Lyr Req: Michael Roy / Charcoal Man

07 Mar 02 - 09:34 AM (#664157)
Subject: RE: lyrics and title required
From: MMario

I believe the song is "Michael Roy" - Barry Finn posted the lyrics here

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07 Mar 02 - 11:53 AM (#664238)
Subject: RE: lyrics and title required
From: masato sakurai

"Michael Roy" ("In Brooklyn City there lived a maid..." version) is in The Most Popular College Songs (Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, 1904, 1905, pp. 90-91; with music). The 3rd (and last) verse is slightly different from Barry Finn's version:

McCloskey shouted and hollered in vain,
For the donkey wouldn't stop,
And he threw Mari Jane right over his head,
Right into a policy shop;
When McCloskey saw that terrible sight,
His heart it was moved with pity,
So he stabbed the donkey with a bit of charcoal,
And started for Salt Lake City.

~Masato

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26 Mar 06 - 01:38 AM (#1702948)
Subject: Lyr Add: CHARCOAL MAN
From: Jim Dixon

Transcribed from the broadside at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Harding B 18(80):

CHARCOAL MAN

By Unsworth—And sung by DICK McGOWAN,
The Champion Banjoist

In Brooklyn city there used to dwell a gal unknown to fame.
Her mother's name was Mary Ann and hers was Mary Jane.
Every morning in the summer time, she crossed the briny river
To her market stall, where she sold fresh tripe, and sassangers, likewise liver.

There was a gallant charcoal man; McCloskey was his name.
His fighting weight was seven stone ten, and he loved sweet Mary Jane.
He drove her out in his charcoal wagon. 'Twas on St. Patrick's day,
When his donkey took a fright at a Jersey man and started down Broadway.

They both did holler with all their might at the donkey for to stop,
But he upset Mary Jane, wagon and all, right into a policy shop.
When McCloskey saw this cruel thing, his heart was moved to pity,
So he stabbed [illegible] with a piece of charcoal, and started for Salt Lake City.

H. De Marsan, Publisher, 60 Chatham Street, N.Y. [c1860]

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27 Mar 06 - 09:37 AM (#1703806)
Subject: Lyr Add: MY BOY WITH THE AUBURN HAIR
From: Jim Dixon

The chorus to MICHAEL ROY was evidently taken from this song:

Lyrics trainscribed from the broadside image at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Harding B 18(668):

MY BOY WITH THE AUBURN HAIR

'Twas on a summer's morning, all in the month of May,
Down by a flowery garden, where Betsy she did stray,
I oberheard a damsi-al in sorrow did complain;
All fur de loss of her lovier; he ploughs the raging main.

CHORUS: With my oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
He was my darling;
He was the boy with the auburn hair;
His name was Mackavoy.

I stepped up to this damsi-al; I put her in surprise.
I knew she did not know me, being in a singular disguise.
Sed I, my charmin creatuir, my gay young heart's delight,
How far have you to travail this dark and dreary night?

Away, kind sir, to Plucksocket, if you'll please to show,
So pity a fair distracted maid, for there I have to go
In search of a faithless hearted young man, an Sackmush is his name;
All on de banks of Plucksocket, I'm told he does remain.

H. De Marsan, Publisher, 60 Chatham Street, New-York [c.1860]

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27 Mar 06 - 06:36 PM (#1704147)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Michael Roy / Charcoal Man
From: Snuffy

That's a hell of a journey from the Banks of Claudy to Salt Lake City

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10 Mar 15 - 05:52 PM (#3692919)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Michael Roy / Charcoal Man
From: Lighter

The melody of "Boy with the Auburn Hair," like the idiot lyrics, is often credited to the blackface minstrel E. F. Dixey. But the 1859 sheet music only says, "A sung by E. F. Dixey."

The melody is a gorgeous spin-off of the "Star of the County Down" family. Is there any evidence at all that it existed in Ireland under the "Boy with the Auburn Hair" title?

Rarely have lyrics and melody been so mismatched! The song must have been pretty well-known, since Captain C. W. Alexander wrote the well-known "Southern Soldier Boy" to the same melody in 1863.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgTnoRG5fDs

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