Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea

Subject: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From:
Date: 06 Oct 98 - 05:29 AM

I've tried to transcribe the lyrics used by Planxty in the ballad Johnny of Brady's Lea, but there are some local names I can't figure out. In the third verse, Johnny's mother says: "For there are seven foresters in (something wich sounds like "Ethel Mount")" In the fifth verse: "And he's away to (something that sounds like "Moninusk") In the eighth verse there's again this "Ethel Mount" In the ninth verse the sly old man says: "As I came in by , and down the (I haven't the faintest clue about what he says here)" I would be very thankfull iff anyone could provide me the real spelling of these local names.

Erlend Gjerde

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: Dan Keding
Date: 06 Oct 98 - 09:34 AM

Erlend,

Beautiful song isn't it?? It's a Scot ballad often named Johnnie of Braidiesleys or Johnnie o'Coklesmuir. It can be found in volume 2 of the Grieg-Duncan Folk Song Collection. The words you're looking for are Monymusk (also called Merry Musk, Merriemoss) and Esselment ( also referred to as Islington, Earlstoon). There are several vertsions found in Grieg-Duncan. Hope this helps. Good singing.

Dan

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY OF BRADY'S LEA/JOHNNY O'BRAIDSLEE
From: Jon W.
Date: 06 Oct 98 - 10:52 AM

I was surprised to find only one version of this in the DT (searching for #114). Here are two more, including Planxty's.

JOHNNY OF BRADY'S LEA

Oh, Johnny rose on a May morning, called for water to wash his hands,
Says "Bring to me my two grey dogs, lay bound in iron bands."

When Johnny's mother she heard of this, she wrung her hands full sore,
Says "Johnny, for your venison to the green woods do not go."

"For there are seven foresters in Esselment, and this you know full well,
For one small drop of your heart's blood they would ride to the gates of Hell."

"Oh, there's many men are my friends, Mother, Though many more are my foe.
And betide me well or betide me ill, A-hunting I will go."

So Johnny has taken his good bent bow, his arrows one by one,
And he's away to Mony Musk for to bring the dun deer down.

Oh, Johnny shot and the dun deer lept, he's wounded her in the side.
And between the water and the woods, the two dogs laid her pride.

And they ate so much of the venison, they drank so much of the blood,
That Johnny and his two grey dogs fell asleep as if they had been dead.

And by there came a sly old man, a sly old man was he,
And he's away to Esselment for to tell on young Johnny.

"As I came in by Mony Musk, and down among yon scroggs,
It was there I spied the bonniest dude lying sleeping between two dogs."

"And the buttons that were on his coat were of the gold so good,
And the two grey dogs that he lay between, their mouths they were died
with blood."

And up and spoke the first forester, he was headsman over them all,
"Can this be Johnny of Brady's Lea? Unto him we will crawl."

And the very first shot that the foresters fired, it wounded him in the thigh,
And the very next shot that the foresters fired, his heart's blood blinded
his eye.

Then up woke Johnny from out of his sleep, an angry man was he.
He says "The wildest wolf in all this wood would not have done so by me."

And he's leaned his back against an oak, his foot against a stone,
And he has fired on the seven foresters, he's killed them all but one.

And he's broken seven of this man's ribs, his arm and his collarbone,
And he has set him on to his horse, to bring the tidings home.

Johnny's good bent bow is broke, and his two grey dogs are slain,
And his body lies in Mony Musk, and his hunting days are done.

From the album "The Woman I Loved So Well" by Planxty


JOHNNY O'BRAIDSLEE

Johnny rose on a May mornin called for watter to wash his hauns
and he called for his twa grey hunds to be bound in iron chains, chains
to be bound in iron chains

Johnny shot, the dun deer lapt, she was wounded in the side
and between the water and the woods the greyhound laid her pride, pride,
the greyhounds laid her pride

Now Johnny ate the venison and the dogs drank o' the bluid,
and they a' laid down and fell asleep, asleep as they'd been deid, deid,
asleep as i' they'd been deid

An by there cam a silly old man and a silly old man was he
And he's awa' tae the king's foresters for ta tell on young Johnny-ee
For ta tell on young Johnny

Johnny shot six o' them, and the seventh he wounded sore,
and he swung his houk o'er his horse back and he swore that he would hunt more, more,
and he swore that he would hunt more.

Now Johnny's guid bent bow is broke, and his twa grey hunds are slain,
His body lies in Mony Musk and his huntin days are deen, deen,
and his huntin days are deen.

From "25 Scottish Favorites" (Cassette)
Singer Unknown

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: Ezio
Date: 08 Oct 98 - 01:48 AM

... and here you can listen to the Planxty's version.

(Jon: may I get the lyric you sent, in order to match with the audio file in my site, please?)

Ezio

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: Jon W.
Date: 08 Oct 98 - 11:28 AM

Sure, Ezio, I don't mind if Planxty doesn't. Note that this is Child Ballad #114 and it's been around longer than any of us. I presume Dick and Susan will eventually add the versions I posted to the DT.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 05:08 PM

They should make a film of the song. It truely is a wounderfull song. words cant discribe it, you just have to listen to it.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 13 - 04:15 PM

Anyone got Chords for this or know where I can get them? Cheers

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Mar 13 - 05:44 PM

Don't bother. It works far better unaccompanied, the way Scottish ballad singers do it.

John Bewick, at Tobar an Dualchais

Planxty's version is rocked-up garbage.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: michaelr
Date: 04 Mar 13 - 06:44 PM

Calling Planxty "garbage" surely is beyond the pale, even for a mossback like Jack.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 11:54 AM

Hi, yeah I listened to that link, it is great to hear without the music but I would still love to find the chords planxty used for their version if anyone can help, I've spent hours searching the internet and can only find it listed in the contents of Andy Irvines songbook - Aiming for the Heart, which is 16euro at its cheapest and I dont have it to spend it!

Cheers,

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 12:06 PM

Hi GUEST

If you put up an email address, I might be able to help...

Regards

p.s. Or join Mudcat and send me a Personal Message!

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 12:23 PM

The book gives D A and G with nothing too unusual going on. It also notes the tune is by Any I.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 12:31 PM

Thanks, Peter - I was still hunting in my shelves for it!

Regards

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 01:07 PM

Not to worry.

Above should have been music by Andy I.

Subject: RE: Planxty's Johnny of Brady's Lea
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 05:21 PM

Martin and Peter, thanks a mill, I have emailed Joe@mudcat to join and providing that all goes well I'll be in touch. Im not great on the guitar but at least if i get those chords I can write it out n practice away n see can i get the hang of it. Thanks again for the help, Great Site this is too!