St. Patrick's Day favourites (songs)

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: oldhippie
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 07:51 PM

"There Were Roses"

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 03:33 PM

Don't ya know 'The ballad of mc catherty's green and orange hillside by the edge of Loch Maball's', oh come on man, call yourself an Irish band and you don't play that one, you bastards !!! Come on, have a go ! It goes like this, ' da da dee da da diddly diddly dahh da di daa'

Subject: forty shades of green
From: GUEST,O'Brien
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 07:25 PM

i'm sorry to say that i DO NOT think that Johnny Cash actually wrote the song Forty Shades of Green. Every where i look it says the idea came to him while he was flying over Ireland...but it didn't. I know the man who actually wrote that song. There was a man in Ireland,Father Patrick Coughlin, who would write songs and then sing them at local pubs. One day he sang that song at a pub where the right person heard it and He either gave johnny Cash the song or he stole it(not like he would have wanted the royalties for it..that's not who he was)...either way johnny cash did not actually write that song. My great Uncle Paddy did and that story has been told and will continue to be told by everyone who knew and/or is related to this wonderful man and i thought it should be said for everyone to see....

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 02:07 AM

De drink an' de punch in de mout'.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: alison
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 02:03 AM

guest me

the words you quoted are the second half of the verse from the wearing of the green

the full lyrics are in the database

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Fountainfox
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 08:38 PM

One I don't see mentioned here is O'Donnell Abu...the melody, at any rate, is very rousing, glad and wonderful. Lyrics sound like somebody's term paper, though; probably shouldn't be sung unless someone writes a set of words someone not born two centuries ago can at least follow.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: PoppaGator
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 12:54 PM

Here in New Orleans, most of the Irish-Americans (the "homegrown" ones, anyway), are many generations removed from Ireland. The effects on local Irish-American culture are obvious.

New Orleans was the most popular of all American ports of entry during the first wave of Famine-induced emigration, because jobs were available for the digging of the New Basin Canal. Many of the immigrants who took these jobs ~ mostly Irish, but other Europenas as well ~ lacked immunity to various tropical diseases, notably yellow fever, and died in huge numbers. Folks back home in Ireland knew only too well about this mortality rate (an Irishman actually had better statistical odds for survival staying home and enduring the Famine than digging the canal in New Orleans), so Irish immigration to this city soon came to a permanent halt. The upshot: longtime New Orleanians with Irish surnames and/or ancestry generally have no known relatives in Ireland any more, and most of their family trees reflect multiple generations in the American "melting pot" ~ as many Italian, French, German and other ancestors as Irish.

The musical/cultural upshot of this situation is a general indifference to "real" Irish traditional music, in favor of Bing-Crosby-esque Irish-American sentimentality. You don't even hear much in the way of rebel songs. There is a small community of musicians and fans with an interest in more authentic Irish music (including folks with closer connections to the home country), but they may be less visible during St. Paddy's Week than at other times of the year, because they're "drownded out" by the onslaught of faux-Irish celebration.

A notable exception is the fairly recent emergence of "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" as a popular performance piece for any local act pretending to any degree of Irishness. This song, of course, is unique in the trad-Irish repertoire for being set here in south Louisiana. While the lyrics make no specific reference to the New Basin Canal nor to the flood of Irish immigrants who came to this area to work on the canal, I privately suspect that the song's origins must have something to do with that historical event.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: open mike
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 02:28 PM

http://www.blackthorn1.com/music/lyrics/Brendan's%20Fair%20Isle.txt
althought Jimmy Driftwood may not be Irish, St. Brendan certainly was!
(does anyone else get a big grey block on the post a couple above here
and on the place where you usually find google links below?)

ooh now something even spookier is happening...the grey block wnet away
but when i pas the cursor over the blank white space, 2 websites are
appanently there, as the URL's show up in the task bar below...

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,me
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 01:56 PM

i met old napper tandy
he took me by the hand
he said how's dear old Ireland
Oh how does she stan
She is the fairest creature as yet I have seen
But they're hanging men and women for the wearing of the green.


does anybody recognise these lyrics and do you know the reason behind them? would love to know

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Brakn
Date: 04 Apr 04 - 09:38 PM

There's more to Peggy O'Neill than that.

Subject: Lyr Add: PEGGY O'NEIL (Pease, Nelson, Dodge)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Apr 04 - 06:21 PM

PEGGY O'NEIL was mentioned above, but I don't think anyone's ever posted the words.

Copied from http://ingeb.org/songs/peggyone.html
The sheet music is also available at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music

PEGGY O'NEIL
(Words and Music by Harry Pease, Ed. G. Nelson and Gilbert Dodge, 1921)

Peggy O'Neil is a girl who could steal
Any heart, anywhere, any time;
And I'll put you wise, how you'll recognize
This wonderful girl of mine.

CHORUS: If her eyes are blue as skies,
That's Peggy O'Neil.
If she's smiling all the while,
That's Peggy O'Neil.
If she walks like a sly little rogue,
If she talks with a cute little brogue,
Sweet personality,
Full of rascality,
That's Peggy O'Neil.

Ev'rything's planned for a wedding so grand.
In the spring I will bring her the ring;
Then somewhere in town we'll both settle down
And all through the day I'll sing...CHORUS

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Den
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 10:54 PM

I will be decked out in my parka and my shamrock tiara and will be regaling a small audience with South Down anecdotes such as "lie on her head or she'll flood the byre", and "Die dog or shite the license". A sampling of favourite songs for the assembled throng will be, "If you think you know how to love me", by Smokie and "Jilted John", by Jilted John. Percy French will not be joining us as advertised as we have not had much success with our seances since Jimmy's house was haunted for monthes by the ghosts of Beannie and Barney the Batchelor Peas mascots. Den

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 09:36 PM

That's a lovely blessing, Rustic, thanks!

Annie

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 05:12 PM

May your neighbors respect you,
troubles neglect you,
the angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.
Rustic

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 12:19 PM

In defense of "The Unicorn Song," let me say that I think it's often accepted as Irish not only because an Irish band made it a hit, but because it SOUNDS IRISH.

A reflection of Shel Silverstein's gift was his versatility. A Los Angeles Jewish guy writes "Queen Of the Silver Dollar" (PURE COUNTRY), "Beans Taste Fine" (with good BLUES flavor), "Unicorn" (very IRISH motif), and quite a few children's poems and songs, as well as serious articles for adults. (I doubt that I know the half of his repertoire.)

The point is that composers/songwriters who become familiar with a genre can often write very convincingly in it, without the benefit of having been born to it.

I realize that lots of Irish bands are sick of playing it (having run it into the ground, as it were), but that's a different matter.

Genie

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 11:13 AM

Trying that BLICKYagain.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 11 Mar 02 - 03:42 AM

Sometimes I do Appalachian and other early American ballads on St. Patrick's because many of these songs came across the pond, as it were, from old Ireland.

Arge

BTW, Here is a parody of "Isle of Innishfree" that was posted at Mudcat. Sounds appropriate for a pub on St. Patrick's. .

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 06:33 PM

Well, I'm at least third-generation Irish American, and lately I've been getting into the music of the Chieftans, Clannad, etc., and know I have a lot to learn, but there's something about it - it must be in the blood because I wasn't raised on it, that's for sure. Please don't stone me, anyone, but all that tura-lura-lura stuff makes me gag!! When we go out for the High Holy Day, which I haven't done in recent years after having been squashed into the wall at the local "Irish" pub 3 yrs. ago when 500 people crammed into a space made for 125 (maybe) and broke every fire law on the books, we get into the "drinking" songs and the "rebel" songs and anything we can participate in and/or bang our hands on the table so hard people have to hang onto their drinks - attracted the attention of the performer the last time we were out so that he came over and visited w/ us during his break. He appreciated our participation, I know he did! Anyway, I'll also confess to liking the Unicorn - hell, we even have a dance we do to it! Anyway it's all about having a good time and not taking oneself too seriously as far as I'm concerned.

Annie

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 06:16 PM

Weren't a lot of these 'cod-Irish" songs ("not real Irish songs) written by Irish-American songwriters whose families (if not they, themselves) were recent immigrants? George M. Cohan (who, BTW, was not only Irish-American but Jewish, to add to the mix) comess to mind, as well as J.R. Shannon and the Dr. Colehan who wrote the popular US version of "Galway Bay."

Sure, their music has a yank-influenced flavor, making it sound different from "authentic Irish" music (just as U2 and Van Morrison sound different from Childs ballads). But why should they be denied claim to their own ancestral heritage as expressed in the time and culture into which they were transplanted? Yes, their music was "American," but they brought to it their Irish roots, and I think in many of those songs it shows.

Is it surprising that a lot of Americans want to hear Irish-American music -- if only because it is familiar to them?

I fully agree that St. Patrick's Day (just like Christmas) has been commercialized in the US and the celebrations have little or no connection to its origin. Some bars will play secular (even bawdy) Irish songs and others will play secular Irish-American songs, some both. I say that both are celebrations of Irish roots, even if the Irish-American music is one or two steps removed from those roots.

Genie

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Watersong
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 12:01 PM

What's suitable music for a St. Patricks gig ? Almost anything goes ... Consider St. Patrick himself ... from writings of Terence Sheehy ... "A Roman Briton born in Caerwent, coast of Wales between 385 & 390 AD.The son of a deacon and grandson of a priest. He was captured in a massive slave raid by pagen Irishmen (406 AD). Spent his adolescence as a slave tending flocks for his Celtic master Miliuce... praying literally day & night and escaped to Britain c. 412. He then trained as a priest with St. Germanus of Auxerre France, at the monk Abby of Lerins . With his command of the Irish tongue and understanding of their ways (worship of nature & respect of tribal law), he dreamed that the Irish people begged him to return and convert them. He returned to the Isle in 432 as a bishop and spent some thirty years bringing Christianity to the Irish tribes. He founded his See at Armaugh in 444 and died in Saul in 461" ... reaching well into his 70's ... astounding in those times. He was known to work "from the top down" overcoming the sorcery of the Druid holymen with Christian mysticism, going head to head in tales with the all powerful bardic poets, and influencing the Irish Kings who's wives and daughters were usually the first to embrace his Christianity.

So, St. Patrick was not an Irishman but a son of Wales trained formally in France. He could be termed in todays language a man of wanderlust and must have possed skills in charm and chatter far above average. Can you imagine the scrapes he got himself out of! He'd love all the songs from the muddy banks of the Shannon to Tin Pan Ally... (but I think the Unicorn ditty would have silenced him like most of us who make a few bucks in Greensong season.)

My best-felt song that our band's doing this year is P.Maloney's adaptation of his grandmother's Little Maid From Malabar ... a la the Chieftain's Coast of Malabar ... and it's all about lovin' in India! Wanderlust is a good thing still.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: swirlygirl
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 08:49 AM

nope none not ever, never and i mean not in a million years....

I hate st patricks's day...you try growing up being born on that day and made to sing "Hail Glorious St. Patrick" and other related shit every year and look like you're enjoying it...

I want it banned...or at least de-Irished...

:)

xxx

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 08 Mar 02 - 08:34 AM

Guest Cara writes"Has it not occurred to anyone that the Irish might be a little pissed off that what is intended to be a celebration of Ireland has been taken over by the rest of the English-speaking world as an excuse to get drunk and sing cod-Irish songs that have nothing to do with you "

"The Irish" eh ? What, all the Irish ? Some of the Irish ? Or just a few sad curmudgeons ( who are to be found in every country ) who resent anybody touching what they perceive to be their exclusive property ?

Murray

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Frogmore
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 09:44 PM

I'll be backing up New England fiddler Allan Block, who knows many obscure tunes....but - he WILL sing Danny Boy! Not exactly an informed Irish crowd that night I suspect, but they always get excited by Sailors' Hornpipe. Popeye did that for us.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Big John
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 09:36 PM

Cara, I think you must have looked at my thread "Time Travel Troubles" posted on 7.3.02 in which I complained about third generation Americans having a distorted view of Irish history. I would not dream of extending the same criteria to "Irish" songs. So long as someone is singing a song, no matter where it originates, then hopefully, they are having the "craic". I can assure you that several "Irish" songs which were written for Broadway shows have found their way into Irish folklore and no one objects. On St Patricks Day in Dublin I will be singing everthing from The Fields of Athenry to Tecumsah Valley and whether its a Willie Clancy song or a Willie Nelson song won't matter - it's the "craic" that's important.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,cara
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 09:13 PM

Just out of interest, how many of those who have posted to this thread about 'their' Irish songs are actually Irish? (and no, I don't mean 'yes I'm Irish - well, fourth generation Irish-American - well actually, my grandmother's aunt's dog was Irish' - I mean actually Irish, say for passports).

Has it not occurred to anyone that the Irish might be a little pissed off that what is intended to be a celebration of Ireland has been taken over by the rest of the English-speaking world as an excuse to get drunk and sing cod-Irish songs that have nothing to do with you ("Caledonia (actually a Scottish song I believe.)" indeed!)

Cara xx

PS - And yes, my family is Irish about 3 generations back on all sides, but I don't consider myself to be Irish, nor to have any 'rights' to Irish heritage. It's very good and I like it a lot, but it has nothing to do with me personally.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 10:15 AM

One thing I have learnt is that there is absolutely bno point in trying to be even remotely elitist about Irish music in America on St Patrick's Day. If the management are paying you (and St Patrick's Days were the best-paying gigs I have ever had ) then you give the crowd what they expect to hear, Unicorn and all.

There are many other opportunities to educate people about the glories of traditional Irish music, but St Ptrick's Day is not one of them.

Murray

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Hamshank
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 09:22 AM

Genie,

All my pals know I'm Scots/Irish (and proud of it!), so I'm the guy that gets called up to sing the good old cheery "Irish" stuff at my local Friday night open mic hangout (not an Irish bar). Aye, "Grace" is a bit melancholy for a typical Irish theme bar, especially here in the States. Actually, I sing it by request along with "Fields of Athenrye", "Rose of Tralee", "Red is the Rose" and others. Last year was the first time anyone asked me to sing "Grace" at a St. Patrick's Day do.

I'm not so much against "Unicorn" really. I just get a bit sick of it, and it irritates me a little that people associate it with Ireland. I suppose you can't blame them, considering the fellas that made it famous. You're absolutely right, though. People like to join in and do the actions.

"Slauncha"

HS

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 01:34 AM

And heres a link to BS: St Patrick's Day Songs

Genie

BTW, What does "asthore" mean?

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 01:26 AM

Boab, The gigs are not all on St. Patrick's Day itself--especially when St. Patrick's is not on a Friday or Saturday. Also, I kind of rotate the list and vary the selections depending ont he type of gig and audience.

If you look at all the threads on this topic, you'll find my list is a relatively SMALL one!

Genie §;-)

PS,
Here is a link to a thread onSt Patrick's Sing-Along Songs.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Kaleea
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 01:23 AM

What songs i choose depend upon the audience. Very near St. Pat's, I often am called upon to do the rounds of the local nursing homes where I always include: Rose of Tralee Whistlin Gypsy Rover When Irish Eyes are Smilin Molly Malone Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral My Wild Irish Rose Sweet Rosie O'Grady Sidewalks of New York (East Side West Side) Peg O My Heart Annie Laurie Danny Boy I'l Take You Home Again Kathleen assorted jigs like: Irish Washerperson Kesh

If I'm playing a Ceoli: many jigs & reels & hornpipes & songs such as: Wearin of the Green Wild Colonial Boy Down By the Sally Gardens Jolly Beggarman Rising of the Moon Rose of Moon Coin Slievenamon Courtin in the Kitchen they often ask for: Danny Boy Molly Malone Carrickfurgis Last Rose of Summer Wild Mountain Thyme

& we could go on forever & leave out a few hundred! a couple of my favs are: I'll Tell Me Ma All For Me Grog (nursing home folks love this one!!!)

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Mar 02 - 12:02 AM

Nigel - "Mavourneen" is an Anglicized spelling of "mo bhournin" which in Irish means something like "my darling".

I'll be playing on the day with my band, Greenhouse, and our set will be quite a bit different from our regular shew. We usually stay away from the standards, but on P-Day we'll be singing the following;
Maid When You're Young
Seven Drunken Nights
Whisky In The Jar
Finnegan's Wake
Johnny Jump Up
MacPherson's Rant
Invitation To A Funeral
St Patrick Was A Gentleman
The Scotsman
and the all-time great barroom singalong, "Boozin'".

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:53 PM

Hey Genie----what do you spray yer tonsils with?? I could cover ten St Paddy's days wi' that lot!!!

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 11:33 PM

Hamshank, to each his/her own, of course, but to me "Grace"--as beautiful as it is--seems awfully slow and sad for a pub party. (I think it's even sadder than "Danny Boy," which, of course, is kind of a tradition over here in Amerikay.) I'd say the same about "Scorn Not His Simplicity" and some other beautiful but somber Irish songs.

Concerts (e.g., the Irish Tenors on PBS), of course, are a different matter.

I think the reason folks like to sing "The Unicorn," "The Wild Rover," and "Harrigan" over here on St. Patrick's is that they are lively and have choruses folks can easily sing along with.

In the pubs I've been in on St. Patrick's Day the music is mostly lively and upbeat, with a lot of emphasis on dance tunes.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: GUEST,Hamshank
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 10:34 AM

If they even think about playing the Unicorn where I'm at on St. Patrick's Day, I'll be finding somewhere else to party. I'm so feckin' sick of that song, and of people who go to "Irish" bars and request it. I want to hear songs like, "Grace", "The Town I Love So Well", "A Nation Once Again", "The Wearin O' The Green." I can tolerate "Wild Irish Rose", "When Irish Eyes Are Smilin'", "If You're Irish...", and "Danny Boy", etc., as long as I can hear and sing some genuine Irish songs. My party-piece is "Fields of Athenrye." I sing it with a lass who harmonizes with me, and we bring the house down every time.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 04:25 AM

Interesting thread, and, admitting ny ignorance, I didn't know there was a song "Mavourney":
Listening to "The Whiffenpoof Song" (We are poor little lambs)I alway heard the line "Are you waiting, and Mavourney and the rest" as a mispronunciation of "Myfanwy":
Oh well, we live & learn.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 03:41 AM

Oh, I almost forgot "Johnny Be Fair."

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Genie
Date: 06 Mar 02 - 03:35 AM

Adding to this discussion, since my Irish-theme gigs will get into full swing about next Wednesday, I'd say the list depends a lot on the venue. When I sing for retirement communities (in the US), the folks want to hear the 'Irish' songs they know and love (most of which are Irish-American), e.g.:
Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral
MacNamara's Band
My Wild Irish Rose (with both verses)
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling (with both verses)
The Kerry Dance
Tipperary
Who Threw The Overalls In Mistress Murphy's Chowder"
"Harrigan" (and the parody "Hair Again [On Me], which I dedicate to the "follically challenged" in the audience)
"Cockles And Mussels"
"A Little Bit of Heaven Fell"
"Peg O' My Heart"
"Peggy O'Neil"
"Mother Machree"
"No Irish Need Apply"
and, of course,
"Danny Boy" and
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"

I usually throw in a couple of show tunes like
"Great Day For The Irish" and
"How Are Things In Glocca Morra"
as well as some of MY Favorites, such as:
Roddy McCorley
Mountains o' Mourne
Shule Aroon
Fennario
Maggie
If I Knock The "L" Out Of "Kelly"BR> Johnny Lad
The Minstrel Boy
Finnegan's Wake
Hares On The Mountain
Wild Mountain Thyme
Black Velvet Band
Song For The Mira
Come Back, Paddy Reilly
Blow The Candles Out
and, yes, The Wild Rover
Whiskey In the Jar
The younger the audience is, the more I steer towards the songs in the latter part of my list.

If my audience has diminished attention span (either due to Alzheimer's or alcohol), so that they're unlikely to track the lyrics, I may skip some of my favorite humorous songs such as:
To Morrow (the TUNE sounds Irish, anyway)
The Sick Note
No Irish Need Apply
Nell Flaherty's Drake
Quare Bungle Rye
Mick McGuire
Twa Heids Are Better Than Yin*
Ye Canna Shove Yer Granny Off A Bus*
The Orange And The Green**
Three Craws*

Many of the songs that would be very popular in Ireland or for the US folkies who are "into Irish music" may not be what the "piper who is paying me" has in mind for a St. Patrick's party. It never hurts to check out these expectations beforehand.

Anyway, to my delight, I have a much bigger repertoire of Irish and Irish-American (and other British Isles) music than I can fit into a typical gig. March is one of my favorite months, since it gives me an excuse for singing a lot of these songs.

Genie

*If a gig isn't right on St. Patrick's Day itself, I 'cheat' sometimes and throw in a Scots or Welsh song or two.
**I think I like this song especially because the story fits a bunch of my ancestors' situations.

Subject: St. Patrick's Day in class rooms
From:
Date: 20 Mar 99 - 02:35 PM

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Frank Maher
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 06:13 AM

I will also be Playing St.Patrick's Day at the Blarney Stone in St.John's Newfoundland.... My Favourite Songs are...The Spinning Wheel, The Irish Emigrant---The Limerick Races.... Dublin Bay....The Humour is on Me now.... The Meeting of the Waters.... Believe Me,if all Those endearing Young Charms... God Save Ireland......

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Brakn
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 03:59 AM

Has anyone mentioned Ireland's 32. It names every county. Some times people can get very upset if their county doesn't get mentioned all night. This one covers them all.

Regards Mick Bracken

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEARING OF THE GREEN
From: Brakn
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 03:42 AM

Bruce, is this THE WEARING OF THE GREEN that you wanted?

One blessing on my native Isle!
One curse upon her foes
While yet her skies above me smile
Her breeze around me blows
Now, nevermore my cheek be wet
Nor sigh, nor altered mien
Till the dark tyrant I regret
The Wearing Of The Green

Sweet land! my parents loved you well
They sleep within your breast
With theirs, for love no words can tell
My bones must never rest
And lonely must my true love stray
That was our village queen
When I am banished far away
For The Wearing Of The Green

But, Mary, dry that bitter tear
'Twould break my heart to see
And sweetly sleep my parents dear
That cannot weep for me
I'll think not of my distant tomb
Nor seas rolled wide between
But watch the hour, that yet will come
For The Wearing Of The Green

O, I care not for the thistle
And I care not for the rose
For when the cold winds whistle
Neither down nor crimson shows
But like hope to him that's friendless
Where no gaudy flower is seen
By our graves, with love that's endless
Waves our own true-hearted green

O, sure God's world was wild enough
And plentiful for all!
And ruined cabins were so stuff
To build a lordly hall
They might have let the poor man live
Yet all as lordly been
But heaven it's own good time will give
For The Wearing Of The Green

regards Mick Bracken

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: John OSh
Date: 08 Mar 99 - 05:18 PM

As a minor collector of Irish folk, I guess I can hear it every day - but there is nothing quite like hearing a bar full of tipsy Irish (both of native birth and of descent) trying to sing "Rattlin' Bog", "Johnny McAldoo" "Holy Ground" or "Half Pint" at the top of their lungs! It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, from laughter, joy, amazement and often pain (from the screeching voices)

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 06 Mar 99 - 04:22 AM

Risin of the Moon gets my heart thumping everytime. We do a version in my band (rather electrified) and it is always a crowd-pleaser...LEJ

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Reta
Date: 06 Mar 99 - 12:32 AM

I'd love to hear these on St. Pat's day. With any luck, I will.

Slaney Valley,-----Come By the Hills,------Whiskey On A Sunday,-----Curragh Of Kildare,-----Dicey Riley,-------The Maid Of Slievenamon,--------The Spinning Wheel Song,--------The Snowy-Breasted Pearl,--------Eileen Aroon,---------Danny Boy,----------God Save Ireland ,----------Boolavogue,---------Rambler From Clare,---------Sliav Gallion Braes. And just for kicks, Harrigan, That's Me!

Fun thread! Thanks. Blessings, Reta

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Wotcha
Date: 05 Mar 99 - 08:47 PM

A stirring hymn St Patrick's Breastplate springs to mind.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: A Farrell
Date: 05 Mar 99 - 06:15 PM

Your thread conjurs up memories of parochial school concert practices. We little lambs stood for hours under the critical tutilage of the Sisters of Mercy (HA!) rehearsing 'Come Back to Erin, Mavourny' Hated that song then, have to hear it every March 17th now...go figure.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: mm
Date: 05 Mar 99 - 03:38 AM

Surely the songs to sing on St Patrick's Day would be songs about Irish saints?

In Ireland we usually sing the hymn "Hail Glorious Saint Patrick", which starts:

Hail Glorious Saint Patrick, dear saint of our isle On us thy dear children, send down a sweet smile..."

to which the saint invariably replies not by hailing but by raining heavily on the parade.

Or what about "In Glendalough lived a young saint, in odour of sanctity dwelling, an old-fashioned odour which now, you seldom or never are smelling".

You'll find the first in any collection of Irish hymns, the second was recorded by The Dubliners.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Ferrara
Date: 04 Mar 99 - 09:55 AM

I think my St.Patrick's day would be incomplete without hearing or singing Danny Boy. Yes, I *love* Danny Boy, ever since I realized it's a parent's lament for a son going off to war. Before that, I thought it was a morbid sort of romantic love song.

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Elizabeth
Date: 04 Mar 99 - 05:00 AM

Our band will be giving a lot of the above mentioned songs a bit of a whirl on the 17th. One of my favourites is Fields of Athenry....brings a tear to the eye. We don't seem to have too much trouble here in Australia with the rebel songs. It all comes of being good convict stock I suppose. We also mix our vocal numbers with plenty of instrumental. Sometimes its the only way to compete with the drinking noise in the pub!! Cheers all :-)

Subject: RE: St. Patrick's Day favourites
From: Brakn
Date: 03 Mar 99 - 08:01 PM

It's A Great Day For The Irish (as sung by Judy Garland)