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13 Feb 13 - 02:10 PM (#3479144) Subject: Lyr Add: MAGDALENE MAID (Elizabeth Flynn) From: mg for some reason there don't seem to be many Magdalene laundry songs..Joni Mitchell's, and someone linked to something here but I didn't hear it. Anyway, my proposal is to play the Irish Washerwoman around the world, 12 o'clock your time...play an instrument, whistle it, play youtube or a cd or whatever..that is St. Patrick's Day..in honor of the washerwomen. Here is a very formulaic song.tune is obviously If I were a blackbird..is that Scottish or Irish? MAGDALENE MAID (Elizabeth Flynn) I am a young laundress my story is sad One I was courted by a young grocer's lad He got me with child and that was my doom And now I'm encased in this cold bitter tomb My Mickey was steamrolled and sent off to sea He never came back for the baby and me My darling Delila was sent to the states I'll never more see her or know of her fate The food won't sustain us it mostly is gruel And some but not all of the sisters are cruel We have women of 80 and girls of just 10 And if we escape we are brought back again A girl with a past a girl with no shame I'm a penitent now without even a name With bleach to my elbows I wash away sin But if you should ask it's Elizabeth Flynn The fiddles and drums are prepared for the dance We would so like to join them but there is no chance So whenever the old washerwoman is played I ask you remember each Magdalene Maid |
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13 Feb 13 - 02:26 PM (#3479151) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: mg Here are couple of Dubliners..I don't know if it gets better than this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFBRaIOI85k My other plan is to do what the Quebecois did a couple times..get people around the world playing together..I think they radio broadcast it and then maybe had live feeds? Or maybe they just recorded it all over the world and spliced it together.... I mean playing Irish Washerwoman |
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13 Feb 13 - 04:46 PM (#3479213) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: Penny S. They are showing the film in England next week sometime. Penny |
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13 Feb 13 - 07:31 PM (#3479292) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: Jack Campin tune is obviously If I were a blackbird..is that Scottish or Irish? The earliest version we know of is English. http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=25099 |
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14 Feb 13 - 05:14 AM (#3479441) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: Nigel Parsons Here is a very formulaic song.tune is obviously If I were a blackbird Scansion of each verse is not quite identical, but with a slight change to the first verse: (Ohhh!)I am a young laundress my story is sad And once I courted a young grocer's lad He got me with child and that was my doom And now I'm encased in this cold bitter tomb It fits beautifully to The Irish Washerwoman. I realise that the tune is a little upbeat for the words, but the song's theme fits so well with the tune title. Of course, if the whole tune is used (fortunately with the same scansion for both halves) then it is unfortunate that there's an odd number of verses. Possibly: V1 part A V2 part A V3 part B V4 part A V5 part B Cheers Nigel |
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14 Feb 13 - 01:35 PM (#3479638) Subject: Lyr Add: MAGDALEN LAUNDRY (Johnny Mulhern) From: Willa Grace Notes Sing this one MAGDALEN LAUNDRY Johnny Mulhern / Con Cop For seventeen years I`ve been scrubbing this washboard Ever since the fellas started in after me My mother poor soul didn`t know what to do The Canon said " Child there`s a place for you" Now I`m serving my time at the Magdalen Laundry I`m towing the line at the Magdalen Laundry There`s girls from the country,girls from the town Their bony white elbows going up and down The reverend mother as she glides through the place A tight little smile on the side of her face She`s running the show at the Magdalen Laundry She`s got nowhere to go but the Magdalen Laundry Oh Lord won`t you let me Don`t you let me Won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me wash away the stain I`m washing altar linen and cassocks and stoles I`m scrubbing long johns for these holy joes We know where they`ve been when they`re not saving souls What the red wine split what the smooth hand poured We`re squeezing it out at the Magdalen Laundry We`re scrubbing it out at the Magdalen Laundry Oh Lord won`t you let me Don`t you let me Won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me wash away the stain Sunday afternoon when the Lord`s at rest It`s off to the prom watch the waves roll by We`re chewing on our toffees hear the seagulls squawk There go the maggies the children talk Through our faces they stare at the Magdalen Laundry In our eyes see the glare of the Magdalen Laundry Oh Lord won`t you let me Don`t you let me Won`t you let me wash the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me Don`t you let me Won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me Don`t you let me Won`t you let me wash away the stain Oh Lord won`t you let me wash away the stain |
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14 Feb 13 - 01:37 PM (#3479639) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: Willa Last line of the first verse should read 'toeing the line', not 'towing'! |
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14 Feb 13 - 01:55 PM (#3479649) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: GUEST,mg Great..thanks..and I hadn't thought of singing it to the Irish washerwoman...mg |
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14 Feb 13 - 06:48 PM (#3479771) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: GUEST,Jack Sprocket mg- your first go was exactly right. If anyone sings it (I can't oblige you), the next time you hear it, it'll be "here's this old Irish song.." |
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14 Feb 13 - 06:48 PM (#3479772) Subject: RE: Magdalene Maid tribute From: cujimmy There are not many songs- of course not it was all hidden away |
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15 Feb 13 - 10:52 AM (#3480011) Subject: RE: ADD: Magdalene Maid tribute From: Nigel Parsons mg- your first go was exactly right. If anyone sings it (I can't oblige you), the next time you hear it, it'll be "here's this old Irish song.." If this had been posted Monday I'd probably have sung it a Tuesday night's monthly Cardiff Folk Club. As it is I may well try it next month (6 days before St Patrick's Day) To whom should it be credited? |
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15 Feb 13 - 11:05 AM (#3480015) Subject: RE: ADD: Magdalene Maid tribute From: mg how about to the maids...but i wrote it ..sort of cookie cutter style. |