22 Dec 99 - 03:27 PM (#153008) Subject: Chieftans Song From: McBodhran@mindspring.com I am looking for lyrics to a song sung by the Chieftans bodhran player on a video special from about 10 years ago. It was a novelty piece something about eating goat and the last line someone was turned to salt. Any help apprecieate. Thanks, Dave |
22 Dec 99 - 06:43 PM (#153071) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: Martin Ryan The song is usually called "The Salt". Thought there was a copy in the DT - but the search throws up something else under that title. Singer was Kevin Coneff who, as it happens, went to the same primary school as I did! I have the words in a Mac file at home and will post them when I get a chance, if not forestalled. Regards p.s. I believe the song started life as a recitation - still heard in that form around here. |
23 Dec 99 - 03:06 AM (#153292) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: Liz the Squeak There is a strange tradition of "Irish talking Blues" which I was introduced to back in the early '80s, which may be the origin of the recitation/song. This was a song that was spoken (rather like the Rex Harrison school of song) in rythmn, often with a quiet guitar tune behind it. The one I heard most often was about a father left babysitting one evening, but can't remember a damned word of it.... LTS |
23 Dec 99 - 07:12 AM (#153319) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: I dont know the song you speak and i'm not sure if this has any relevance whatsoever to your discussion but there is a village in Galway called Monivea where, legend has it, St. Patrick once visited. However, he became enraged when he learned that the locals had eaten his goat. He cursed the villagers, turning some into salt, and condemned the village never to grow in size. The lyrics you mentioned reminded me of this tale and perhaps there is a remote possibility that there is a connection between the song and this incident. Possibly not. Incidentally, the village now claims to have the widest street in Europe. Paul |
28 Dec 99 - 09:04 PM (#155004) Subject: Lyr Add: SALT (from The Chieftains) From: Martin _Ryan SALT, THE 1. When I was a strapping young fellow Aged about seventeen, I hired meself to a farmer At the Horse Fair in Ballinascreen. 2. His farm was way up the mountain. There was nothing but heather and bog. And me job, sure I had to look after His chickens, his goat and his dog. 3. Now me, the farmer and his mother We all lived in a tumbledown shack. His mother was well over ninety With the bones sticking out of her back! 4. His poor mother she slept by the fire, For the rain it came down on her bed, And when I'd get up every morning, She'd be sitting there nodding her head! 5. The master was an awful oul skinflint. His heart was as hard as a stone. He worked me from daylight till darkness. In a month I was just skin and bone. 6. He fed me on nothing but "piners." He said they would make me a man. Well they damn nearly made me a dead one, Eaten half raw off the pan. 7. Now he had three oul hens and a rooster. One day they all died in the coop, So he plucked them, he boiled them and salted them, And we lived for three weeks on the soup! 8. Bad luck now it never comes single, For the next day the nanny goat died, So he skint it, he boiled it and salted it, And made a bodhran from the hide! 9. It was then poor old Neddy the donkey. He broke his hind leg and suffered great pain, So he shot him, he skint him and boiled him, And called for the salt once again. 10. I thought, now, his mind was affected, And meself, I was going insane, For when poor Fido died of distemper, He called for the salt once again! 11. When I thought of what happened poor old Fido, I couldn't sleep thinking that night, And when I got up in the morning, I got a most horrible fright! 12. His poor mother was dead by the fire. When I ran for the door he cried "Halt! Where are ye going so early? Come back here and help me to salt!" 13. Well, I went through the door like a rocket. Sez I, "I'll get out of this vault." I tripped in the yard with excitement, And out he came running with salt! 14. I took to me heels like a cowboy. I went over the hills like a hare. I never stopped running for a fortnight, And I never went back to a fair! Regards |
29 Dec 99 - 09:58 AM (#155139) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: Dani what a chiller! That would be great fun to speak/sing at a campfire... Dani |
29 Dec 99 - 01:06 PM (#155209) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: wildlone It is a great song The only singer I have heard sing it is John Waltham of Purse Caundle. |
29 Dec 99 - 06:37 PM (#155352) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Chieftans Song From: Matthew Moeller A great find! Being a storyteller as well as a singer, I cherish this sort of piece above all else. More! Give me more! |
08 Mar 10 - 07:36 AM (#2859043) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: GUEST,Cindy Mc Dermott Martin Ryan, This is exactly the way I heard it over 20 years ago. Except you didn't put the beginning verse in. The song started with, Come all you young lads and young lassies Who had come to work in the farm Now be careful when choosing a master It will prevent you to keep it from harm And then the rest of the song happens. Thank you Martin, I only remember the first verse. The rest I had to hum.lol |
08 Mar 10 - 07:50 AM (#2859053) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: MartinRyan Oddly enough, I DID have a similar first verse - learned from one Tony Holleran in the Athlone Folk Club, many years ago. It went Come all you young lads and young lassies Intending to work on a farm Be careful when choosing a master You'll find it'll keep you from harm! No idea why I left it out all those years ago. Regards |
08 Mar 10 - 11:33 AM (#2859216) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: Seayaker Tom Napper and Tom Bliss have a version of this song on their CD "The Silverlode" and I think the words are on their website |
13 May 10 - 07:55 PM (#2906442) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: GUEST I remember hearing this sung by the Chieftains..does anyone know if it is on any of their albums? |
14 May 10 - 01:49 AM (#2906557) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: Rog Peek There is an excellent version by Kevin Conneff on his album The Week Before Easter (Claddagh Records 1988). Piners or Crubeens? Rog |
16 May 10 - 05:57 PM (#2908205) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: Jim Dixon There is a version of THE SALT in Song and Story: An Anthology of Irish Folk Songs by Michael D. Morrissey (Norderstedt Books-on-Demand, 2001), page 182. It has 2 more verses than the one posted by Martin Ryan above, and one verse that is worded a bit differently, so I'll post only the relevant verses, and number them so you can see where to insert them: 0.5 Come all you young lads and young lassies Who hanker to work on a farm. Now be careful while choosing a master. It might serve to keep youse from harm. 2. Now his farm was way up the mountains, And it had only heather and bog, And me job, well, I got to look after His donkey, his goat and his dog. 3.5 It was only a tumble-down ruin Held up with old yellow clay. The roof it was past all repairing, For the goat had the touch as a way. |
17 May 10 - 02:28 AM (#2908374) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: Rog Peek These verses are in the version that Kevin Conneff sings. However, he sings: For the goat had the thatch ate away. Rog |
17 May 10 - 04:30 PM (#2908719) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: Jim Dixon Rog: "Thatch ate away" makes a lot more sense. In fact, it makes me suspect "touch as a way" is simply a mondegreen. It may be the first time I've encountered one in a a printed book. |
07 May 12 - 04:34 AM (#3347694) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: MartinRyan Heard this one as a recitation at a session in Kinvara a couple of days ago. It was written by a man called John Crowley (known as "the singing postman") from the village of Castletowngeoghegan near Mullingar in Ireland. Curiously, I have known the reciter for many years but never knew he had this in his repertoire! Regards |
07 May 12 - 10:12 AM (#3347790) Subject: Lyr Add: THE SALT (from Kevin Conneff) From: GUEST THE SALT As recorded by Kevin Conneff on his album "A Week Before Easter" Come all ye young lads and young lassies Who hanker to work on a farm Now be careful when choosing a master It might serve for to keep yous from harm When I was a strapping young fellow Aged about seventeen I hired meself to a farmer At the horse fair in Ballynascreen Now his farm was way up in the mountains And it all only heather and bog And me job well I got to look after His donkey his goat and his dog Now me, the farmer and his mother We lived in a tumbledown shack His mother was well over ninety With the bones sticking out from her back It was only a tumbledown ruin Held up with old yella' clay The roof it was past all repairing For the goat had the thatch et' away His poor mother she'd sleep by the fire For the rain it came down on her bed And when I'd get up every morning She'd be sitting there nodd'n her head The master was an awful old skinflint His heart was as hard as a stone He worked me from daylight 'til darkness In a month I was just skin and bone And he fed me on nothing but piners He said they would make me a man well they damn well near made me a dead one Eaten half raw off the pan Now he had three old hens and a rooster One day they all died in the coop So he plucked them he boiled them and salted them We lived for a month on the soup Bad luck now it never comes single For the next day the nanny goat died So he skint it he boiled it and salted it And made a bodhran from the hide It was then poor ol' Neddy the donkey He broke his hind leg and suffered great pain So he shot him and skinned him and boiled him And called for the salt once again. I thought now his mind was affected And meself I was going insane For when poor Fido died of distemper He called for the salt once again When I thought what had happened to poor old Fido I couldn't sleep thinking that night And when I got up the next morning I got a most horrible fright His poor mother was dead be the fire When I ran for the door he cried "Halt Where are you going so early Come back here 'n help me to salt!" Well went through the door like a rocket Says I "I'll get out of this fault" I tripped in the yard with excitement And out he came running with salt I took to my heels like a cowboy And over the hills like a hare I never stopped running for a fortnight And I've never gone back to a fair. Rog |
23 Sep 15 - 08:28 AM (#3739272) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: GUEST,Bob The Poem "The Salt" was written by Big Jack Walsh and the words of the poem are been used in songs by various artists. I would be mindful of copyright |
17 Jun 17 - 03:56 PM (#3861473) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: GUEST,joe fitzpatrick Ifirst heard this in Darky Kelly bar in fishamble st in dublin by a man called George Mullins a great story teller sadly he has passed away but i have recordings of a lot of his stuff |
29 Dec 18 - 11:35 PM (#3968788) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Salt (The Chieftains) From: GUEST So is it by Walsh or Crowley? There's no indication on the insert of Conneff's recording, as he wrote that he had no idea where it originated. |
19 Jun 21 - 03:20 PM (#4110697) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Salt From: Felipa Ballinascreen aka Draperstown is in County Derry I heard this song a few times in sessions in Derry. I think it was sung either by Bobby Mitchell (brother of the better known Kevin) or Robin Kane. Both men died in the past year so I can't ask them. Bobby used to sing "The Mountainy Farmer" Robin played melodeon and harmonica regularly at a session where we sometimes played the air of The Salt. I remember one night when I said I was trying to think of a song that went to the tune, the answer I got was "The Wheels of the World" (which is another song to this air). But perhaps Robin wasn't there that night. I can think of a couple of other Derrymen who may be my personal source of the song, and I may still get a chance to ask them. |