St Patrick's Day Songs ?

Subject: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 07:34 PM

Just thought I would maintain the tradition of starting a new thread each year asking for St Patrick's Day songs .

So, what songs will YOU be singing this coming St Patrick's Day.?

Be prepared for LOADS of links to previous threads ....

Murray

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 08:15 PM

The usual:
The Minstrel Boy,
Black 47
Paddy Dear - Shamrock is Forbid
Kevin Barry
Sing of Ireland
Danny Boy
Beer, Beer, Beer
Irish Free State
Last Night I Had a Happy Dream
Blood Red Roses
Galway Bay
My Wild Irish Rose
Sing Irishman Sing
Wild Colonial Boy

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: mg
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 08:16 PM

Whatever you do, don't sneer at the songs people want to hear. They want to hear them because they love them. If you don't love the particular genre of Irish-American songs, commonly hauled out on St. Patrick's Day, then find a group of people on that day that doesn't want to hear them. You (generic you) do not need to say that's not what they sing in Ireland, that there are far more respectable Irish (or Irish-American songs) to sing that are more socially acceptable, that many were written by German Americans or whatever, that they are derived from (gasp) music hall songs, that they are maudlin, mawkish, contribute to Irish stereotyping, and that you don't know the words to Irish Eyes if in fact you do. Here is my number: 360-665-4999. If you want to hear one of them and I happen to know it I will gladly sing it to you. Pass them on. It's part of a proud tradition that unfortunately got broken by nasty things like famines etc. so we don't have the old old songs with us passed down in our families. The only two songs my father ever sang were MacNamara's Band and Jim O'Shea. Make fun of them if you will. mg

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 08:20 PM

Any of the good old rebel songs that set the scene by enumerating the nefarious deeds of the cowardly-moustach-twirling Englishmen against the Irish peasantry.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 01 Mar 03 - 10:09 PM

Isn't there a British military march called "St Patrick's Day?"

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 04:13 AM

The Bantry Girl's Lament is lovely, and underperformed.
Along with other patriots,
Keith.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: winterchild
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 04:48 AM

Are there any songs about _ST PATRICK_?? Even irreverant ones? If not, maybe someone should write it; like those infrequent new X-mas songs, it's sure to be a hit, year after year after year, if only one day a year!

;)
WinterC

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,WillyMcBoyne
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 04:55 AM

Come St Mick's Day I always sing 'I wear the orange sash that my grandfather wore.' There is also a lot of good marching songs celebrating the victory of King William at the Battle of the Boyne.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,WillyMcBoyne
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 07:54 AM

I can't remember the title, but me and my freinds use to sing this song on St Paddy's Day.
"I saw this mick,
He made me feel sick
So I hit him with a brick
Ahh, the poor f*****g mick."

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: leprechaun
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 12:49 PM

What mary garvey said.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: mg
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 02:03 PM

I should add they don't just want to hear them..they want to sing them. And we have such a short unbroken tradition of songs that we as Americans, or Irish-Americans in particular on St. Patrick's Day, know and sing, that we shouldn't kill a single one of them as long as anyone wants to sing them. Naturally, this is because most immigrants to America did not speak English..so most songs of most cultures have either been lost entirely due to the vigorous and often abusive efforts to get people to speak English and also deny their heritages. Plus of course there was great intermarriage among groups. Lots of factors..world wars, radio, t.v....who knows.   But we have a few common threads and we shouldn't lose them ..or lose them personally if we find them beneath our dignity, but we shouldn't impose our views on others as long as no one gets hurt by anything. How can a few choruses of My Father's Old Shilleleigh actually hurt anyone?

mg

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 02:28 PM

house of orange

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,Patriotmissile
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 03:08 PM

What's wrong with singing American songs? They are better than Irish songs.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 03:42 PM

My mostly old-time band is performing at a festival associated with the local parade. There'll be two bands who play very Irish stuff and probably none of the chestnuts (except that one has a trained tenor who'll undoubtedly do Danny Boy), so we're doing just American Irish (and not quite Irish) stuff, for something different, including the stuff my parents (who weren't very Irish) loved:

Molly Malone
When Leaving Dear Old Ireland (The Three Leaved Shamrock)
Old Lady & the Devil
Acres of Clams
Drill Ye Tarriers
Black Jack Davey
Sailor's Prayer (to cover the sea song and drinking song requirement in one)
Last Winter Was a Hard One
Green Grow the Lilacs
Coleraine jig
Sheebeg & Sheemore waltz
Southwind waltz

My great grandfather was Scotch-Irish from county Tyrone, but that doesn't mean I need to get nasty about national wear-green day.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,Crazy Little Woman
Date: 02 Mar 03 - 09:52 PM

Banish Misfortune
Battle of Aughrim
The Basket of Turf
Red-haired Boy
The Green Mountain (Maid Behind the Bar)
The Old Horned Sheep
Kitty McGee
The Wee Lass on the Brae
The Kesh Jig
Irish Washerwoman
and for our American number, The Devil's Dream

Catch our act at the St Regis fish fry in Raytown, Missouri, Friday (of course it's a Friday)March 14th.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Genie
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:19 AM

Well, my paid St. Pat's gigs are in retirement communities in the US, so my list of possible songs to play includes a lot of the 'Irish songs they want to
hear, e.g.:

The Same Old Shillelagh
The Wearin' O' The Green
MacNamara's Band
Danny Boy
Galway Bay
My Wild Irish Rose
Cockles and Mussels
Peg O' My Heart
Mother Machree
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Harrigan
A Little Bit Of Heaven Fell
Peggy O'Neill
The Rose of Tralee
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
The Kerry Dance
Where The River Shannon Flows
Who Threw The Overalls In Mistress Murphy's Chowder?
It's A Great Day For The Irish
How Are Things In Glocca Morra?
I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
Gilgarra Mountain
Maggie

Then I have my other list - songs that may be a little less known to my audiences but which I like to sing and from which I always throw in a few:

The Mountains O' Mourne
Come Back, Paddy Reilly
Roddy McCorley
Gilgarra Mountain
Johnny Lad
Star Of The County Down
My Isle Of Innisfree
No Irish Need Apply
Black Velvet Band
Mick McGuire
Buttermilk Hill
Finnegan's Wake
If I Knock The "L" Out Of Kelly
The Minstrel Boy,
Molly Malone
The Devil and the Farmer's Wife
Blow The Candles Out
I'll Tell Me Ma
Bridget O'Malley
Slievenamon
Drill Ye Tarriers
Black Jack Davey
Hares On The Mountain
Shool Aroon
The Recruitin' Sergeant
Mary Mack
The Wild Rover


In jam sessions in March, I usually sing songs from this latter list.

Subject: Lyr Add: SAINT PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN
From: GUEST,Donal
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:22 AM

As regards actual songs ABOUT St. Pat, there's this.
Don.

SAINT PATRICK WAS A GENTLEMAN

Saint Patrick was a gentleman and came of decent people
He built a church in Dublin town and on it put a steeple;
His mother was a Callaghan, his father was a Brady
His sister was an O'Houlihan and his brother an O'Grady.

CHORUS: Success attend Saint Patrick's fist, for he's a decent saint O
He gave the bugs and toads a twist; he's a beauty without paint O.

The Wicklow hills are very high, and so's the hill of Howth O
But I know a hill that's twice as high and latter than them both O;
'Twas on top of that high mount where Patrick preached his sermon
He made the frogs jump through the bogs and he banished all the vermin.

No wonder that we Irish boys should be so gay and frisky,
For Saint Patrick taught the happy knack of drinking of the whiskey;
'Twas he that brewed the best of malt and understood distilling,
His mother kept a shebeen shop in the town of Inniskillen.

Then should I be so fortunate as to go back to Munster,
Och, I'll be bound that from that ground again I would not stir;
'Twas there Saint Patrick planted turf and plenty of the praties,
With pigs galore, a gradh mo stór (1), and buttermilk and praties.

(1) My love, my treasure.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 04:41 AM

Singing in British pubs this year, watch out for an invasion of cheap plastic bodhrani(Plural?). They are being given away by Guinness if you buy 5 pints in a participating outlet.
There is no restriction about issuing them only to those with a sense of rhythm!

Nigel

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 05:20 AM

Well, my sort-of-becoming-an-Irish-band-despite-a-dearth-of-good-musicians Irish band will be playing at Kelley O'Neill's in Waikiki, and I have a question. And I don't feel quite so bad about asking it now, after reading Mary's post. Does anyone have a good set of guitar chords to "Danny Boy"? We're sure we're going to be asked to do it, and need to be prepared. I have an arrangement that's OK, but I think it could sound better, and I'm not a good enough musician (see above) to find the chords. One thing that's kind of interesting is that they throw in a VIb chord (i.e., in D it would be Bb) on the last note, before resolving to the tonic. I don't remember having heard that before, though it sounds like it would have been a common Tin Pan Alley trick.
So, any suggestions?

Aloha,
Mark M. Cohan

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,allen woodpecker
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 08:12 AM

Don't forget "Patrick's Arrival" by Christy Moore, I think.
a.w.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Declan
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 10:06 AM

Allen,

You beat me to it. The lyrics are on this thread attributed to William Maginn. I was under the impression (based on the sleeve notes from the Prosperous album) that Christy had written the words himself. He certainly claims to have set the lyrics to the tune of "The night before Larry was stretched". I don't know what the album credits have to say about authorship.

This is about the only song that I do around Paddy's Day that I don't normally sing at other times of the year.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: JohnnyBeezer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 11:40 AM

Hi Becky
It's SCOTS-IRISH! Scotch is a very nice drink
Best regards
Johnny N

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: JohnnyBeezer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 11:48 AM

Re-Hi Becky
I've just read what I have written.
Sorry to be a PEDANTIC TWAT!!!
All the best

Johnny N

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:02 PM

Johnny N,

On the pedantic front, I've read (p'raps in this here forum) that, once upon a time, it was Scots to be Scotch, and that the differentiation arose in the latter half of the last century. My 79-year-old mother has always spoken of her grandfather as Scotch-Irish... and herself as Heinz 57 (a mix, that is including "Pennsylvania Dutch", which has nothing to do with Holland, of course). After all, they drink whiskey in Scotland, not Scotch, right? :-)

~ Becky

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Declan
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:05 PM

Re my post above it was on "The Iron behind the Velvet" album by Christy Moore rather than "Prosperous"

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Declan
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:09 PM

Becky,

To be even more pedantic they drink Whisky in Scotland. They drink Whiskey in Ireland.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:17 PM

Ha! I had a feeling I'd get in trouble with that. Must be because Jameson's is what I drink lately, when I'm drinking that sort of brew (which isn't often).

~ Becky

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 12:31 PM

And of course, DD, it's not a brew but a distillate ;-)

Any suggestions for a slow air to play on the pipes during a Patrick's Day Mass?   In previous years I've done Easter Snows and Port na bPúcaí (cue thunderbolt from Heaven) and Loch na gCaor, for reasons either purely musical or so obscure that I won't bore you with them.

Hrothgar, there is indeed a set dance tune called "St Patrick's Day" which is in jig time and was/is used by one of the Irish Regiments of the British Army. It's also used by whatever is left of the bands in the Irish Army. For the modern, combat-booted soldier marching on an asphalt or concrete surface, jigs are generally much better than quadruple-time marches: there's more of a swing to them, and they don't take themselves so seriously.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 01:33 PM

Mary

You mention a song called "Jim O'Shea"? Don't think I've heard of it - any detials? Thanks

Regards

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 02:38 PM

An Pluiméir Ceolmhar - Aargh! Dangerous waters, these!

~ Becky

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: mg
Date: 03 Mar 03 - 09:48 PM

here is a url for Jim O'Shea..I knew a very abbreviated version. I don't sing it because I think it would be offensive today...probably was then too..

http://www.kinglaoghaire.com/ballads/ivegotri.html

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 04 Mar 03 - 06:15 AM

Thanks for that, Mary. There's the ghost of another song with a similar theme rolling around my head - but I certainly haven't heard this one.

Regards

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 04 Mar 03 - 06:40 AM

Crazy Little Woman, how did "Acres of Clams" get into the act? All the others have some reason for being in an Iish bracket, but that?

Still a good song though. Too good for the Irish? :-)

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Mar 03 - 01:52 PM

Hrothgar - She may be Crazy, but I'm the one who listed Acres of Clams - it's to the tune of Rosin the Beau, which has American origins (at least according to printing records) but Irish associations, and perhaps Irish roots for the tune... We're doing the Old Settler's Song, not the Charlie King one, so it fits (without sitting on the suitcase too heavily) in with the Irish-American-immigration theme. Get it?

~ Becky

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Mar 03 - 01:52 PM

Plus, one of our players spent a long time in Seattle, before moving to the sunny south.

~ Becky

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 04:16 AM

Guess nobody has chords to Danny Boy, then, huh?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Teribus
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 10:18 AM

St Patrick's Day Songs:

And no one has mentioned the most popular song in the world:

"A Nation Once Again" by the Wolfe Tones - recently decommissioned Republican Band.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Declan
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 12:21 PM

Unfortunately, they haven't gone away you know. In fact there's two of them now !

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 12:32 PM

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Beccy
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 01:21 PM

I'll be singing
The Night Pat Murphy Died
The Old Black Rum
Irish Paddy
Excursion Around the Bay
Lukey

...and others...

Mark- If you have any luck with the stellar Danny Boy chords, please share... My only version comes from a "Wee Sing" music book that belongs to me kids.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 04:50 PM

The other "Saint Patrick Was a Gentleman" (a toast):

Saint Patrick was a gentleman who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland -- here's a bumper to his health.
But not too many bumpers, lest we lose ourselves and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick and see the snakes again.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Frankham
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 05:34 PM

Here in the States, St. Pat's day is generally celebrated by the singing of what has been called "Oirish" songs...that is songs of tin pan alley and not the traditional songs of Ireland. Usually St. Pat's day is complemented by green beer and plastic bowler hats and an excuse to tie one on.

Some of these Tin Pan Alley songs in my view are pretty good. Danny Boy as Londonderry Aire recently renamed Derryaire (as in she had a London derryaire) is a venerable tune as is the Rose of Tralee and then the lovely Thomas Moore's songs which are not Tin Pan Alley but associated with American parlor music of the 1800's.

A Little Bit of Heaven and I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen are staples and reflect the repitiore of John MacCormick ( a fine tenor).

Has Anyone Here Seen Kelly and the George M. Cohan songs are usually sung as listed above in other posts.

I think that St. Pat's day might be a good opportunity to intersperse authentic and beautiful traditional Irish songs along with the Tin Pan Alley staples. Anyway, on a St. Paddy's gig, that's what we try to do.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: GUEST,Crazy Little Woman
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 08:33 PM

1. Who was it that asked for songs to play in church? How about St Columba (The king of love my shepherd is) or the tune borrowed for "Morning is Broken." I can't believe I cannot recall the real name of that tune!

2. As for Acres of Clams, we shall be surrounded by acres of fish. It's a Friday in Lent, you know. So we are making a sacrifice by having a big party.

3. I thought about putting the chords for Danny Boy on this page, but it's too complicated. Try searching for "The Londonderry Air." Same melody.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: mg
Date: 05 Mar 03 - 09:26 PM

Surely you will have a dispensation on St. Patrick's Day to eat meat? We always got one. Better check that out. It is a feast day. mg (And I do not refer to the songs of my ancestors as Oirish. And I doubt any of them ever owned plastic hats).

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 12:42 AM

Friday? I thought March 17 was on a Monday. Or is it different on the other side of the world?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: Lyr Add: DÓCHAS LINN NAOMH PÁDRAIG
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 08:39 AM

specific mention of St Pat in The Dear Little Shamrock
St Patrick's Day
The Hat My Father Wore

here's one in Irish

DÓCHAS LINN NAOMH PÁDRAIG

Dóchas linn Naomh Pádraig
Aspal mór na hÉireann
Ainm oiric glégeal
Solas mór an tsaoil é
'S é a chloígh na draoithe
Croithe dúra gan aon mhaith
D'isligh dream an díomais
Tré neart Dé ár dtréanfhlaith.

Sléibhte, gleannta, máighe
'S bailte mór' na hÉireann
Ghlan sé iad go deo dúinn.
Míle ghlór dár naomh íl
Iarraimid ort, a Phádraig,
Guí orainne, Gaela,
Dia linn lá 's oíc
'S Pádraig Aspal Éireann.

the tune is published in Eithne and Brian Vallely, "Learn to Play the Fiddle with Armagh Piper's Club"

Subject: Lyr Add: DÓCHAS LINN NAOMH PÁDRAIG
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 08:46 AM

some letters are missing above, in "dhíl" and "oíche2, second verse

Dóchas linn Naomh Pádraig
Aspal mór na hÉireann
Ainm oiric glégeal
Solas mór an tsaoil é
'S é a chloígh na draoithe
Croithe dúra gan aon mhaith
D'isligh dream an díomais
Tré neart Dé ár dtréanfhlaith.

Sléibhte, gleannta, máighe
'S bailte mór' na hÉireann
Ghlan sé iad go deo dúinn.
Míle ghlór dár naomh dhíl
Iarraimid ort, a Phádraig,
Guí orainne, Gaela,
Dia linn lá 's oíche
'S Pádraig Aspal Éireann.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: MMario
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 08:48 AM

I have to dredge up one of my old tapes from Ren-faire; I love the "St. Pat's Day Polka" by Brian Leo

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: Declan
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 12:35 PM

CLW,

The hymn with the air of "morning is broken" is very appropriate as the words are taken from a prayer called St Patrick's Breastplate which starts with the line

"Christ be before me, Christ be beside me". I don't have the full words, but I bet someone around here does.

Subject: RE: St Patrick's Day Songs ?
From: MMario
Date: 06 Mar 03 - 12:46 PM

Breasplate thread