Lyr Req/Add: Dad's Dinner Pail (Harrigan & Braham)

Subject: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 05:25 PM

I heard this old "Music Hall" song today on WFDU's Traditions program with Ron Olesko. It was sung by Deborah Cowan who appeared live in the studio, and also recorded it on her latest album. The song was written by Edward Harrigan and is still under copyright. Does anyone have the words ? SOL ZELLER

Subject: ADD: My Dad's Dinner Pail (Harrigan &Braham)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 06:19 PM

Hi, Sol - I checked Deb's Website, http://www.debracowan.com, and didn't see the song listed. As far as I know, Debra does not have a CD with the song on it - but she does have a new CD coming out very soon.
The song is long out of copyright, since almost everything published 1923 and earlier is in the public domain.
-Joe Offer-

My Dad's Dinner Pail
(words by Edward Harrigan, music by Dave Braham, 1883)

Preserve that old kettle so blackened and worn,
It belonged to my father before I was born.
It hung in the corner beyond on the nail,
'Twas the emblem of labor, 'Twas my dad's dinner pail.

It glistened like silver, so sparkling and bright,
Dad was fond of the trifle that held his wee bite.
In summer or winter, rain, snow, or hail,
I have carried that kettle, my dad's dinner pail.

When the days they were stormy, my father'd stop home.
He would polish that kettle as clean as a stone.
He would joke with my mother, and at me he would rail,
If I'd just lay a finger on my dad's dinner pail.

When the bells ring for noontime, my father'd come down.
He'd eat with the workmen about on the ground.
He would share with the laborers and say he'd go bail,
For you can't reach the bottom of my dad's dinner pail.

There's a place for the coffee and also the bread,
Corn beef and cabbage, and oft, it was said,
"Go fill it with porter, with beer, or with ale;'
As the drink would taste sweeter from my dad's dinner pail.


from Never without a Song: the Years and Songs of Jennie Devlin, 1865-1952 (Katharine D. Newman, University of Illinois Press, 1995)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 07:45 PM

Thank You Joe.
                           SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From: DebC
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 11:40 AM

Hi Sol,

Wow! That is so cool that you heard the show! Actually, the sheet music's copyright has been renewed by A-R, Inc. but I found that since I got the version I am singing from a source recording, that I am okay and that version is pyublic domain.

The CD will be called "Dad's Dinner Pail: Songs from the Helen Hartness Flanders Colection" and will be released through my record label, Falling Mountain Music. I'll certainly post on here when the CD is released and where you all can get it. We are looking at a release date of end of January-eraly Feb.

Thanks for listening, Sol.

Debra

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From: Mark Ross
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 02:05 PM

It was also recorded by "Haywire Mac" back in the '20's. I recorded it on my CD LOOK FOR ME IN BUTTE. It's a great song. Mac used the 2nd verse as a chorus.

Mark Ross

Subject: Lyr Add: MY DAD'S DINNER PAIL (Harrigan, Braham)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Dec 04 - 10:53 PM

Below are the lyrics from the sheet music. Compared to the version posted by Joe above, there are some significant differences: (1) Joe's second verse is actually the chorus; (2) The next 2 verses are reversed; (3) The version below has some dialect and some minor differences of phrasing, and (4) I think it scans better.

From The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

MY DAD'S DINNER PAIL
Words by Edward Harrigan, music by Dave Braham, 1883.
"As sung in Edward Harrigan's comic play 'Cordelia's Aspirations' "

1. Preserve that old kettle so blackened and worn.
It belong'd to my father before I was born.
It hung in a corner beyond on a nail.
'Twas an emblem of labor, was Dad's dinner pail.

CHORUS: It glisten'd like silver, so sparkling and bright.
I am fond of the trifle that held his wee bite.
In summer or winter, in rain, snow, or hail,
I've carried that kettle, my dad's dinner pail.

2. When the bell rang for mealtime, my father'd come down.
He'd ate with the workmen about on the ground.
He'd share wid a lab'rer and say he'd go bail.
You would ne'er reach the bottom of Dad's dinner pail.

3. If the day should be rainy, my father'd stop home,
And he'd polish his kettle as clane as a stone.
He'd joke wid me mother, and me he would wale,
If I just put a finger on Dad's dinner pail.

4. There's a place for the coffee and also the bread,
The corn-beef and praties, and oft it was said,
"Go fill it wid porter, wid beer, or wid ale."
The drink would taste sweeter from Dad's dinner pail.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From:
Date: 19 Feb 05 - 03:46 PM

In the third line of the 1st verse the word 'beyond' is 'beyant' for bent.

'It hung in a corner beyant on a nail.'

I have a bound book of over 150 copies of the sheet music of Harrigan and Braham. They were given to my grandfather (Philip Braham Harrigan) in 1962 by his sister Nedda Harrigan Logan. Unfortunately the cover pages and end pages were not copied. I don't what technology was used to make the copies from the originals.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dad's Dinner Pail
From: DebC
Date: 20 Feb 05 - 11:35 AM

Hi,

This has been exciting for me. First someone heard me sing this on Ron's show, and now a relative of Edward Harrigan has posted.

It is interesting about the line with the word "beyent" in it. In the Flanders source recording, Jonathon Moses sings "beyent on a nail". I did find the lyrics in the sheet music and the word there was "beyond", so I assumed that I might have heard the word muddied due to the quality of the recording. It's interesting to note that Mr. Harrigan wrote "beyent"

Like all good things, the CD, "Dad's Dinner Pail" is taking it's time to get done, and we are looking for a release in late April. I am really pleased with the way the songs from this wonderful collection have taken shape. Here is a track list. The order still has not been determined:

The Poor Soldier
Dad's Dinner Pail
Walloping Window Blind
Star In the East (aka Brightest and Best)
Cruel Brother (Child 11)
Fearless in The Fire
Schooner EA Horton
Burly Burly Banks of Barbry-O (Child 14)
Young Charlotte
In the Town of Oxford
Bold Richard

I am also very pleased to have John Roberts singing on the two hymns, "Fearless in the Fire" and "Star In the East"

Deb Cowan