Lyr Add: The Irishman's Epistle to the Officers...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Irishman's Epistle to the Officers...
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 09 Jul 15 - 12:40 AM

If singing it to the Washerwoman, the last 2 lines of each verse can be sung to the first and fourth lines of the verse.
And the short 3rd verse can be sung to the B part of the Washerwoman.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Irishman's Epistle to the Officers...
From: Abby Sale
Date: 08 Jul 15 - 08:03 PM

MMario:
Remind me to sing a verse at the Getaway.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Irishman's Epistle to the Officers...
From: MartinRyan
Date: 17 Mar 10 - 05:06 AM

Hadn't noticed this one, first time round. It looks to be two lines short of a good fit to a two part jig (3 x 8 line verses) but fits neatly to, say, Tatterjack Walsh until you run out of words at the end!

Regards

Subject: Lyr Add: THE IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 09:25 PM

Here' how the "song" (or poem?) appears in The London Magazine or Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, Volume 44 (London: R. Baldwin, November, 1775), page 599:

[No tune is given.]

From the SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE.
The IRISHMAN'S Epistle to the Officers and Troops at Boston.

By my faith, but I think ye're all makers of bulls,
With your brains in your breeches, your guts in your skulls,
Get home with your muskets, and put up your swords,
And look in your books for the meaning of words.
Ye see now, my honies, how much your mistaken,
For Concord by Discord can never be beaten.

How brave you went out with your muskets all bright,
And thought to befrighten the folks with the sight;
But when you got there, how they powder'd your pums*,
And all the way home how they pepper'd your bums,
And is it not, honies, a comical farce,
To be proud in the face, and be shot in the ——?

How came you to think now, they did not know how,
To be after their firelocks as smartly as you?
Why ye see now, my honies, 'tis nothing at all,
But to pull at the trigger, and pop goes the ball.

And what have you got now with all your designing,
But a town** without victuals to sit down and dine in;
And to look on the ground like a parcel of noodles,
And sing, how the yankies have beaten the doodles.
I'm sure if you're wise you'll make peace for a dinner,
For fighting and fasting will soon make ye thinner.
PADDY.

* Heads.
** Boston.

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 01:42 PM

P.S. I don't have either of them.

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 01:33 PM

According to Gary Lynn Fergusson's Song Finder (Greenwood), "Irishman's Epistle to the Officers and Troops at Boston" is in Carolyn Robinson, Songbook of the American Revolution (NEO Press, 1974), with words & music; and "Irishman's Epistle" is in Irwin Silber, Songs of Independence (Stackpole Books, 1973), with words & music.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:23 AM

so - does anyone have the dots to a tune for this that is NOT irish washerwoman - and NOT Brand's new tune?

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:21 AM

The title of the Brand version is "To the Troops in Boston."

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 11:20 AM

Also in Oscar Brand, Songs of '76: A Folksinger's History of the Revolution (Evans, 1972, p. 53), with a different tune (that is, not "Irish Washerwoman") and minor textual differences ("feet" instead of the first "bums"). Note says "New music and edited text © 1972 Oscar Brand."

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 10:36 AM

AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS AND TROOPS AT BOSTON is in the DT, with midi. This song (text only; title is "The Irishman's Epistle"; the word "bums" is deleted) is in Frank Moore, Songs and Ballads of the American Revolution (1855; reprinted by Kennikat Press, 1964, pp. 92-94), which says on the song:

"This happy production of "Paddy," must have been very popular with "the rebels," as there were four different editions of it published as broadsides, a short time after its first appearance, in the Pennsylvania Magazine. The version subjoined, was printed in May, 1775, and differs slightly in language from that contained in the periodical."--Moore, p. 92.

The lyrics (without music) are also printed in Edward Arthur Dolph, Sound Off!: Soldier Songs (Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1929, p. 495).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: Noreen
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 10:24 AM

The link from the DT is solely to the following thread:

Help: The Text and tune don't fit which makes the point I was about to make!

These two threads could be combined, Joe!)

---

Good idea, Noreen!
-Joe Offer-

---

04-Jan-00 - 07:18 PM (#158034) Subject: The Text and tune don't fit From: [e-mail] The lyrics of the song AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS AND TROOPS AT BOSTON, are supposedly sung to the tune of the Irish Washerwoman, but the lyrics are short by at least 4 measures. Can anyone shed some light on this? Am I missing something? -David

04-Jan-00 - 09:30 PM (#158106) Subject: RE: Help: The Text and tune don't fit From: Abby Sale The last two lines of each verse vary considerably from Washerwoman. It's well done by Committee of Correspondence on _The Amer. Revolution in Song & Ballad_, Folkways, 1975. Or, you could phone me and I'll croak it for you. It's a rousing good song and I sing it each year on 4/18, the anniversary of the rout of Lexington/Concord. It's also good on Paul Revere's birthday, 1/1, since his sneaky spy network supplied the intelligence that they'd be attacking and the locals could be ready for them. Let me know if you find out what a "pum" is. I've done a good bit of checking to not find out.

04-Jan-00 - 10:47 PM (#158173) Subject: RE: Help: The Text and tune don't fit From: Bruce O. When was the song taken to have been written? The Wash Woman (the description of Irish as source of the tune soon became part of the title) was composed about 1785 and printed by Henry Mountain in Dublin (from Breandan Breathnach). It was't known in 1776.

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 10:20 AM

I could have sworn 'Irish washerwoman' was somewhere in the DT but I can't find it today...so here is a link to midis found at JC's tune finder

I cannot find any details on the song - it purports to be an open letter written by an Irishman to the officers and soldiers quartered in Boston during the opening of the Revolutiony War in the US.

Subject: RE: Review: AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE
From: Noreen
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 10:19 AM

AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS AND TROOPS AT BOSTON (in the Digital Tradition) with links to previous discussions, and the MIDI of the tune.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS...
From: Mikey joe
Date: 03 Jul 02 - 10:01 AM

THE IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS AND TROOPS AT BOSTON

By my faith but I think ye're all makers of bulls,
With your brains in your breeches, your bums in your skulls
Get home with your muskets and put up your swords,
And look in your books for the meaning of words.
You see, now, my honeys, how much you're mistaken,
For Concord by discord can never be taken.

How brave ye went out with your muskets all bright,
And thought to be-frighten the folks with the sight;
But when you got there how they powdered your pums,
And all the way home how they peppered your bums.
And is it not, honeys, a comical crack,
To be proud in the face, and be shot in the back?

How come ye to think, now, they did not know how,
To be after their firelocks as smartly as you?
Why, you see, now, my honeys, 'tis nothing at all,
But to pull at the trigger, and pop goes the ball.

And what have you got now with all your designing,
But a town without victuals to sit down and dine in,
And to look on the ground like a parcel of noodles,
And sing how the Yankees have beaten the Doodles.
I'm sure if you're wise you'll make peace for a dinner,
For fighting and fasting will soon make ye thinner.


From Songbook of the American Revolution, Rabson
tune: Irish Washerwoman

Can anyone tell me (a) the tune to which this is sung and (b) the history behind it.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Subject: RE: Help: The Text and tune don't fit
From: Bruce O.
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 10:47 PM

When was the song taken to have been written? The Wash Woman (the description of Irish as source of the tune soon became part of the title) was composed about 1785 and printed by Henry Mountain in Dublin (from Breandan Breathnach). It was't known in 1776.

Subject: RE: Help: The Text and tune don't fit
From: Abby Sale
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 09:30 PM

The last two lines of each verse vary considerably from Washerwoman. It's well done by Committee of Correspondence on _The Amer. Revolution in Song & Ballad_, Folkways, 1975. Or, you could phone me and I'll croak it for you.

It's a rousing good song and I sing it each year on 4/18, the anniversary of the rout of Lexington/Concord. It's also good on Paul Revere's birthday, 1/1, since his sneaky spy network supplied the intelligence that they'd be attacking and the locals could be ready for them.

Let me know if you find out what a "pum" is. I've done a good bit of checking to not find out.

Subject: The Text and tune don't fit
From:
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 07:18 PM

The lyrics of the song AN IRISHMAN'S EPISTLE TO THE OFFICERS AND TROOPS AT BOSTON, are supposedly sung to the tune of the Irish Washerwoman, but the lyrics are short by at least 4 measures. Can anyone shed some light on this? Am I missing something?

-David