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Lyr Req: 3 Irish songs

01 Mar 97 - 01:17 PM (#2683)
Subject: Lyrics required
From: Dan MacKay

Lyrics required for some songs I could not find in the database. One I think is called "Tell Me Ma", but I can't think of how the chorus goes (I think there's counting in it: 1-2-3-4-5). Another one is called Waila Waila something or other. I don't even know where to begin looking. The last one, which I thought was called "The Orange and the Green" has a chorus which goes "Well it's the biggest mix up that you have ever seen/ Me father he was orange and me mother she was green." All my searches have come up empty for that one which is surprising because I thought it was fairly popular. Any help is appreciated. Thanx.

01 Mar 97 - 01:37 PM (#2684)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Ralph Butts

Waillie, Waillie! is a fairly common old ballad ("When cockle shells turn silver bells, then will my love return to me.") Try "water is Wide" in the DT for a variant.

I also have Weela Wallia, Irish children's song about a woman who killed her baby, was captured and hung. Neat!.

Do either of these sound like what you are looking for?

...Tiger

01 Mar 97 - 01:38 PM (#2685)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Bob Schwarer phidea@cris.com

Sounds like a bunch of Clancy Bros. & Tommy Makem songs. "The Boys won't Leave the Girls Alone" & "Weela Wallia". The one about the orange and green may be The Irish Rovers.

Bob S.

01 Mar 97 - 02:21 PM (#2688)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Nathan Sarvis (nsarvis@tenet.edu)

I have the last song on an old LP entitled "The World Famous and Justly Popular Barney Peters." (ca 1967)
The song title is "The Orange and the Green."
Oh, me father was an osterman (Ulsterman?), Proud Protestant was he.
Me mother was a Catholic from County Cork came she.
They wre married in two churches, lived happily enough.
Until the day that I was born, and things got really rough.
Baptized by Father Riley, then rushed away by car.
To be made a little Orangeman, me father's shining star.
I was christened David Anthony, but still in spite of that.
To me father I was Billy, while me mother called me Pat.

01 Mar 97 - 02:24 PM (#2689)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Nathan Sarvis

(Additional Verses - Is there a trick to getting more thean the number of lines shown on one page?
Chorus: Oh, it was the biggest mixup that you have ever seen
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green.
Oh, to church on Sunday morning with Mother I would go
Then later on the orange lot would try to save me soul.
Both sides tried to claim me, but I was smart because
I'd play me flute or play me harp, Depending where I was.
Now when I'd play those rebel songs, much to Me mother's joy
Me father would jump up and say, "Look here now, Bill me boy,
We've had enough of that stuff," And he tossed to me a coin
And he had me play "The Orange Flute" and "The Heros of the Boin(?)"

01 Mar 97 - 02:27 PM (#2690)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Nathan Sarvis

(Remaining verses)
Repeat chorus

One day me father's kinfolk, They came to visit me,
Just as me mother's relatives were sitting down to tea.
We tried to smooth things over, but they began to fight
And me being rather neutral, I bashed everyone in sight.
Me parent's never could agree upon me kind of school
Me learning was all done at home, No wonder I'm a fool.
Now they've both passed on, God bless them
But they've left me caught between
The awful color problem of the orange and the green.
Repeat chorus.

01 Mar 97 - 02:47 PM (#2691)
Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL TELL MY MA
From: Nathan Sarvis (Tell My Ma)

The Rankin Family performed this on "A Prairie Home Companion." It's on their CD
"North Country."

Chorus:
Tell my ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair and they stole my comb
But that's all right 'til I go home.

(Verses) She is handsome she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast City
She is courting one, two, 3,
Please won't you tell me who is She?

Here she comes as white as snow
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Oh Johnny Murray he says she'll die
If she doesn't get the fellow with the roving eye
(Repeat chorus)

Let the wind and rain and the hail blow high
And the snow come tumbling from the sky
She's as nice as apple pie
She'll get her own boy by and by
When she gets a lad of her own
She won't tell her ma 'til she comes home
Let the boys stay as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still.

01 Mar 97 - 03:27 PM (#2692)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE ORANGE AND THE GREEN (Irish Rovers)^^
From: Ralph Butts

Nathan: Boin? would by Boyne (River). I like that last stanza, which I hadn't heard before. This is the song as done by the Irish Rovers (tune: "Wearin' O' the Green").
...Tiger

----------------

THE ORANGE AND THE GREEN—Irish Rovers
CHORUS
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up
That you have ever seen.
My father, he was Orange
And me mother, she was Green.

Oh, my father was an Ulsterman, proud Protestant was he.
My mother was a Catholic girl, from County Cork was she.
They were married in two churches, lived happily enough,
Until the day that I was born and things got rather tough.

CHORUS

Baptized by Father Riley, I was rushed away by car
To be made a little Orangeman, me father's shinin' star.
I was christened David Anthony, but still in spite of that
To my father I was William, while me mother called me Pat.
CHORUS

With Mother, every Sunday, to Mass I'd proudly stroll,
Then after that, the Orange lads would try to save my soul
For both, they tried to claim me, but I was smart because
I'd play the flute or play the harp, depending where I was.
CHORUS

One day, me ma's relations came 'round to visit me,
Just as my father's kinfolk were all sittin' down to tea.
We tried to smooth things over, but they all began to fight,
And me, bein' strictly neutral, I bashed everyone in sight.
CHORUS

Now, my parents never could agree about my type of school,
My learning was all done at home, that's why I'm such a fool.
They both passed on, God rest them, but left me caught between
That awful color problem of the Orange and the Green.
CHORUS (2x)

^^

02 Mar 97 - 02:58 PM (#2718)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Susan of DT

Wella Walla {spelling?] is a kids version of the Cruel Mother that I thought we had in the database, but it doesn not seem to be there, so:

There was a lady what lived up North Wella wella walla There was a woman what lived up North Down by the River Sallia

She had a baby six month old Wella... She had a baby six month old Down by...

She stuck[dialect spelling??] a knife in the baby's head... The more she stuck the more it bled...

Great big knock come a knocking at the door... Two policemen and a man..

Is you the woman what killed the child? Is you the woman what killed the child

The rope got chuck and she got hung... The rope got chuck and she got hung...

Aren't kids versions great? They are always bloodier than the original.

03 Mar 97 - 08:49 PM (#2771)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: dan mackay

Thank you for all your help. I've got everything I need.

04 Mar 97 - 11:15 AM (#2797)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: rich r

Susan,

Two more verses to "Weela Wallia" from the singing of the Clancy Brothers and their Irish Songbook (1979)

verse 3

She had a penknife three foot long, weela weela wallia

She had a penknife three foot long, down ...

verse 9

The moral of this story is, weela weela wallia

Don't stick knives in babies' heads, down...

cheers

rich r

04 Mar 97 - 06:05 PM (#2817)
Subject: RE: Lyrics required
From: Susan of DT

Thank you Rich. I was working from memory rather than looking them up - a dangerous practice for posting words.