 PM

Thank you Bo for 3 months ago.

Melody is the famous "Off to California" found in most Irish Tune books, as a hornpipe Ricky

Subject: Lyr Add: OFF TO PHILADELPHIA
From: Bo
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 01:42 PM

Always amuses me how popular certain songs are. I found this for a discussion 3 months back.

OFF TO PHILADELPHIA
Sung by McCormack and others, Stage Irish

Oh me name is Paddy Leary from a spot in Tipperary.
The hearts of all the girls I'm a thorn in;
But come the break of mornin' it is they who'll be forlorn,
For I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'.

CHORUS: With me bundle on me shoulder, faith, there's no man can be bolder.
I'm leaving dare old Ireland without warnin';
For I lately took the notion for to cross the briny ocean,
And I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'.

There's a girl named Kate Malone, sure I'd hope to call me own,
To see my little cabin floor adornin';
But my heart is sad and weary. how can she be Mrs. Leary
When I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'? CHORUS

When they told me I must leave the place, I tried to wear a cheerful face.
To show me heart's deep sorrow I was scornin';
But the tears will surely blind me for the friends I leave behind me
When I'm off to Philadelphia in the mornin'.

CHORUS 2: With me bundle on me shoulder, sure there's no man can be bolder.
I'm leaving just the spot that I was born in;
But some day I'll take the notion to come back across that ocean
To me home in dear old Ireland in the mornin'.

Cheers, BO.

Subject: Off to Philadelphia in the morning
From:
Date: 27 Nov 97 - 04:48 AM

I am looking for the lyrics and melody from a song I vaguely recall. All i remember is the line "and I'm off to Philadelphia in the morning". I have looked it up and it seems there was possibly a hymn of this name composed by one Joseph Parry, a welshman and classical music composer, but I don't know if this is the same song or not. Can anyone assist? thanks