Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)

Subject: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 06:28 PM

Tonight, for the umpteenth time in 40-odd years, my father sang the first two lines of a song with a few additional bits of lines with French/mock-French names and phrases. I'd love to get the words (and tune if possible) to allow him to sing the bloody thing properly.
The song begins something like:
"I happened to get born at the time they cut the corn
Just contagious to the town of Killaloe..."

The tune appears to be close to what Dominic Behan has for "Ashtown Road" in his book "The Singing Irish" and I've heard similar rebel-type Irish songs to something similar. Anybody?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 05:36 AM

Refreshed in the hope that the right person notices - the truth is out there

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacha.
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 06:27 AM

Killaloe, also Killaloo, was the regimental march of the disbanded UDR [Ulster Defence Regiment] and it was a cracker, the only bit of good that they did.
I had a recording of this very funny song a long time ago, I can remember just a few snatches, and as you rightly say the French-mock French dosen`1t make it easier to remember.
One part I re-call were " a boy stood up from Clare heard his mother called a me[a]re, and smacked mesere a crack between the eyes"
And," You may talk of Bonyparte, or any other party, and c`mon com parley vous, for we larned to sing it aisy, that song the marshallaisy" etc.
I recall the singer, a small be-spectacled man, and he was brilliant,
and from the Belfast area, this was on BBC Northern Ireland, around the early 70s.
Someone from around Belfast would have the words of this song. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 07:22 AM

Just a thought, "Contagious" means 'catching'.
Did they cut the corn "Contiguous" (i.e. adjacent to ) the town ?

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 07:40 AM

Nigel,

I think this is a deliberate malpropism as frequently found in Irish humorous songs (see Percy French's songs for some examples)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: songs2play
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 08:01 AM

I know it's not much help, but I can remember the song sung about 30 years ago by a young couple, in a concert in South Wales.
I can remember the first line as well, and also -
"And the frenchman said Comment ?, Ah come on yourself says I "
Sorry for not being any help, BUT at least you know there is such a song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 09:11 AM

Bob Bolton posted a set of Killaloo here some years ago (in this case found in Australia) in this discussion: French at Killyloo. It appears to be what you are looking for.

There is also some background information at the website of the Royal Irish Rangers.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: songs2play
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 09:28 AM

That's the one I remember.
Well done Malcolm.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 11:03 AM

Well done (again) the Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacha
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 01:13 PM

Nice one Malcolm, I just tiptoed into that RIR Site and yes, that Killaloo march is a cracker. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: The Walrus
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 08:49 AM

Ard Mhacha,

"Killaloe" was also a favoured tune (if not the Regimental March) of the 88th Regiment of Foot, the Connaught Rangers [1].
Lewis Winstock attributes the music to "R. Martin" and the words to "C. Martin"

"...You may talk about your Guards, boy, your Lancers and Hussars, boys,
Your Fusiliers and Royal Artillerie - without the guns!
The girls, we drive them crazy, the foe we beat them aisy,
The Rangers from old Connaught - yarrrgh - the land across the sea!"


Regards

Walrus

[1] Nicknamed "The Devil's Own" and, of whom, it is reputed, the Duke of Wellington said "I don't know what they do to the enemy, but by God they frighten me"[2]
[2] But then, many other regiments also claim this quote.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,Ard Mhacvha
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 04:24 PM

Thanks Walrus for the info, my Father was in the Connaughts in World War 1 and his explanation for enlisting was an ampty belly and little prospect of earning any money to cure his hunger.
He later on was proud to be involved with a Regiment that mutined over the treatment of Irsh freedom fighters in 1916, resulting in the execution of Daly. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 07:48 PM

"So now the young ladies who live in Killaloo
Are all wearing bustles like their mothers used to do
They each wear a bolster beneath their petticoat,
And leave the rest to providence and Paddy McGinty's goat"

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 06:51 PM

The tune is here: Tune Add: KILALOE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 11:40 PM

G'day Nigel,

That is, of course, a different set of nonsense in Killaloo: Paddy McGinty's Goat!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST,Ulsters finest
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 09:25 AM

The song actually comes from an old British army unit the Connaght rangers & apart from your typical bigoted slur mr armagh on the Ulster Defence Regiment! It was actually adopted by the Royal Irish Rangers & then the Royal Irish Regiment

Subject: Lyr Add: KILLALOE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 11:21 PM

From Marlborough Upper School Songs, 7th Edition (Marlborough: Printed at "The Times" Office, 1901), page 63:


KILLALOE.

1. Oh! I happened to get born
At the time they cut the corn,
Quite contagious to the town of Killaloe,
Where to tache us they'd a schame,
And a French Mossoo he came
To insthruct us in the game of "Parley voo."
I've one father, that I swear.
But he said I had a père,
And he sthruck me, when I said it wasn't throo:
And the Irish for a jint,
And the French for half-a-pint,
Faix! we larnt it in the school at Killaloe.

CHORUS: You may talk of Bony party,
You may talk about écarté,
Or any other party, and "commong voo portey voo?"
We larnt to sing it aisy,
That song the "Marshall lazy,"—
"Boolong"—"Toulong"—the "Continong," we larnt at Killaloe.

2. "Mais oui," Mossoo would cry;
"Well, of course, you may," says I;
"Non,"—"No, I know," says I, in some surprise,
When a boy straight up from Clare
Heard his mother called a mère,
He gave Mossoo his fist between the eyes.
Says Mossoo, with much alarm,
"Go and call for Johnny darmes!"
"There's no such name," says I, "about the place."
"Comment?" he made reply;
"Come on yerself," says I,
And I scattered all the faytures of his face.

3. Oh! boys, there was the fun,—
You should see him when 'twas done,
His eyeballs one by one did disappear,
And a doctor from the south
Took some days to find his mouth,
Which had somehow got concealed behind his ear.
Then he swore an awful oath
He'd have law agin us both,
And then he'd lave both Limerick and Clare;
For he found it wouldn't do
To tache French in Killaloe,
Unless he'd got a face or two to spare.

4. To the Magistrate he wint,
And a lot o' time he spint;
Says the Magistrate, "Begorra, I'm perplexed;
For a fellow who, you see,
Spells whiskey O.D.V.—
You can never tell what he'll be up to next."
Then nothing more was said,
And Mossoo went home to bed,
And mixed no more with Killaloe affairs.
And the papers of the place
Said the foreign tacher's face
Was closed "for alterations and repairs."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Sep 10 - 05:45 PM

Here's my translation of some crucial words:

Mossoo = monsieur (mister)
Parley voo = parlez vous (do you speak—?)
Père = father, but here mistaken for peer or pair?
Bony party = Bonaparte, i.e., Napoleon.
Écarté = a card game
Commong voo portey voo = comment vous portez-vous (how are you?)
Marshall lazy = Marseillaise, the French national anthem
Boolong = Boulon, or possibly Boulogne?
Toulong = Toulon
Continong = continent
Mais oui = why, yes—but here mistaken for "may we?"
Mère = mother—but here mistaken for "mare."
Johnny darmes = gendarmes, police.
Comment? = what?—but here mistaken for "come on."
O. D. V. = a mishearing of eau de vie = (literally) water of life, i.e. whiskey.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Killaloe (nonsense song)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 21 - 01:33 PM

I wonder if the young couple you mention were the excellent Dave Shannon and Fiona Simpson who performed as the duo Therapy in Folk Clubs from the early 1970s. The song Killaloo.. appears on one of their albums .. I still have a signed vinyl copy .. as part of a "live" section on the album. They performed the song so well ... and it was always very well received. I saw them perform numerous times ... always a packed house whereve they performed, and this song was often requested.

Sadly Dave passed away a few years ago ... and the music community lost a very talented musician and comedian .. and a great bloke!