Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)

Subject: ADD Version: The Leprechaun (Don Sullivan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Feb 21 - 10:21 PM

GEST always does a good job of song research. Here's their interpretation

THE LEPRECHAUN (from Masterless Men)
(Don Sullivan)

O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun. I'm a leprechaun.

O-o-o. Way back in Ireland in days of yore,
There lived a wee man seldom seen anymore;
He stood six inches high
and he was always dressed in green,
A master of magic all the best ever seen;
Wearing silver buckles, tiny golden bells,
He would go singing through the dell.

O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun.
O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun. I'm a leprechaun.

O-o-o. Now when I was a boy
more than once I was told,
About this leprechaun and his pot of gold;
Yes, golden sovereigns and more than this,
If you could catch the leprechaun,
he'd grant you a wish;
But catching this little man was hard I fear,
Whenever he was seen
he would always disappear.

O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun.
O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun. I'm a leprechaun.

O-o-o. Now you can say I was drunk,
you can call me a liar,
But one night out in the woods,
yes, I saw a fire;
And I thought I'd go wee closer
and have a little peep,
Slowly through woods I started to creep;
To my surprise around the fire,
dancing in the rain,
Was a score of little leprechauns,
and I heard 'em sing:

O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun.
O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun. I'm a leprechaun.

O-o-o. I thought I'd wait
until they finished their fun,
And when they'd gone to sleep
then maybe I'd catch me one;
All tired from dancing,
they laid down by a log,
So I crept up and I caught one,
but he turned into a frog;
He was all wet and slippery,
from me hands he did spring,
As he hopped through the woods
I could hear him sing:

O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun.
O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun.
O, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
Quick or I'll be gone;
Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me,
I'm a leprechaun. I'm a leprechaun.

####.... Don Sullivan from Omagh, County Tyrone, IE ....####
Don Sullivan was the founder of Sullivan's Gypsies c.1969 with three Dubliners: Garrett Kavanaugh, Dermot O'Reilly, and Fergus O'Byrne, all of whom joined Denis Ryan c.1970 to form Ryan's Fancy. In 1971 he parted from Ryan's Fancy when the trio decided to move to Newfoundland-Labrador. Afterward, Don blossomed as a songwriter, making an album in Nashville, TN, and later returning to make Ireland his home base.

This variant was recorded by Masterless Men (Ode To Age, trk#8, 1993 CD, Independent, produced by Jim Fidler and recorded at Dermot O'Reilly's Piper Stock Productions, Torbay, NL).


http://gestsongs.com/34/leprechaun.htm


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqsg-j2t1dM&feature=emb_logo

Subject: ADD: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Feb 21 - 10:11 PM

Maybe I'm just fussy, but I don't like lyrics posts that start off with chords. I'd rather see the chords at the end, or in a separate post. It's nice to have chords, but I think it's better to have the lyrics first. I took these lyrics from the post from Chico above, listened to the Masterless Men recording, and posted corrected lyrics below.
Here's the Masterless Men recording from their Ode to Age album. Still looking for a songwriter name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD2GcuFvIE

THE LEPRECHAUN (from Masterless Men)
(Don Sullivan)

CHORUS
O fiddley diddley catch and riddle me, quick or I'll be gone
Fiddley diddley catch and riddle me
I'm a leprechaun
I'm a leprechaun

O-o-o. Way back in Ireland in days of yore
There lived a wee man seldom seen anymore
He stood six inches high and he was always dressed in green
A master of magic, ah, the best ever seen
Wearing silver buckles, tiny golden bells
He would go singing through the dells
CHORUS

O-o. Now when I was a boy, more than once I was told
About this leprechaun and his pot of gold, yes,
Golden sovereigns and more than this,
If you could catch the leprechaun he'd grant you a wish
But catching this little man was hard, I fear
Whenever he was seen he would always disappear
CHORUS

O-o-o. Now you can say I was drunk, you can call me a liar
But one night out in the woods, yes, I saw a fire
I thought I'd go wee closer and to have a little peep
Slowly through the woods I started to creep
To my surprise around the fire, dancing in the rain, (ring?)
Was a score of little leprechauns, and I heard 'em sing
CHORUS

O-o. I thought I'd wait until they finished their fun
And when they'd gone to sleep then maybe I'd catch me one
All tired from dancing they laid down by a log
So I crept up and I caught one but he turned into a frog
He was all wet and slippery, from me hands he did spring
As he hopped through the woods I could hear him sing:
CHORUS


I'm not clear on all the lyrics, but I think my transcription is pretty good. Please post suggestions below and I'll incorporate them into this post.

-Joe-

---

Up above, Leeneia posted a link to a recording that's a little easier to understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrJGNLVfNo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 13 Feb 21 - 08:33 PM

Dyer-Bennet (fairy was laughing...): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o09nnxf_yzs

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 19 - 08:56 AM

Yes there is a melody for this. My father wrote it for me and my sisters when we were just children. We asked him to write us a song and so he did. It has also been recorded and he is still alive and kicking. We all live back here in Ireland now.

PS

Ryans Fancy has nothing to do with it and the counter melody my father gave to the whistle player.

All the best

John

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,Rider
Date: 14 Jan 16 - 03:07 AM

Was written around 68 to 70 by don Sullivan of Sullivan's gypsies and later Ryan's fancy

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 May 15 - 05:25 AM

As Lighter suggests this does not seem to be a traditional piece - a good thing as it would be much better to have someone to blame! (Frankly I'd hope that the tradition would have weeded out such a tawdry piece of dreck).

This suggests that one "Don Sullivan" was the perpetrator.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 May 15 - 10:56 AM

You can hear the song on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrJGNLVfNo

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: Lighter
Date: 11 May 15 - 10:36 AM

Clearly not trad.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 15 - 09:38 AM

Listened to this around 1968 and it was said to be traditional. The German band Bedafolks used to sing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,Debrat
Date: 15 Jun 13 - 04:05 PM

Used to listen to this when I was a wein, James young the ballymena cowboy used to sing it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 04:42 PM

Correction again. In "Ancient Irish Music" (1873), Joyce says he learned the tune in 1853. Much later he heard words to it that included the line, "O, my darling girl I'll soon come back and surely marry you!" That's all he could remember.

He wrote "The Leprehaun" (Joyce's spelling) just for fun. Only the tune and the leprechaun are traditional.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 03:47 PM

That should be "1830s or '40s." Joyce's dates are 1827-1914.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 03:35 PM

The words were written by tune-collector Patrick Weston Joyce based on fragmentary words he remembered from his boyhood in Glenosheen in the 1850s. Joyce was also the first to print the tune, at least under that title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: Jim I
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 01:39 PM

My late mum's favourite poem.

Great to see it here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Aug 11 - 01:33 PM

It turns out lyrics and chords to THE LEPRECHAUN, as sung by the Masterless Men, have already been posted in an appropriately titled thread: Lyr/Chords Add: The Leprechaun (Masterless Men). I'd say these threads are good candidates for merging. Joe Offer, are you reading this?

---

It's about time I took action on this. I didn't notice until now, but I am now doing my best to un-confuse things.
-Joe Offer, 13 Feb 2021-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Leprechaun (from Masterless Men)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 10:44 PM

THE LEPRECHAUN sung by The Masterless Men can be found on YouTube. I'm not in a good place to listen to it right now, but I might try transcribing it later.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Leprechaun Song (Masterless Men)
From: chico
Date: 28 Jan 06 - 11:50 AM

It is from "Masterless Men" an irish group. mp3's are around. . .I know of no other source

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Leprechaun Song (Masterless Men)
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 28 Jan 06 - 09:18 AM

Is this trad?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Leprechaun Song (Masterless Men)
From: alison
Date: 28 Jan 06 - 01:14 AM

is there a tune?

slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: THE LEPRECHAUN (Masterless Men)
From: chico
Date: 28 Jan 06 - 12:32 AM

     D                                                  (7)
  O fiddle diddle catch and riddle me quick or I'll be gone
     G             (7)
  O fiddle diddle catch and riddle me
   A7           D
  I'm a leprechaun
   A7           D (7)
  I'm a leprechaun
  
   G                      D 
  Way back in Ireland in days of yore
          A7                    D           (1st:D7 Ending:A7)
  There lived a wee man seldom seen anymore 
  He stood some inches high and he was always dressed in green 
  The master of magic, ah the best ever seen 
  Wearing silver bottles, tiny Golden bells 
  He would go singing through the dells
  
  Now when I was a boy more than once I was told 
  About this leprechaun and his pot of gold
  Golden sovereigns and more than this,
  If you could catch the Leprechaun he would grant you a wish
  But catching this little man was hard I fear
  Whenever he was seen he would always disappear
  
  Now you can say I was drunk you can call me a liar
  One night out in the woods yes I saw a fire
  I thought go wee closer and have me a peep
  Slowly in the woods I started to creep
  To my surprise around the fire dancing in the rain
  Was a score of little leprechauns, and I heard em sing
  
  I thought I'd wait until they finished their fun
  And when they'd gone to sleep then maybe I'd catch me one
  All tired from dancing they laid down by a log
  So I crept up and I caught one but he turned into a frog 
  He was all wet and slippery from me hands he did spring
  As he hopped through the woods I could hear them sing:

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: a leprechaun
Date: 15 Dec 98 - 07:52 PM

don't give up it's gonna appear soon.

Subject: Lyrics to "The Leprechaun" on Ode to Age CD
From:
Date: 12 Dec 98 - 12:49 AM

I've been looking "unsuccessfully" for the lyrics to "The Leprechaun" -- a tune found on the Ode to Age CD by the Masterless Men. Would anyone have those lyrics?

The chorus starts: Oh, fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me, Quick or I'll be gone, Fiddle dee, diddle dee, catch and riddle me, I'm a Leprechaun.