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Lyr Req: Little Town in the Old County Down

28 Sep 00 - 07:57 AM (#307237)
Subject: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Robby

I have looked for the lyrics to this song in these web sites: (1) the DT; (2) Lyrics World; (3) Cantaria; (4) Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and America; (5) Irish Ballads (celtic-otter); (6) Irish Folk Song Lyrics; (7) Irish Music; (8) Lyrics Galore--Gaelic Folk Song Lyrics; (9) the Tommy Makem Home Page; (10) The Ballad Archive; and (11) the John McCormack Home Page. So far my efforts to obtain the lyrics has been unsuccessful. Can any 'Catter help me out on this?

28 Sep 00 - 08:08 AM (#307238)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: MartinRyan

This one turns up in some Irish American songbooks. If nobody turns up a set of words, I may be able to lay hold of one.

Regards

28 Sep 00 - 08:49 AM (#307251)
Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE TOWN IN THE OLD COUNTY DOWN
From: Brakn

I'm sure this has been posted before somewhere.

Sure if I had the wings of a swallow
I would travel far over the sea
And a rocky road I would follow
To a place that is heaven to me
When the sun goes to rest
Away down in the west
Then I'll build such a nest
In the place I love best

Chorus
In that dear little town
In the old County Down
It will linger way down in my heart
Sure it never was grand
Still it's my fairyland
Such a wonderful world set apart
Oh, my Ireland of dreams
You are with me it seems
And I care not for fame or renown
Like the black sheep of old
I'll return to the fold
Little town in the old County Down

In the evening when shadows were falling
'Round the old door without any key
There's a voice in my dreams ever calling
There are eyes ever watching for me
There is someone I bless
With a true tenderness
And her lips I'll caress
When I bring happiness

28 Sep 00 - 09:02 AM (#307258)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Robby

Brackn, thank you for the lyrics. My 91-year old father has been humming this song, but he couldn't remember the words. As a boy, he remembers his grandparents, who came from Ireland shortly after the end of the American Civil War, singing this song. This should make him happy.

28 Sep 00 - 09:04 AM (#307259)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Robby

Brakn, my apologies for the mis-spelling of your name. Sorry about that.

28 Sep 00 - 04:18 PM (#307537)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Brakn

Happy to help, Robby.

31 Jan 09 - 01:24 PM (#2553792)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: GUEST,leadsinger_99

Does anyone know the author and publication date of this swong?

02 Feb 09 - 01:01 AM (#2555000)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Jim Dixon

WorldCat.org shows a copyright date of 1921 for LITTLE TOWN IN THE OULD COUNTY DOWN by Monte Carlo, Alma M Sanders, and Richard W Pascoe.

02 Feb 09 - 03:18 AM (#2555031)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: MartinRyan

I think "Monte Carlo" was a pen-name for ... was it Chauncey Alcott?

Regards

02 Feb 09 - 04:06 AM (#2555052)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: MartinRyan

Not Alcott, perhaps. There's an oblique reference HERE

Regards

02 Feb 09 - 08:46 PM (#2555751)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Gulliver

There's an mp3 of John McCormack singing it (1921) at http://www.archive.org/details/JohnMcCormack , also on YouTube.

I would have thought it was older than 1921. It was my granny's favourite song, and I had the impression she learned it in her youth - she was born around 1880.

04 Feb 09 - 09:56 AM (#2557024)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Jim Dixon

The National Library of Australia shows a copyright date of 1920 for LITTLE TOWN IN THE OULD COUNTY DOWN, words by Richard W Pascoe, music by Monte Carlo and Alma M Sanders. Sheet music is not viewable online.

The British Library lists these songs written, or co-written by Monte Carlo:

INDIA, 1917
THE WILD IRISH ROSE THAT GOD GAVE ME, 1917
WHEN THE CANDLELIGHT GOES FLICK FLICK FLICKER, 1917
I WONDER IF THE SAME MOON SHINES IN IRELAND TO-NIGHT, 1919
I'M SNEAKIN' TO PEEK IN PEKIN, 1919
MILESTONES OF LIFE, 1919
SWEET LAVENDER AND LACE, 1919
BY THE WATERS OF KILLARNEY, 1924
I'M BACK IN MY TUMBLE DOWN SHACK, 1932
TWO BLUE EYES AND ONE LITTLE GREEN ISLE, 1939
PRETTY MARY ANN MCCANN, 1943
YOU'RE MY EXTRA CUP OF COFFEE, 1943
YOU'VE GOT YOUR DADDY'S FIGHTING HEART, 1943
LOUISIANA LADY, 1947

None of these library records was of any help in identifying "Monte Carlo" (assuming it's a pen name).

04 Feb 09 - 03:30 PM (#2557288)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the old County Down
From: Gulliver

According to this site, http://nfo.net/cal/ts10.html#Sanders , Monte Carlo was his real name. He was the husband of Alma Sanders, who seems to have been prolific from about 1917 on.

Among other "Irish"-related songs they composed were:
"Dinny Danny; The Irish Yacki Hula"
"That Tumble-Down Shack in Athlone"
"Every Tear Is a Smile in an Irishman's Heart"
"By the waters of Killarney"
"Just a bit of Irish lace"
"Two Blue Eyes, One Little Green Isle"
"My Home in the County Mayo"
"The Hills of Connemara"
"The Old Wooden Bridge in Athlone"

Monte Carlo also wrote the complete musical score for the mo­tion picture, "Ireland Today".

He was born in Skamlingsbanke, Gravenstein, Den­mark, July 14, 1883 and came to the US in 1906. Biography here: http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/music-search/music-songs-composers%20-%200175.

"That Tumble-down Shack in Athlone" is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P10l41kxdoc, along with comments from the grand-daughter of Alma Sanders and Monte Carlo.

Don

14 Dec 10 - 07:02 PM (#3053635)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Town in the Old County Down
From: GUEST

I WAS LOOKING FOR THE LYRICS TO "LITTLE TOWN IN THE OLD COUNTY DOWN"
AND WAS THRILLED WHEN BRAKN CAME UP WTH THE WORDS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO SING THIS LITTLE GEM TO MY
GRANDCHILDREN.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR,
GERI GEE