Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 Jun 21 - 10:40 AM

'all I can find of Amhrán na bhFia is a video of Con Ó Drisceoil singing. It is a difficult song to search for as the title resembles that of the Irish national anthem'

Yes that's a problem with the pun of the title.

It's one of the songs in his second collection 'Hunting of the Hair'

The song is based on a newspaper article of about drunken deer rampagign around the Swedish countryside after feasting on fermented apples. Con O'Driceoil anthropomorphised the affair, taking the step   'from reading of drunken deer to depicting them as following mankind's example: having a drink-sodden party that features singing, dancing, quarrelling and, eventually, violent outbursts [...]'

Hence my case for inclusion in this collection.

It starts:

One autumn eve in the south of Sweden,
A herd of deer were quietly feeding;
Sturdy stags and gentle does
In a peaceful scene of quiet repose.
One young buck who drifted northward
Wandered into a fertile orchard.
Munching widfall from the ground,
Their impact soon did him astound.

He called his mates, they were most contented;
Nibbling fruit that was well fermented;
Pains or worries, they felt neither,
Gorging themselves on solid cider.
Soon they were all in great condition,
Settling into a jovial session,
Dancing around ibn groups of four
And lilting the Bucks of Oranmore.


Followed by another twelve verses that I can't all type out right now.. but eventually making 'the obvious connection between apples, downfall and the story of Adam and Eve[...]'

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Jun 21 - 05:56 PM

Johnny Jump Up has a considerable yarn about a wake at the end of the song. It is at least partly about a wake. Don't worry about it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Felipa
Date: 22 Jun 21 - 02:46 PM

all I can find of Amhrán na bhFia is a video of Con Ó Drisceoil singing. It is a difficult song to search for as the title resembles that of the Irish national anthem. http://pipers.ie/source/media/?mediaId=21147

It is not hard to find recordings on line of Frank Crumit singing "O'Hooligan's Ball". Maybe Jim Bainbridge could post lyrics?

To my mind, The Johnny Jump Up is outside the thread parameters as it is not a story in the context of a party or other special event ... we can't be having all the drinking songs we know in one discussion ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Planetluvver
Date: 22 Jun 21 - 12:39 AM

Furagone's Wake is a parody of Finnegan's Wake by Marc Gunn. The lyrics and the CD can be found at the link below.


found here: https://magerecords.com/album/irish-drinking-songs-for-cat-lovers

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 11:59 AM

I've skimmed through this & can find no mention of the US Irish song 'O'Hooligan's Ball'- I got it from Frank Crumit & put it on a CD about 20 years ago

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 07:39 AM

Micheál Marrinan's 'Nighr Clubbing Song' has a few of the right elements I think, evebn if it's a night out clubbing rather than a party but modern times..

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 06:41 AM

'Now, I wonder which other songs about sports and/or fairs would suit and which would not.'

I was a bit worried I was creating a monster there by introducing the Famous Faha Sports but there's enough mayhem to fit it in with the parties and the soirees. The most obvious one The Humours of Donnybrook Fair is probably out as it's more of the 'In praise of' variety but I may be able to think of one or two yet.

Fahalunaghta (Faha for short) is two or three townlands over from where I am living and I pass through there almost daily so that's my excuise for putting it up anyway.

There's probably an argument to be made for including Junior Crehan's 'Gleeson's 1989' for it's description of music, merriment and real life people even though it does not descend into mayhem as most of these songs do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 05:52 AM

Oops. That song is called Johnny Jump Up (unsurprisingly!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 05:51 AM

From Jimmy Crowley, approximately as sung by Christy:

I’ll tell you a story that happened to me
One day as I went down to Youghal by the sea
The sun it was high and the day it was warm
Says I a quiet pint wouldn’t do me no harm

I went in and I called for a bottle of stout
Says the barman "I’m sorry all the beer is sold out
Try whiskey or Paddy ten years in the wood"
Says I "I’ll try cider I’ve heard that it’s good"

O never O never O never again
If I live to a hundred or a hundred and ten
I fell to the ground and I couldn’t get up
After drinking a quart of the Johnny Jump Up

After lowering a third I went straight to the yard
Where I bumped into Brophy the big civic guard
"Come here to me boy don’t you know I’m the law"
So I upped with me fist and I shattered his jaw

He fell to the ground and he couldn’t get up
But it wasn’t I hit him 'twas Johnny Jump Up
The next thing I saw down in Youghal by the sea
Was a cripple on crutches and says he to me

"I’m afraid of me life I’ll be hit by a car
Would you help me across to the Railwayman’s Bar?"
After drinkin a quart of that cider so sweet
He threw down his crutches and danced on his feet

I went down the Lee road a friend for to see,
They call it the Madhouse in Cork by the Sea
But when I got there now the truth I will tell
They had the poor bugger locked up in a cell

Said the guard, testing him, "Say these words if you can:
'Around the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran."
"Tell them I'm not crazy, tell them I'm not mad
It was only a sup of the bottle I had."

A man died in the union by the name of McNab
They washed him and laid him outside on the slab
And after O'Connor his measurements did take
His wife took him home to a bloody fine wake

It was about twelve o’clock and the beer it was high
The corpse he sat up and says he with a sigh
"I can’t get into heaven they won’t let me up
Till I bring them a quart of the Johnny Jump Up"

O never O never O never again
If I live to a hundred or a hundred and ten
For I fell to the ground and I couldn’t get up
After drinking a quart of the Johnny Jump Up

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 Jun 21 - 05:02 AM

Perhaps a bit of an outlier here but Con O Drisceoil
's 'Two row cake' does have its roots in his 40th birthday party.

Also, while not actually set in Ireland, his 'Amhran na bhFia', the Stag party as it were, could be up for consideration as it follows the usual pattern of drunkenness and mayhem typical of the genre.

Sending this from my phone, supplying the words is beyond me this way, I am sure they will be easily located somewhere.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 06:54 PM

thanks for keeping the party going. To my mind, As I Leave Behind Neidín doesn't belong in this collection, the The Famous Faha Sports does. Now, I wonder which other songs about sports and/or fairs would suit and which would not.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 06:33 PM

What about "As I Leave Behind Neidin"? It does mention "as I float across the floor" in "the greatest Waltz of all".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 05:27 PM

I am not sure ' the famous Faha sports' is includes here but it should be. My late friend Kitty Hayes, who was born and grew up in Faha, commented 'its all true too'
I copy below from the Clare library:




The Famous Faha Sports

Fahanlunaghta Mór and Fahanlunaghta Beg lie to the east between Miltown Malbay and Lahinch and were the scene of a popular sports day which seems to have fizzled out during the Second World War. The song given below is the version of ‘The Famous Faha Sports’ which Tim Dennehy sings on his cassette ‘A Thimbleful of Song’. The authorship is attributed to the ubiquitous Miko Guthrie with extra verses added by Breandán Higgins of Lahinch.

There is a joyous vulgarity in the song which reminds one of the paintings of Breugel or Hogarth and some of the images captured by Miko show touches of deftness with his pen almost comparable to theirs with the brush. The air to which it is sung is a version of ‘An Staicín Eórnan’ or ‘Kerry Long Ago’.

fialtach = a wild-looking person

Oh, come all ye loyal heroes out of Moy or Cloneyogan,
Out of Lahinch or Liscannor or from any other port.
Give ear unto my ditty and I hope you’ll find it pretty,
Concerning the great day we had at the famous Faha Sports.

Oh, the weather it was glorious, the day dawned bright and beautiful,
And a mighty crowd assembled, they came from far and near.
There were bottle stalls and sweet stalls, men with fiddles and melodeons,
And they playing grand old music ’t would delight your heart to hear.

There were athletes in abundance, runners, jumpers and big weight throwers,
Oh, the finest set of athletes that you could wish to see.
For to see the bulging muscles of the mighty tug-o-war men,
As they dug their heels into the sward and strove for victory.

Mary Cunnane from Ennistymon had a stall piled high with candy,
And she wore a strapless tea-coat that left her breasts exposed.
Old Batt Sexton when buying oranges went feeling them for ripeness.
But she misjudged his accent and she fairly broke his nose.

There was a girl there from Kilshanny and they said she’d equal any,
For a-shouting, roaring, fighting, or a-tearing of all sorts,
Till some hoor came up from Cree and he caught her by the knee,
Just to roll her in a meadow at the famous Faha Sports.

Some big fialtach from Kilfenora with his belly full of porter,
He fell against the big marquee and he rattled the supports.
There were cries of consternation and great songs of jubilation,
And no heed of him was taken at the famous Faha Sports.

Another fialtach from Mount Callan brought poor Mary Carty dancing,
And they danced some might fancy steps when they both were ‘maith go leor’
Ah, but with all the double wheeling, sure poor Mary’s head went reeling,
And the floor was specially treated, before the set was o’er.

Oh, the pace was fast and furious with many a man delirious,
There were long jumps, high jumps, weight throwing and races of all sorts.
Then we drank our fill of porter and when the day was over,
We staggered home quite happy from the famous Faha Sports.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 05:09 PM

Does Mrs Fogarty's Christmas Cake qualify? It's about a cake, but I associate it with a Christmas party. That Mudcat discussion also encompasses lyrics of Trinity Cake and Grandma's Killer Cake. It seems all the songs may be of North American origin, though Mrs Fogarty's Christmas Cake and the Trinity Cake have an Irish flavour. I'm aware of the pun, but didn't intend it!. Grandma's Killer Cake is unmistakenly American.

If we can go beyond Ireland, another suggestion for this compilation would be the Kirk Soiree, which is Scottish and is sometimes spelled "The Kirk Swaree".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Felipa
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 04:44 PM

I've tuned in late to the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre singaround tonight but from around 40-50 minutes into the programme, songs include The Irish Jubilee (sung by David Ingerson) and Clara Nolan's Ball (sung by Brie Kelly). The arts centre is in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland but several of tonight's singers are from the USA. You can listen back (indefinitely) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uDE1jg5j8

Here's a new song by Dermot Ryan via David Ingerson

THE CORONAVIRUS BALL (to the tune of Lanigan's Ball)
Dermot Ryan
Spots where I changed words: (Dermot's words) [David Ingerson's words]


In the town of Wuhan some germs from an animal made a big lep and infected a few
Nobody thought it would be a pandemic (and) [but] now the whole world's in a hullabaloo.

It didn't take long for the germs to go global in planes and trains and cruises by sea,
Now locked in our homes and trying to stay sober we can't even watch the live sports on TV.

Six long months in isolation, six long months doing nothing at all
Six long months in isolation, this lock-down is driving me [right] up the wall.

Chorus:
I tried to go out, got sent back in again, I went out again, straight back in again
(I'm) sick to death of this social distancing, finish the lock-down for once and for all.

The experts say keep two meters distance and never to gather in couples and groups.
And atin' at home is a feckin' disaster I'm fat as a fool atin' pasta and soups.

Now in the UK the virus was active and got the prime minister in number ten.
I hope Boris Johnson recovers completely so that we can call him a dick-head again.

Six long months in isolation, six long months without toilet roll
I wish to god [that] I had constipation because I got nothing for wiping me hole.

Chorus

Now Trump took it lightly, there's no need to panic, We're under control, sure, 'tis only a flu.
He finally did what he promised the voters, America first in (the infections) [this virus], too.

Three long years with Trump as president, three long years doing nothing at all
Talking shite and blaming China as Mexico begs him to finish the wall

Chorus

The end is in sight and the curve it is (flattening) [flatter, but] lifting the lock-down is yet to be seen
Washing your hands and staying at home is the only solution for Covid-19.

Six long months in isolation, the planet has never looked greener before,
But back to the grind to pay off the mortgage, the world it just won't be the same anymore.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Frug
Date: 02 Apr 13 - 05:03 AM

McCarthy's Party

McCarthy's Party

Oh! a noble man you'll see, if you'll only look at me,
The other day I met McCarthy walking down the way
And he did say to me, "Won't you come to our party,
The house to be sure will be crowded to the door". Oh, we'll all be gay and hear
ty, at McCarthy's party,
We'll all let down our hair, Oh Murphys Burkes & Leahys
Will be there with their sheleighlis, down at McCarthy's party

Oh at McCarthy's Party every one was hearty,
Someone hit Moloney on the nose,
With the handle of a broom McCarthy swept the room,
Then a row arose & it was murder,
Murphy and his cousin paralysed a half a dozen,
They hit both swift and hard.
A number of the boys will never make a noise,
'cause they're lying in the ould Church yard,

A lady then did try, for to pacify,
My, but she was a grand 'aul cratur,
Yellin' like a bull, she was beautiful,
Madame Peters couldn't imitate her,
She opened up her mouth, North, East, West & South, for all the world to see,
She couldn't get it shut, so McCarthy put his foot...
Down at McCarthy's party

Then began a row, I'll tell it to you now,
Murph, you see was a bit of a dandy,
Moloney he got up, said he was a pup,
Told him straight he wasn't worth candy.
Murph gave him a look, the frying pan he took,
To poor Moloneys nose........
He gave him such a whacker, right across the smacker,
Down at McCarthy's party

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Apr 13 - 08:59 PM

Lyrics to DOLAN'S POKER PARTY, as sung by Frank Crumit, have been posted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 11:41 PM

Here's one that maybe should be added: THE WEDDING OF JOCK MACKAY. Of course it doesn't quite fit the genre: it's ostensibly Scottish, not Irish, and nobody gets drunk or fights. But someone pointed out that it shares some verses with THE IRISH JUBILEE, so there may be an Irish connection after all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Young Buchan
Date: 06 Nov 09 - 07:35 AM

Thanks Jim. Saves me having to type it out. An almost identical version of this was collected by MacEdward Leach in Newfoundland from a singer called Jim Swain, who called it Finnegan's Wake, which was mildly confusing given that he also had the 'normal' Finnegan's Wake in his repertoire which he called - Finnegan's Wake.

Subject: Lyr Add: MISTER FINAGAN
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Nov 09 - 08:11 PM

I found this when searching for the term "billy-go-fister" for a discussion in another thread. It seems to fit the genre, but I find the story rather confusing.

From Irish Come-All-Ye's by Manus O'Conor (New York: L. Lipkind, 1901) page 42:


MISTER FINAGAN.

I'm a dacent laboring youth,
I wur born in the town of Dunshocaklin,
I'm a widower now in my youth
Since I buried swate Molly McLaughlin;
I wur married but once in my life,
Shure, I'll never commit such a sin again,
For I found out when she wur my wife,
She wur fond of one Barney McFinagan.

CHORUS. Whack fil lil lan ta ra le,
Whack fil lil lan tar a laddy de,
Whack fil lil lan ta ra le,
With a ri tol lol lol dil de de de de.

Her father had castles of mud,
Of which I wur fond of admiring,
They wur built in the time of the flood,
For to keep her ancestors dry in;
When he found I had Molly bespoke,
First he got fat and then he got thin again,
In the struggle his gizzard he broke,
And we had a corpse of McFinagan.

For convainiance, the corpse was put
Along with his friends in the barn shure,
While some came to it on foot,
While others came down from Dunagrinshore;
My wife she cried and she sobbed,
I chucked her out twice and she got in again.
I gave her a belt in the gob,
When I wur knocked down by McFinagan.

The bed and the corpse was upset,
The row it commenced in a minute, shure.
Divil a bit of a stick had I got
Till they broke all the legs of the furniture;
In faith, as the blood flew about,
Eyes were shoved out and shoved in ag'in,
I got a southwestern clout,
Which knocked me on top of poor Finagan.

How long I was dead I don't know,
But this I know, I wasn't livin', shure.
I awoke wid a pain in my toe,
For they were both tied wid a ribben, shure;
I opened my mouth for to spake,
The shate was roll'd up to my chin again,
"Och, Molly," says I, "I'm awake;"
"Oh," says she, "you'll be buried wid Finagan."

I opened my eyes for to see—
I strove to get up to knock her about—
I found that my two toes were tied
Like a spoon in a pot of thick stirabout,
But I soon got the use of my toes,
By a friend of the corpse, Larry Gilligan,
Who helped me get into my clothes,
For to spread a grass quilt over Finagan.

Och, my she-devil came home from the spree,
Full of whisky and ripe from the buryin', shure,
And she showed so much mercy to me,
As a hungry man shows a red herrin', shure;
One billy-go-fister I gave,
Which caused her to grunt and to grin again,
In six months I opened the grave,
And slapped her on the bones of Finagan.

It's now that I'm single again,
I'll spend my time rakin' and batterin',
I'll go to the fair wid the men,
And dance wid the girls for a-patterin';
They'll swear that I am stuck to a lee,
And as they say to catch him ag'in,
Bet they'll not come the cuckle o'er me,
For they might be related to Finagan.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 26 May 09 - 01:31 PM

This version of GALWAY BAY was done by the Clancys and Tommy Makem at their great Carnegie Hall concert in the 1980s. You can plug in any beer or ale or stout or porter you might prefer in verse #2.

Maybe someday I'll go back again to Ireland
If my dear old wife would only pass away.
She nearly drives me daft with all her naggin'.
She's got a mouth as big as Galway Bay.

See her drinkin' 16 pints of Pabst Blue Ribbon,
And then she can walk home without a sway.
If the sea were beer instead of salty water,
She would live and die in Galway Bay.

See her drinkin' 16 pints of Padgo Murphy's.
When the barman says "I think it's time to go,"
She doesn't try to speak to him in Gaelic,
But a language that the clergy do not know.

On her back she has tattooed a map of Ireland,
And when she takes her bath on Saturday,
She rubs the Sunlight Soap around by Claddaugh,
Just to watch the suds roll down on Galway Bay!

Subject: Lyr Add: MCSORLEY'S TWINS (Gus Phillips)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 May 09 - 08:36 AM

Thanks for bringing my attention to this one.

The Library of Congress has the sheet music. The lyrics are different in some minor ways from the version in the DT, so I'll insert a corrected copy here:


McSORLEY'S TWINS
Gus Phillips
New York: C. H. Ditson & Co., 1885.

1. Arrah! Mrs. McSorley had fine, purty twins.
Two fat little divils they were.
Wid shquallin' and bawlin' from mornin' till night,
It would deafen you, I do declare.
Be me sowl 'twas a caution the way they would shcrame,
Like the blast of a fisherman's horn.
Says McSorley, "Not one blessed hour have I shlept
Since thim two little divils was born."

CHORUS: Wid the beer and the whiskey the whole blessed night,
Faith, they couldn't stand up on their pins.
Such an illigant time at the christenin' we had
Of McSorley's most beautiful twins.

2. Says Mrs McSorley, "A christenin' we'll have,
Just to give me two darlin's a name."
"Faith, we will," says McSorley. "Sure one they must get,
Something grand, to be course, for that same."
Thin for godmothers, Kate and Mag Murphy stood up,
And for godfathers came the two Flynns.
Johanna Maria and Diagnacious O'Mara
Were the names that they christened the twins.

3. Whin the christenin' was over, the company begun
Wid good whiskey to fill up their shkins,
And the neighbors kem in just to wish a good luck
To McSorley's most beautiful twins.
Whin ould Mrs. Mullins had drank all her punch,
Faith, her legs wouldn't howld her at all.
She fell flat on her shtomach on top av the twins,
And they sot up a murtherin' shquall.

4. Thin Mrs. McSorley jumped up in a rage,
And she threatened Miss Mullinses life.
Says ould Denny Mullins, "I'll bate the firsht man
That'd dar lay a hand on me wife!"
The McGanns and the Geoghans they had an ould grudge,
And Mag Murphy pitched into the Flynns.
They fought like the divil, turned over the bed,
And they shmothered the poor little twins.

[There's another copy of this song, with musical score, in College Songs and Popular Ballads for Guitar arranged by Emma Schubert, et al. (Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1888).]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 May 09 - 03:46 AM

GUESTSeth

Its in the Digital Tradition database HERE

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,seth in Olympia
Date: 26 May 09 - 12:51 AM

When I was a kid, I had a set of 78's that my dad got somewhere- It had great stuff on it too, Dear old Donegal, Paddy McGinty's Goat, Finnegan's Ball, The Irish Jubilee, and a song I've never heard anywhere else- McSorley's Beautiful Twins. Does anyone know this one?
Thanks Seth

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 May 09 - 12:17 AM

THE PARTY AT ODD FELLOWS HALL was posted in its own thread by Q.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 11:53 AM

DANNY DOOGAN'S JUBILEE was posted in its own thread by Curious Clouseau.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soire
From: Gulliver
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 09:17 PM

I last saw Jem in November 2007 - the day he was barred from the pub I was playing in. Frank had to go into hospital shortly after for a few months and in the meantime I changed to a pub in Stoneybatter so lost contact with the gang. Jem's voice was gone though at that stage - he could hardly even speak. I met Frank only once since, at a Gerry Crilly gig in Dundrum, from which I was barred the following week (not my fault, a fight between two gig organizers), so again was out of touch. If I hear anything I'll let you know. In the meantime I'm planning to post some old songs and lyrics that I learned from Jem, Gerry, Frank and others on my site. Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Declan
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 02:47 PM

Thanks Gulliver. That sounds pretty much like the same air I have for the song.

Is Jem still with us do you know? I haven't seen him for years. I still remember the first time I met him in Slattery's of Capel St probably in the early 80s. He kept me laughing for about 3 hours solid - and I'd heard all of the jokes before.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soire
From: Gulliver
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 02:19 PM

That's an amazing co-incidence: I had just uploaded this (rarely sung) song (High/Up upon the Mountain) to my web-site and had the lyrics given to me by Frank Kindillon in front of me when I opened this thread and found the lyrics by Declan. I too learned at least half a dozen songs from Jem Kelly, the last one (Double Yellow Lines) the year before last. Frank sang it "Up upon the mountain", otherwise the lyrics are similar - he and Jem lived together for a while, in England I think. Anyway, my site with the audio files is here. Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Declan
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 08:39 AM

By the way thanks to Malcolm for the link to the other song.

The air to high upon the mountain is similar to "Tippin' it up to Nancy". I think it's used for other songs, but I can't think of what they are at the moment.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Declan
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 08:32 AM

High Upon the Mountain
(Learned directly and indirectly from the singing of Jem Kelly, a great character from Dun Laoghaire direction)

I'll sing you a song in a comical style,
If it doesn't make you laugh, it will surely make you smile,
It's all about a wedding, a comical affair,
And me being the bridegroom, I happened to be there.

    (Chorus)
High upon the mountain, that's the place to be,
Listening to the jackdaw singing in the tree,
And as long as I remember, sure I never will forget,
To put up my umbrella when it comes on wet

My wife's mother, that's my mother in law,
Started and she gave me a load of her oul' jaw,
Now only she's a woman, if she had a been a man,
I'd a kicked her in the ankles like an oul 'tin can

Little Jimmy Moylan, he got up to sing,
And five minutes later his nose was in a sling,
Nobody hit him, or said he was a mug,
But someone cracked his kisser with a big enamel jug.

My Aunt Ellen got as drunk as an egg,
She fell down in the corner and she broke her wooden leg,
She called for a physician, hold your whisht says Mrs Grant,
Don't be callin' for a doctor, it's a carpenter you want

The tailor he got needled, and he began to glare,
He said he'd put his fist through the biggest **cker there,
Up says Jimmy Moylan, says you're nothing but a welt,
If there's a **cker in the company its no-one but yourself

High upon the mountain, that's the place to be,
Listening to the jackdaw singing in the tree,
And as long as I remember, sure I never will forget,
To put up my umbrella when it comes on wet
High upon the mountain, that's the place to be,
Listening to the jackdaw singing in the tree,
And always will remember all the days of my life,
The night that I got married to another man's wife.

These are all the verses I can remember. If any one has others I'd love to hear them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: MartinRyan
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 08:57 AM

We're looking for Balls - not Walls! ;>)

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,machree01
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 10:43 AM

Crumlin Kangaroos (Over The Wall)", The Wolfhound.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 03:12 AM

Wedding of Lottie McGrath/Lachlan McGraw

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Declan
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 02:43 AM

Great collection of songs.

Two others that spring to mind are High upon the Mountain - about a wedding and the wedding of Lottie McGrath (I think).

I have the words of the first one will post if not already on the forum, the second I know snatches of lyrics only. I'll be back when I have more time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Ted Curtin
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 11:36 PM

Hi Jim,

Seems you're still at it, judging from your latest this week.

Your posting was the first I've been able to find of Finnigan's Ball, which I learned, I believe, from a McNulty Family record back in the late 40s. I'm grateful to get some verses filled out, and I have one that's not in your version. I'll add some corrections, including one to clear up Mike Muldoon's reputation "Spat in her face" indeed!

Here goes:

Michael Finnegan held a ball,
'Twas down in Ballymooney in the old town hall.
We drove in cabs to the festive scene,
I hired a couple but I ran between.
Oh what a gathering we had there,
What a gathering I declare.
Patsy Sullivan looked a wreck, for he had the gathering upon his neck!
At Finnegan's ball, what a night of jollity!
At Finnigan's ball, we were dancing all around.
We were strict tee-totalers, one and all,
'Till the cork came out at Finnegan's ball

Old Mrs. Mullins, three score and ten,
Hadn't had a kiss since the Lord knows when.
She bought a mask, and went to the dance,
Covered up her face, it was her only chance.
She sat out a dance with Mike Muldoon.
There upon the stair they began to spoon.
Mike spotted her face as he gave her a kiss,
And said, "Heaven help the sailors on a night like this!"
At Finnegan's ball, little Mickey Cassidy,
At Finnegan's ball, he was playing in the band.
And he stood so straight and thin and tall
That he fell through his trumpet at Finnegan's ball.

We had supper with lots to eat.
Sure and we had the finest whisky neat.
But there was trouble in store, oh dear,
For Barney Flynn drank Flannigan's beer.
Mrs. Bull had some appetite.
She ate twenty-seven buns that night.
"These buns are fine," said Mrs. Bull,
"But I couldn't eat another, for my program's full."
At Finnegan's ball, little Mrs.Rafferty.
At Finnegan's ball, got up to have a dance.
But she slipped on the stair, and had a fall,
And she broke her promise at Finnegan's ball.

Pat O'Riley and Bridget Bright,
Sat in an alcove out of sight.
What an alcove is I could not swear.
But whatever it was, they both sat there.
There they were necking till poor old Pat
Saw that she was sitting on his new hat.
"Do you know what you're sittin' on Miss?" says he.
"Well I ought to for I've sat on it for years." says she.
At Finnegan's ball...


Must confess I forget the finish of this verse. Never heard your last verse, and have been trying to figure and fit in what else fell out with Clancy's wallet.


Hope this fills in the blanks after 4 years on this thread.

Ted Curtin

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: MystMoonstruck
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 03:09 AM

I have this on "Far from the Shamrock Shore" by Mick Moloney and very much enjoy it.

Clancy's Wooden Wedding

Five years ago last Sunday night when Clancy took a wife
'twas Little Bridget Haley who would stick to him for life
and he gave a wooden wedding the event to celebrate
and he sent out invitations to his friends both small and great

Now everyone was supposed to bring a present made of wood
some of the things they brought were bad and some were very good
but everyone who came they did the very best they could
when Clancy had a weddin' made of wood

There was all kinds of wood brought to the house that night
hard wood, soft wood and kindling wood delight
there was wood and wooden shavings enough to fill a bed
'twas brought to Clancy's house when he was five years wed

Now the first one to get there was Tim O'Hoolihan,
he brought for a present a Japanese fan
then came Maloney just as neat as a pin
he brought a cradle for to rock the baby in

O'Brien brought a sawhorse handsomely engraved
O'Toole brought a cord of wood for which he didn't pay
Murphy brought the clothespins and Ryan brought a broom
and it looked as though a lumberyard exploded in the room

Wood that came from China, wood that came from Spain
wood from Jerusalem across the ragin' main
wood that came from Russia sent by the Csar
wood that came from Ireland enought to build a car
wood that came from England, wood that came from Wales
wood that came from Scotland, wood that came from jails
they passed around the whiskey and they passed around the ale
and if the glasses wasn't big enough they used a wooden pail

everyone was feelin' good no one was feelin' dry
all around the glory and the glory it was high
someone asked Clancy, "Would he sing a song?"
Clancy said he would, but his voice was gone
Up jumped Maloney and he gave a recitation
all about the kind of wood that grew in every nation
"Begorra such a racket I can't keep it mum!"
O'Brien called Maloney an educated bum

well up jumped Maloney and he gave him such a whack
it raised up a hump in the middle of his back
that was the signal and they all began to fight
and the women hollared, "Murder!" and they said it wasn't right

Murphy threw the poker and it hit O'Hoolihan
O'Brien threw the kettle and he threw the frying pan
Patrick lost his false teeth and through the window dove
Maloney sat down on a red hot stove

Well there was all kinds of wood went flyin' through the air
Brady hit O'Grady with the round of a chair
Murphy took Sullivan and threw him on the bed
stabbed him with a clothespin and left him there for dead
Police got twenty five and thirty got away
they took then up before the judge the very next day
the judge looked them over as before them they stood
he gave them sixty days in jail...now they're all sawing wood.

Johnny Jump Up has a wake mentioned near the end:
I'll tell you a story that happened to me
One day as I went down to Cork by the sea
The sun it was hot and the day it was warm,
Says I a quiet pint wouldn't do me no harm

I went in and I called for a bottle of stout
Says the barman, I'm sorry, all the beer is sold out
Try whiskey or paddy, ten years in the wood
Says I, I'll try cider, I've heard it was good.

Oh never, Oh never, Oh never again
If I live to be a hundred or a hundred and ten
I fell to the ground and I couldn't get up
After drinking a quart of the Johnny Jump Up

After downing the third I went out to the yard
Where I bumped into Brody, the big civic guard
Come here to me boy, don't you know I'm the law?
Well, I up with me fist and I shattered his jaw

He fell to the ground with his knees doubled up
But it wasn't I hit him, 'twas Johnny Jump Up
The next thing I remember down in Cork by the sea
Was a cripple on crutches and says he to me

I'm afraid of me life I'll be hit by a car
Won't you help me across to the Celtic Knot Bar?
After downing a quart of that cider so sweet
He threw down his crutches and danced on his feet

I went up the lee road, a friend for to see
They call it the madhouse in Cork by the Sea
Butl when I got there, sure the truth I will tell,
They had this poor bugger locked up in a cell

Said the guard, testing him, say these words if you can,
"Around the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran"
Tell him I'm not crazy, tell him I'm not mad
It was only a sip of the bottle I had

Well, a man died in the mines by the name of McNabb
They washed him and laid him outside on the slab
And after the parlors measurements did take
His wife brought him home to a bloody fine wake

Twas about 12 o'clock and the beer was high
The corpse sits up and says with a sigh
I can't get to heaven, they won't let me up
Til I bring them a quart of the Johnny Jump Up

So if ever you go down to Cork by the sea
Stay out of the ale house and take it from me
If you want to stay sane don't you dare take a sup
Of that devil drink cider called Johnny Jump Up

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 09:48 PM

HANNIGAN'S HOOLEY by Cecil Sheridan.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 12:01 AM

FINNEGAN'S IN AGAIN

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soire
From: GUEST,Conrad Bladey Peasant
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 08:34 AM

Of course with a thread like this you will all need a copy of THE Irish wake book- Music, food stories and instruction from the ground up and into the ground again! Essential reading-

http://www.geocities.com/artcars/bookie4a.html

Conrad

Subject: Lyr Add: DAN O'BRIEN'S RAFFLE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Jun 05 - 11:34 PM

From The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music:

DAN O'BRIEN'S RAFFLE
Words and Music by J. W. Kelly, 1888.
"Sung by Miss Maggie Cline"

1. Dan O'Brien gave a raffle to his friends a week ago.
The gang got hot when I threw forty-four.
Then they started in to fighting and I really did believe
They'd kill me when they got me on the floor.
I fought them like a tiger till O'Brien broke my nose,
Broke my ribs before the others had begun,
Then they hit me with a poker, turn'd spittoons upon my clothes.
It's a good thing that I didn't have my gun.

CHORUS 1: If you've money you can bet it, I never will forget it.
I'll hold the grudge until the day I'm dyin';
And I'll live to see the day when the penalty he'll pay,
And I will live to slaughter Dan O'Brien.

2. There were ten or twenty men started kicking at me then.
Their boots genteelly into me they drove.
Then they hit me forty cracks with the butt-end of an ax,
For someone swore that I upset the stove.
When half of them were done, then the other half begun.
I said my pray'rs and thought I had to die.
Then O'Brien, to finish all, stood me up against the wall
And turned the excelsior water in my eye.

CHORUS 2: If you've money you can bet it, I never will forget it.
I'll hold the grudge until the day I'm dyin';
And I'd give a hundred pound for to fight a single round
To show you all that I can lick O'Brien.

3. They thought they had me killed when my Irish blood they spilled.
O'Brien says, "Don't hurt him any more."
Then to show his noble heart and to give me a good start,
He gently shaved me through the barroom door.
On the very spot I fell, I heard a curious bell.
'Twas the ringing of the patrol wagon gong.
When O'Brien shouted strong, "Will you take the turkey along?"
But I slighted him and never looked around.

CHORUS 3: If you've money you can bet it, I never will forget it.
I'll hold the grudge until the day I'm dyin';
And if I can't have his life, I will go and lick his wife,
But I would sooner go and lick O'Brien.

["Raffle" seems to be a term for a sort of gambling party. The illustration on the cover shows a hand throwing three dice from a cup. I have no idea what specific game they were playing.

["Excelsior water" seems to be a comic mispronunciation of "seltzer water."]

Subject: Lyr Add: WAKE SONG (Colum Sands)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 02:20 PM

Thanks, Cromdubh. You gave me enough information to enable me to find it.

Copied from http://home.hccnet.nl/j.poelma/songtext/The_note_that_lingers_on/Wake%20song.html

WAKE SONG
Words & Music Colum Sands, Elm Grove Music

I was talking in my sleep about a wake.
"I'm sorry for your trouble now," says I.
I awoke and thought of all the things we say
At the place where people come to laugh and cry.

CHORUS: "Ah, he went very sudden in the end,
But it's good to see him looking like himself,
And he never done nobody no harm,
Except, poor craythur, to himself."

Does anybody know what age he was?
"He was rightly up in years," said Miss McGrath.
"If he'd lived another fortnight I would say,
He'd have lasted two weeks longer than my da."
"That would leave him round the 90 mark," say I.
Says oul Mc Cabe, "That's not so oul at all,
For I'm coming up on 95 myself,
Sure I wonder what came over him at all." CHORUS

"Now far be it from me to be a judge
But I know that I am talking among friends.
If you ask me what it was that done the harm,
He was tryin' to burn the candle at both ends.
Ah, I didn't like the cut of him last week.
Not looking like himself at all, I fear.
Still I'm glad to see he's mended well since then.
Sure I haven't seen him look so good in years." CHORUS

Ken from Kent is feeling far from home.
He's sitting here not knowing what to think,
When someone comes and whispers in his ear,
"The corpse's brother's wondering what you'll drink."
"I suppose it's time that I was heading on,
Make room for these ones standing in the hall,
For as somebody was saying up above,
A little while will have to do us all." CHORUS

[Sung by Colum Sands on "The Note That Lingers On," 2003.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Cromdubh
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 01:18 PM

There is a very funny wake song called the "Wake Song" on a recent enough album from Tommy Sands (not sure of the first name, always get mixed up). It`s called "talking to the wall", I think.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:28 AM

Weelittledrummer: I've wondered the same thing about Mudcat as a whole, but since the powers-that-be don't seem worried, I won't worry either.

By the way, the previous song takes political incorrectness into a whole new (old) area. I can understand antipathy to Germans during wartime, but these seem to be German-Americans that the Irish are beating up, with the songwriters' apparent approval. Notice that the lyricists have Irish names while the composer has a German name. I wonder if there's an interesting story behind that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:46 AM

are you sure we've got enough cyberspace for this thread?

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE GOOD OLD IRISH WAY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:51 AM

From Indiana University Sheet Music Collections

IN THE GOOD OLD IRISH WAY
(Words, Ed Moran and Vincent Bryan. Music, Harry Von Tilzer. 1918.)
"Introduced with great success by Van and Schenk."

Dan McCarty gave a party on St. Patrick's night.
Ev'ryone drank hearty, and they had a lovely fight.
Mac lives up three flights of stairs above a liquor store.
A German band was practicing upon the second floor.
A little German yelled, "Keep still up there!"
'Twas then the Irish started in for fair.

CHORUS 1: They were singin'. They were swingin' in the good old Irish way.
Sure they had the welkin ringin' when the piper started in to play.
Jigs and reelin' broke the ceilin'. Then the Dutch downstairs got gay.
When the fight begun, little Mickey Dunn
Says, "Take your pick and do it quick. You've got to lick a Hun."
Then they started in for to fight and win in the good old Irish way.

Patter ad lib
It was grand to see the Irish fight to beat the band.
They made Irish harmony with ev'ry blow they'd land.
First they threw the leader down the stairs, but not alone.
Schmitt and Schultz accompanied him upon the slide trombone.
Danny Dunn the barber, having no shillelagh there,
With a ukulele parted seven Germans' hair.
When the drummer tried to beat it, he turned up his toes.
Just because he played by ear, McGuire punched him in the nose.

Getting Cohen the janitor, they had an awful chase
When they asked him what he played, he said the second race.
Quinn ran up to Flynn who fought three Germans all alone.
Flynn says, "These are mine. Go get some Germans of your own."
Donohue the cop came up and says to Finnegan,
"Is this a private fight or say, can anyone git in?"
When the fun was over, sure the Irish gave a cheer.
There were thirty-seven Germans hanging on the chandelier.

CHORUS 2: They were scrappy. They were happy. Licking Germans was like play.
When the place was clear, Michael McAleer
Says, "Now, bedad, it is too bad the Kaiser wasn't here."
Then they gave a cheer and drank the German's beer in the good old Irish way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,Tipperary Tim
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 08:17 AM

Jim Dixon`s addition of The Wedding of Larry Magee brings me back to an old man from my area who when drunk only sang this song.
As a child I was always fascinated by a verse which is not included in Jim`s song,

There was eating and drinking as much as please,

And oul wimmin like monkeys came riding on donkeys,

to dance at the wedding of Larry Magee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 07:53 AM

That's it! I've posted all the songs of this genre I know of. Here are a few in other threads:

FARRAGUT'S BALL - not literally about a party, but seemingly inspired by songs of this type.
THE FUNERAL
THE WEDDIN' O' LAUCHIE M'GRAW - OK, it's Scottish, but otherwise, it fits the genre.
PADDY'S WEDDING
HAGERTY'S BALL

That makes 57 songs in all!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: GUEST,weerover
Date: 03 Aug 04 - 03:01 PM

Jim,

I've certainly played some of the tunes, though haven't learned any to perform in public as yet. I believe having the tunes as well as the lyrics is invaluable, not least for havinmg additional tunes to put to those sets of lyrics for which a tune isn't generally available.

Whether anyone else has been paying attention, you've certainly enhanced my song collection.

wr.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Irish songs about balls, wakes, soirees
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 Aug 04 - 02:37 PM

Weerover: Thanks for your comments. I've been wondering if anyone was paying attention. No matter; I've had fun doing it. I find it astonishing that there are so many songs of this genre, and only a few of them are being sung today.

I have a few questions, though:

Is anyone bothered by the stereotyping of Irish (or Irish-Americans) in these songs? It makes me a tad uneasy—especially the cumulative effect of so many songs that portray Irish as prone to get drunk and fight at parties. (But one of my Irish-American friends says "It's true!") Taken in small doses, the songs are probably funny enough—some of them—to outweigh any objection, though, especially if they are counterbalanced by other songs and tunes such as you would hear in a typical Irish set.

Does anyone know, or care to speculate, on whether this genre began in Ireland or in the US? (Or, for that matter, in the English music hall?)

Has anyone tried to play any of the tunes?

Does anyone find any of these songs attractive enough to actually learn and play?