Lyr Req: Thank You Ma'am Says Dan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank You Ma'am Says Dan
From: GUEST,John Doyle
Date: 25 Nov 18 - 08:53 AM

Argh, autocorrect. Love, not live.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank You Ma'am Says Dan
From: GUEST,John Doyle
Date: 25 Nov 18 - 08:52 AM

Agraw is "a grà". Grà being the Irish for live.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank You Ma'am Says Dan
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 07 Aug 17 - 02:21 AM

I've learned this from the Delia Murphy cassette (after allthose years), with a mod to the end line I got from here. I'm about ready to stand up and 'do it' but have a word I don't know is correct.

Here's what I have -

"What brought you into my room, to my room, to my room?
What brought you into my room?" says the mistress unto Dan,
"I came here to court your daughter ma'am,
I thought it no great harm ma'am,"
"Ah, Dan, me dear, you're welcome here,"
"Oh thank you ma'am," says Dan.

"How come you to know my daughter, my daughter, my daughter?
How came you to know my daughter?" says the mistress unto Dan.
"Goin' to the well for water, ma'am,
To raise the can I taught her, ma'am."
"Oh, Dan my dear, you're a handy man."
"Oh thank you ma'am," says Dan.

She's a funny girl, your daughter, your daughter, your daughter,
She's a funny girl your daughter but I like her well says Dan
She's a girl that's fit for any man
And she's a graw for you dear Dan.
Oh Dan my dear, your welcome here,
Oh thank you maam says Dan.

"Oh then, you can have my daughter, my daughter, my daughter,
I'll let you take my daughter," says the mistress unto Dan.
"But if you take my daughter, Dan,
Of course you'll take me also, Dan.
Oh, Dan, my dear, you're welcome here,"
BE GOD! thank you, ma'am," says Dan.

This couple they got married, got married, got married.
This couple they got married, Miss Elizabeth and Dan,
And now he keeps her mother and her father and her brother, O.
'Oh Dan, 'tis you're the lucky man.'

"Ah, go along to hell to says Dan.

So, in the 3rd verse (that I see doesn't feature above)"She's agraw for you dear Dan"

Agraw? Any explanations/suggestions. That's what it sounds as though Delia sings.

Nice to see John Barden starting this thread although I never heard him sing this one.

Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: GUEST,Guest Rory
Date: 28 Jun 15 - 02:02 AM

I have this on a Dominic Behan Lp by Topic, Down by the Liffeyside, from the 60's I think.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: Thompson
Date: 27 Jun 15 - 06:29 PM

Whoever sang it on the 1966 film had a wonderfully considered let's-talk-about-the-dowry-now tone in the "Thank you, ma'am" line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jun 15 - 05:13 PM

I well remember the late Packie Manus Byrne singing this very song in the Gloucester folk club in 1967. Putting his own Donegal wit to keep the party lightsome. Never heard anyone else except meself sing it, though.

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 26 Jun 15 - 02:48 PM

The only version I know is by Delia Murphy with a male singer- maybe Richard Hayward?- can't remember now-there are Cd collections of her songs readily available these days (and cheaply!)- give yourself a treat, John, she had some great material..... see you at Tenterden- cheers Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: Thompson
Date: 26 Jun 15 - 10:55 AM

Eftifino's oul' fella - thank you! Brilliant version!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: eftifino
Date: 26 Jun 15 - 10:20 AM

Here's my late Father in RTE's Late Late Show tribute to him in 1973, doing this very song, with the legendary Peggy Dell on the piano. Not he make a bags of the first verse, but they soldier on!

http://youtu.be/cWgMoNTDsyM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Jun 15 - 07:56 PM

Interesting!

Subject: Lyr Add: A TIPPERARY FOLK-SONG (1911)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Jun 15 - 06:30 PM

From The Living Age, Volume 268, No. 3476 (Boston: Feb. 18, 1911), page 386:

A TIPPERARY FOLK-SONG.

"What brought you into my room,
To my room, to my room?
What brought you into my room?"
    Says the Mistress unto Dan.
"I came here to court your daughter, ma'am,
Sure. I thought it no great harum, ma'am."
"O Dan, my dear, you're welcome here!"
    "I thank you, ma'am," says Dan.

"How came you to know my daughter,
My daughter, my daughter?
How came you to know my daughter?"
    Says the Mistress unto Dan.
"Going to the well for water, ma'am,
To raise the can I taught her, ma'am."
"O Dan, my dear, you're welcome here!"
    "I thank you, ma'am," says Dan.

This couple they got married,
Got married, got married,
This couple they got married.
    Miss Eleezabeth and Dan;
And she lived with her father and
Her mother and her charmer!
And they went for ever after by
    The name of "Thank you, ma'am."

[This folk-song is sung to a simple air which emphasizes the division into lines as here printed, with a peculiarly quaint effect in the last stanza. I have heard neither words nor air outside Co. Tipperary.]
Thomas MacDonagh.
The Nation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Jun 15 - 05:26 PM

At a conference on Thomas MacDonagh in Dublin today June 25, 2015 a speaker in a 1966 documentary on MacDonagh - perhaps it was his friend Padraic Colum - said that Thomas MacDonagh was the person who brought this song first into Dublin.

I used to know it as a child, and am surprised not to see it on Youtube. Has anyone recorded it recently?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: GUEST,John Barden
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 05:33 PM

Thanks indeed for the lyrics. I recall some people singing the last line as:

"Go to hell says Dan" and who could blame him?

John Barden

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 12:22 PM

The version Donagh MacDonagh collected ("Thank You Ma'am Says Dan") is not so different (Click here).

Subject: Lyr Add: "THANK YOU, MA'AM," SAYS DAN
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 06:21 AM

Another version from Gale Huntington, ed., Sam Henry's Songs of the People (University of Georgia Press, 1990, pp. 469-470; with tune):

"THANK YOU, MA'AM," SAYS DAN

'What brought you into my house, to my house, to my house?
What brought you into my house?' said herself to Master Dan.
'I came to coort your daughter, ma'am; I thought it no great harm ma'am,'
'Och Dan, my dear, you're welcome here,'
'Thank you, ma'am,' says Dan.

'How came you to know my daughter, my daughter, my daughter?
How came you to know my daughter?' says herself to Master Dan.
'Goin' to the well for water, ma'am; to raise the can I taught her, ma'am.'
'Och, Dan, my dear, you're welcome here.'
'Thank you ma'am,' says Dan.

'Now I'll let you take my daughter, my daughter, my daughter,
I'll let you take my daughter,' says herself to Master Dan.
'And when you take my daughter, Dan, of course you'll take me also, Dan;
Och Dan, you are the lucky man.'
'Thank you, ma'am,' says Dan.

Now this couple they got married, got married, got married.
This couple they got married, Miss M'Dade and Master Dan,
And he supports her father, mother, brothers, aunts and sisters all!
'Och Dan, 'tis you're the lucky man.'
'Thank you, ma'am,' says Dan.

Subject: Lyr Add: "I THANK YOU, MA'AM," SAYS DAN
From: masato sakurai
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 05:57 AM

Info from folktrax:

THANK YOU, MA'AM, SAYS DAN - "What brought you into my house?" - ROUD#3044 - HENRY SOP #184 & 689/ HUNTINGTON pp496-470 Gerald Crofts (w) Dublin & Joseph M Crofts (m), Dublin - O'LOCHLAINN ISB 1939 pp182-3 Dennis Devereux, Dublin

The following is from Colm O Lochlainn, Irish Street Ballads (1939, 1967, no. 92 [pp. 182-183]; with tune).

"I THANK YOU, MA'AM," SAYS DAN
(Learned from the late Denis Devereux who had it from the late P.J. MacCall, who contributed a version of the words to A Broadside, Cuala Press.)

"What brought you into my room, to my room, to my room?
What brought you into my room?" says the mistress unto Dan,
"I came here to court your daughter ma'am,
I thought it no great harm ma'am,"
"Oh, Dan, me dear, you're welcome here,"
"I thank you ma'am," says Dan.

"How come you to know my daughter, my daughter, my daughter?
How came you to know my daughter?" says the mistress unto Dan.
"Goin' to the well for water, ma'am,
To raise the can I taught her, ma'am."
"Oh, Dan, my dear, you're welcome here."
"I thank you ma'am," says Dan.

"Oh then, you can have my daughter, my daughter, my daughter,
I'll let you take my daughter," says the mistress unto Dan.
"And when you take my daughter, Dan,
Of course you'll take me also, Dan.
Oh, Dan, my dear, you're welcome here,"
"I thank you, ma'am," says Dan.

This couple they got married, got married, got married.
This couple they got married, Miss Elizabeth and Dan,
And now he keeps her mother and her father and his charmer, O.
And they're known throughout the country
By the name of "Thank ye, Ma'am."

Subject: Lyr Req: Thank you mam says Dan
From: GUEST,John Barden
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 04:57 AM

Greetings to all Mudcatters,

Have been searching for the lyrics of an old humorous Irish Song called I think "Thank you Mam says Dan". The 1st verse goes:

What brought you into my house, to my house to my house?
What brought you into my house says the mistress onto Dan?

Afraid the rest eludes me. Would rally appreciate any help on this.

Thanks

John Barden