Lyr Req: Song of Temptation

Subject: Song of Temptation
From: Ranks
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 01:47 PM

The champion String Band Recorded "Song of Temption" in 1981 to music of the Rambling Irishman. After long, long, search in the internet I found exactly one source with a version of this song. The words a quite the same as Tom Gilfellon sang the unless two lines in the first verse. Has anybody got the album and can tell me the words after:

Good Music, sir, should make one dance/unless their limbs would fail them

Thanks and Greetings

Ranks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Song of Temptation
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 02:05 PM

Hi, Ranks - can you post what you have?
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Song of Temptation
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:25 AM

I have a version of this in Paddy Tunney's book - The Stone Fiddle (I haven't checked the records to see if it's on one of his that I've got). It appears in the chapter called William Monaghan of Tullyhasson: "When the applause had died away, William flung his hat on the floor and declared he'd sing The Song Of Temptation:". The words following the above in this version are:

I fear your wear some damp must bear
Or surely you'd reveal them

If you want I'll post the whole version - let me know.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Song of Temptation
From: GUEST,Ranks (from work)
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 05:29 AM

Thanks Mick,

these are the lines I needed. Joe, if you want the full lyrics I will of course mail them. I just do not have a clue how to format a verse so it separates the lines. (shame on me) Actually the version I have, has got several three line verses, which were not sung by the Champion String band and do not fit to the melody either.

Greetings, Ranks

Subject: Lyr Add: TEMPTATION SONG
From: Ranks
Date: 20 Nov 01 - 03:22 PM

This is the full version. The lines in Bracket were not sung by the CSB. They do not fit to the melody either.

TEMPTATION SONG

1 When the small birds of the outer air
They sport with one another
Then why should me and you forbear
To sport all gay together?

Good music, sir, should make one dance
Unless their limbs would fail them
I fear your wear some damp must bear
Or surely you'd reveal them

Refr: With me ditheri I den da, doodle i den da, with me dither iden doodle dam o di dum

(Unconcupiscence preempts our procreation)

2. For naked we come on this earth
And naked we'll go under
So why wear hose and costly clothes
To hide the heights of wonder?

Great Adam when he first wed Eve
No rings they wore or diamonds
But naked they did sport and play
Around the horn of Hymen

(Flesh to flesh and fleece to fleece
And their numbers did increase
And did multiply and spread throughout each nation)

3. O maiden far beyond compare
Don't talk with tongue of fire
For holy writ shall never quit
To purge us of desire

And chastity the beacon bright
Does shine throughout the ages
To guard us on the darkest night
When the storms of passion rages

(So the narrow path I'll hold
Up to heaven's gate of gold
And resist the demons dark and their damnation)

4. If free will is a gift divine
For man's emancipation
Free love's a draft of Cupid's wine
To tease us with temptation

These laws and rules were made for fools
Each day they're growing stricter
So come with me, we'll sport in glee
Let Venus be the victor

(And if Bacchus lends a hand
We will riot through the land
And we'll fornicate with fervor and elation)

5. When David fell from God and grace
No armies did applaud him
And none was saved and not depraved
From the sinful City Sodom

And look then to storied Troy
What led to its destruction?
But vengeance for the crime of rape
And ravishing seduction

6. King Solomon that monarch wise
Wooed thrice three hundred lovers
He'd wives and queens and concubines
As the Scripture it uncovers

Let curving breast be your fond quest
And yield to female charm
And lie one long and lusty night
All naked in my arms

7 Begone, you slut, heaven is shut
To all such fornicators
To strumpets, streels and harlots all
Likewise abominators

Matrimony was God's command
And matrimonial station
And with these words the two withdrew
This was their conversation

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 27-Nov-01.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Song of Temptation
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 04:28 AM

Barring the lines in parentheses this is almost identical to the Paddy Tunney version (there: Great Adam wooed his Eve; To strumpets, whores and harlots all; Better matching of singular/plurals in rhymes diamond/Hymen, charms/arms).

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Song of Temptation
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 08:41 AM

I have that old CSB album but, between Gilfellon's accent and the strangeness of the lines in question, I would not have come in cooee of deciphering them.

I'm probably a bit thick so can someone explain the meaning of those two lines for me? The use of 'one', 'their' and then 'your' is somewhat confusing. I suspect the temptress is advocating the dispensing of clothes and revealing of limbs, but the precise meaning of 'I fear your wear some damp must bear' eludes me - unless it is simply that clothes keep off the rain. Or is there some deep sexual connotation here that I am missing? Just curious.

--Stewie.