Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more

Subject: Brocades and Damasks, but with more info
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 07:28 PM

I have more info re. this song now, as follows. Any corrections or filling in of missing words would be much appreciated.

Kim

Source: Liam O'Flynn, Out to an Other Side, Tara Records LTD, 1993

Notes about the song: Tune is traditional (does anyone know the tune name?); words almost certainly refer to A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufactures, &c., a pamphlet written in 1720 by Jonathan Swift - a seditious pamphlet" that advocated the boycott of English goods in Ireland in favor of domestically made items, particularly woolen clothing. He urged the people to burn everything that came from England -- "except the coal." This made him at once very popular, and roused the anger of the authorities to such a pitch that the printer was prosecuted. Swift held the title of the Dean of St. Patrick, hence "his Deanship," an English-granted office which would, one assumes, naturally have disposed him to encourage rather than discourage trade with England. I cannot quite make out the words in the first two lines of the third verse on the recording from whence I learned this song - Rita Connolly and Liam O'Flynn. Still searching for the actual words.

THE PAMPHLET

Brocades and damasks and tappies and gauzes
Are by Robert Valentine lately brought over
With forty things more, now hear what the law says
Who wear or not wear them is not the King's law
But Printer and Dean seditiously mean
Our true Irish hearts from Auld England to wean
They would buy English silks for their wives and their daughters
In spite of his Deanship in Journeyman waters.

Whomever our trading with England would hinder
To inflame both the nations does plainly conspire
Because Irish linen will soon turn to tinder
And wool it is greasy and quickly takes fire.
Therefore, I assure you, our noble Grand Jury
On seeing the Dean's book, we are in a great fury!
They would buy English silks for their wives and their daughters
In spite of his Deanship in Journeyman waters.

???????????
???????????
Henceforward shall print neither pamphlet nor linen
And if swearing, won't do it, they'll be swingeingly mauled
And as for the Dean, you know who I mean
If the Printer would bleach him, he'd scarce come off clean
He would buy English silks for his wife and his daughters
In spite of his Deanship in journeyman waters

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 3-Apr-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 09:06 PM

That's great, but please DON'T start new threads every time you find more information.  Your original thread is still here:  Brocades and Damasks  and it would be much better to continue the discussion there, so that it's all in one place and can be easily found again later.  Unnecessary extra threads make extra work, as a rule.

The notes to which Karen gave you a link in your other thread stated that the song was originally set to Packington's Pound, and that Flynn used instead Tatter Jack Walsh.  A number of examples of both tunes may be found through  J C's Tunefinder

Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DEAN'S PAMPHLET
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 09:21 PM

GUEST, I think we are very close in what we're both hearing. Here's what I make of that version:

The Dean's Pamphlet

Brocades and damasks and tabbies and gauzes
Are by Robert Ballantine lately brought over.
With forty things more now hear what the law says
Who wear or not wear them is not the King's law.
Though a printer and dean seditiously mean
Our true Irish hearts from old England to wean.
We'll buy English silks for our wives and our daughters
In spite of his deanship and journeyman Waters.

Whoever our trading with England would hinder
To enflame both the nations does plainly conspire.
Because Irish linen will soon turn to tinder
And wool it is greasy and quickly takes fire.
Therefore I assure ye, our noble grand jury
On seeing the dean's book, we're in a great fury.
They would buy English silks for their wives and their daughters
In spite of his deanship and journeyman Waters.

The quickly brogue Waters who always is sinning
Before callin' no so oft has been called
Henceforth we shall print neither pamphlet or linen
If swearing can't do it, they'll be swingeingly mauled
And as for the dean, you know who I mean
If the printer would bleach him he'd scarced come off clean
Then we'll buy English silks for our wives and our daughters
In spite of his deanship and journeyman Waters.


The italicized words are complete guesses as Liam O'Flynn is drowning out this part with his pipes...but it's his CD so I guess he can do that. I think the first one "quickly brogue" is close but the second one "callin' no" is just what it sounds like. It doesn't make any sense though!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 05:31 PM

Much thanks for all the help!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:06 AM

Karen, I've always thought that it said, "Before foreign law so oft has been called". It's a good thing this thread was started, since I love this song, but always had trouble understanding...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 09:49 AM

Mad Maudlin, I open to anyone's guess on that particular line! I am hearing a definite hard C for the first word after "Before" but it's real iffy on what that word is. Perhaps it's somethng like "Cullinnoe" or some type of place name. I haven't a clue and not being from Ireland (though I've visited twice), I don't know enough places to be able to guess if one would fit. Also I don't know the history of this law to know any of the players involved.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks, but with more
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 01:10 AM

Karen, you're right, it could be "Cullinoe" as well. I don't know the history either, but maybe that was the name of a judge or something like that...why do songs like that hardly ever come with lyrics and explanations?