Irish Folk Song Lyrics From S To T
If you cant find the song here, have a look in the other sections. The song lyric may have a different title. With over 2,000 songs now on the site your sure to find what you want, have a good look around, most of the songs now have a video, as with the other sections there is a great mixture here with tunes from The Wolfe Tones, The Dubliners, The Clancys, Johnny McEvoy, Mary Black, The Pogues and a rake of traditional folk and rebel songs with three chords. All guitar chords are in chordpro format.
Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler
Smugglers
The Streets Of London
Ralph McTell
The Spanish Lady
Traditional / Dubliners
Three Pubs In Bohola
Brendan Shine
The Sea Around Us
Behan / Ludlows / Dubliners
The Shores Of Lough Bran
The Soldiers Of Twenty Two
The Spinning Wheel
John Waller / Delia Murphy
The Spirit Of The Sea
Padraig Grimes
The Star Of The Co. Down
Cathal McGarvey
The Two Brendans
The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door
The Sick Note
Pat Cooksey / Dubliners
Sweet Ballyvaughan
Sweet Thames Flow Softly
Ewan McColl / Christy Moore
Streets Of Promise
The Murphys
The Special Years
Val Doonican
State Of A Nation
Ciaran Murphy
The Shimma
Bakerloo Junction
That's How I Spell IRELAND
The Station At Knocklong
This Story I Tell You Is True
J.Reidy / Annemarie O'Riordan
True Irishman
Saoirse Iris Band
Two Sweethearts
Sean Dunphy
Two Little Boys
Tom Williams
Unknown writer / rebel song
They Wounded Old Ireland
Andy M. Steward
Tiny Red Light
The Dorymen
Twenty One Years
Bob Miller / Dermot Hegerty
Thomas Ashe
Martin Dardis
The Streets Of Derry
Paul Brady
The Streets Of Gibraltar
The Merry Ploughboy
Trad. Dubliners / Wolf Tones
The Wild Rover
Traditional / Luke Kelly
The Zoological Gardens
The Travelling People
Ewan McColl / The Dubliners
The Langer
Natural Gas
This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie
The Sniper's Promise
Joe McCann
This Is A Rebel Song
Sinead O’Connor
The Ballad Of St. Anne's Reel
David Mallett / Johnny McEvoy / Ronnie Drew
The Black Watch
The Irish Brigade
Take Me Home Celtic Thunder
Teddy O'Neill
Trad. Delores Keane
This Is The Life
Amy MacDonald
Tramps And Hawkers
Ewan McColl / Luke Kelly
Thomas Street
Marc Fahrbach
The Three Flowers
Trad. Declan Hunt
The Tree Leaf Shamrock
Thomas Keatley Lyrics
Take Me Back To Castlebar
Patsy Farrell / Farmer Dan
The Town Of Ballybay
Tommy Makem
The Three Butchers
Paul Burges / Pete Seeger
Tired Of Being Alone
Charlie O’Brien
Thank You Mom
Angela Koch
The Turfman From Ardee
Patrick Akins / Dermot O'Brien
The Wind In The Willows
John Bell
To Be Irish
Patrick O'Sullivan / Peadar Long
Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler
Smugglers
The Streets Of London
Ralph McTell
The Spanish Lady
Traditional / Dubliners
Three Pubs In Bohola
Brendan Shine
The Sea Around Us
Behan / Ludlows / Dubliners
The Shores Of Lough Bran
The Soldiers Of Twenty Two
The Spinning Wheel
John Waller / Delia Murphy
The Spirit Of The Sea
Padraig Grimes
The Star Of The Co. Down
Cathal McGarvey
The Two Brendans
The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door
The Sick Note
Pat Cooksey / Dubliners
Sweet Ballyvaughan
Sweet Thames Flow Softly
Ewan McColl / Christy Moore
Streets Of Promise
The Murphys
The Special Years
Val Doonican
State Of A Nation
Ciaran Murphy
The Shimma
Bakerloo Junction
That's How I Spell IRELAND
The Station At Knocklong
This Story I Tell You Is True
J.Reidy / Annemarie O'Riordan
True Irishman
Saoirse Iris Band
Two Sweethearts
Sean Dunphy
Two Little Boys
Tom Williams
Unknown writer / rebel song
They Wounded Old Ireland
Andy M. Steward
Tiny Red Light
The Dorymen
Twenty One Years
Bob Miller / Dermot Hegerty
Thomas Ashe
Martin Dardis
The Streets Of Derry
Paul Brady
The Streets Of Gibraltar
The Merry Ploughboy
Trad. Dubliners / Wolf Tones
The Wild Rover
Traditional / Luke Kelly
The Zoological Gardens
The Travelling People
Ewan McColl / The Dubliners
The Langer
Natural Gas
This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie
The Sniper's Promise
Joe McCann
This Is A Rebel Song
Sinead O’Connor
The Ballad Of St. Anne's Reel
David Mallett / Johnny McEvoy / Ronnie Drew
The Black Watch
The Irish Brigade
Take Me Home Celtic Thunder
Teddy O'Neill
Trad. Delores Keane
This Is The Life
Amy MacDonald
Tramps And Hawkers
Ewan McColl / Luke Kelly
Thomas Street
Marc Fahrbach
The Three Flowers
Trad. Declan Hunt
The Tree Leaf Shamrock
Thomas Keatley Lyrics
Take Me Back To Castlebar
Patsy Farrell / Farmer Dan
The Town Of Ballybay
Tommy Makem
The Three Butchers
Paul Burges / Pete Seeger
Tired Of Being Alone
Charlie O’Brien
Thank You Mom
Angela Koch
The Turfman From Ardee
Patrick Akins / Dermot O'Brien
The Wind In The Willows
John Bell
To Be Irish
Patrick O'Sullivan / Peadar Long
Shanagolden
Sean McCarthy
Spancil Hill
Michael Considine
Saint Patrick's Battalion
She Moved Through The Fair
Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler
Sam Hall
Trad
Sean McCaughey
Seamus Robinson
Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
unknown writer / Dublin City Ramblers
Sad Song For Susan
Bik Mcfarlane
Song For Westport
Betty Harrington
Skibbereen
Patrick Carmenter / Wolfe Tones
Snowy Breasted Pearl
George Petrie / Wolfe Tones
Step It Out Mary
Sean McCarthy / Dubliners
Star
Christie Hennessy
Slip The Clutch
Marty Mone
Slievenamon
Charles Kickham / Wolfe Tones
Silent Worship
Sweet Carnlough Bay
Mac Kay / Paddy Reilly
Shoals Of Herring
Ewan McColl
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Tommy Sands
Sentenced To Death
Unknown writer
Sean Tracy / Tipperary So Far Away
Unknown writer
Since Maggie Went Away
Sean O'Casey / Ronnie Drew
Sally Wheatley
Joe Wilson / Dubliners
Say You Love Me
Hylo Brown / Dessie O'Halloran
Sailing In The Lowlands Low
P.J. McColl / The Clancy Brothers
Song Of The Dawn
Brian Na Banban / Kathleen Largy
Song For Marcella
Brendan Bik McFarlane
Sliabh Gallion Brea
Trad. / Gemma Hasson
Sally Greer
Saints And Angles
The Waterboys
Strathbrock Cross
Peter Duffy
Seven Men
Francis Brolly
Save The Land
Clancy Bros. Tommy Makem
Silver On The Stubble
Sydney Carter
She Is My Child
Sonny Knowles
Sing Me An Old Irish Song
Brendan Graham / Daniel O'Donnell
Starry Plough
The Druids
Slaney Valley
Mr. Keogh / Larry Cunningham
She Didn't Dance
Peg Clancy
Singing In Kilkenny
Desi John Corcoran
Sweet Kerry
Seamus Moore
Stand And Deliver
Celtic Thunder
Sons Of Molly
Chuck Rogers / Blackthorn
Sisters Of Mercy
Leonard Cohen / The Chieftains
Still I Love Him
Trad. Bothy Band / Dubliners
Steeleye Span
Somewhere On The Island
Gary Fjellgaard
Saint Theresa Of The Roses
Remus Harris / Dominic Kirwan
The Shores Of Amerikay
Trad. Johnny McEvoy / Wolfe Tones
Tinker's Lullaby / Pecker Dunne
Twenty Men From Dublin Town
Arthur Griffett / Danny Doyle
The Third West Cork Brigade
Unknown song writer / Declan Hunt
The Third Dance From The End
Simon Casey
There's No One As Irish As Barack O'Bama
Corrigan Brothers
The Work Of The Weavers
David Shaw
They Were Soldiers Every One
Easter rising song
This Town Is Not Your Own
Shay Healy / Wolfe Tones
Sean McCarthy
Spancil Hill
Michael Considine
Saint Patrick's Battalion
She Moved Through The Fair
Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler
Sam Hall
Trad
Sean McCaughey
Seamus Robinson
Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
unknown writer / Dublin City Ramblers
Sad Song For Susan
Bik Mcfarlane
Song For Westport
Betty Harrington
Skibbereen
Patrick Carmenter / Wolfe Tones
Snowy Breasted Pearl
George Petrie / Wolfe Tones
Step It Out Mary
Sean McCarthy / Dubliners
Star
Christie Hennessy
Slip The Clutch
Marty Mone
Slievenamon
Charles Kickham / Wolfe Tones
Silent Worship
Sweet Carnlough Bay
Mac Kay / Paddy Reilly
Shoals Of Herring
Ewan McColl
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Tommy Sands
Sentenced To Death
Unknown writer
Sean Tracy / Tipperary So Far Away
Unknown writer
Since Maggie Went Away
Sean O'Casey / Ronnie Drew
Sally Wheatley
Joe Wilson / Dubliners
Say You Love Me
Hylo Brown / Dessie O'Halloran
Sailing In The Lowlands Low
P.J. McColl / The Clancy Brothers
Song Of The Dawn
Brian Na Banban / Kathleen Largy
Song For Marcella
Brendan Bik McFarlane
Sliabh Gallion Brea
Trad. / Gemma Hasson
Sally Greer
Saints And Angles
The Waterboys
Strathbrock Cross
Peter Duffy
Seven Men
Francis Brolly
Save The Land
Clancy Bros. Tommy Makem
Silver On The Stubble
Sydney Carter
She Is My Child
Sonny Knowles
Sing Me An Old Irish Song
Brendan Graham / Daniel O'Donnell
Starry Plough
The Druids
Slaney Valley
Mr. Keogh / Larry Cunningham
She Didn't Dance
Peg Clancy
Singing In Kilkenny
Desi John Corcoran
Sweet Kerry
Seamus Moore
Stand And Deliver
Celtic Thunder
Sons Of Molly
Chuck Rogers / Blackthorn
Sisters Of Mercy
Leonard Cohen / The Chieftains
Still I Love Him
Trad. Bothy Band / Dubliners
Steeleye Span
Somewhere On The Island
Gary Fjellgaard
Saint Theresa Of The Roses
Remus Harris / Dominic Kirwan
The Shores Of Amerikay
Trad. Johnny McEvoy / Wolfe Tones
Tinker's Lullaby / Pecker Dunne
Twenty Men From Dublin Town
Arthur Griffett / Danny Doyle
The Third West Cork Brigade
Unknown song writer / Declan Hunt
The Third Dance From The End
Simon Casey
There's No One As Irish As Barack O'Bama
Corrigan Brothers
The Work Of The Weavers
David Shaw
They Were Soldiers Every One
Easter rising song
This Town Is Not Your Own
Shay Healy / Wolfe Tones
Traditional Irish love songs
Traditional Irish love songs have played a significant role in the cultural and musical heritage of Ireland, serving as a means of expressing the unique aspects of love and relationships within the Irish context.
Introduction:
Love and music have always been intertwined, with songs serving as a powerful medium for expressing feelings of love and affection. In the case of Ireland, a country with a rich cultural heritage, traditional love songs hold a special place in the hearts of its people. These songs not only capture the essence of Irish love and relationships, but also reflect the history, values, and traditions of the Irish people. In this thesis, we will explore the origins, themes, and significance of traditional Irish love songs, and their enduring impact on Irish culture and music.
Origins of Traditional Irish Love Songs:
The origins of traditional Irish love songs can be traced back to ancient Celtic traditions, where music and storytelling were integral parts of everyday life. These songs were often passed down through generations, with each rendition adding a unique flavor to the original. The earliest known Irish love song, 'Aisling', dates back to the 17th century and is believed to have been composed by the renowned poet, Aodhagán Ó Rathaille. This song, along with others such as 'An Cailín Álainn' and 'A Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá', set the foundation for the development of traditional Irish love songs.
Themes in Traditional Irish Love Songs:
One of the distinctive features of traditional Irish love songs is their portrayal of love in a realistic and relatable manner. These songs often depict the trials and tribulations of love, with themes of longing, heartache, and unrequited love being prevalent. The lyrics are deeply emotional and evoke a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, reflecting the innate sensitivity and passion of the Irish people. Additionally, traditional Irish love songs also celebrate the joys of love, with themes of courtship, marriage, and devotion being explored. These songs are a reflection of the traditional Irish values of loyalty, commitment, and perseverance in love.
Influence of Irish Culture and History:
Traditional Irish love songs are deeply rooted in the country's rich culture and history. The harsh living conditions and political upheavals faced by the Irish people over the centuries have had a profound impact on the themes and lyrics of these songs. For instance, the period of Irish emigration in the 19th and 20th century gave rise to songs such as 'Spancil Hill' and 'The Fields of Athenry', which express the pain of separation and longing for loved ones left behind. Similarly, the struggles of the Irish people against the oppressive rule of the British Empire are reflected in songs such as 'The Foggy Dew' and 'The Rising of the Moon'. Thus, traditional Irish love songs not only serve as a form of artistic expression but also serve as a historical record of the experiences and emotions of the Irish people.
Impact on Irish Culture and Music:
The enduring popularity of traditional Irish love songs is a testament to their cultural significance. These songs have been passed down through generations and have become an integral part of the Irish musical tradition. They have also been featured in various forms of media, such as films, television shows, and theater productions, further cementing their place in Irish culture. Additionally, traditional Irish love songs have also influenced other genres of music, with many contemporary Irish musicians incorporating elements of these songs into their music.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, traditional Irish love songs have played a vital role in shaping the cultural and musical landscape of Ireland. These songs not only provide a glimpse into the unique aspects of Irish love and relationships but also serve as a reflection of the country's history, values, and traditions. Their enduring popularity and influence on Irish culture and music are a testament to their timeless appeal and significance.
Introduction:
Love and music have always been intertwined, with songs serving as a powerful medium for expressing feelings of love and affection. In the case of Ireland, a country with a rich cultural heritage, traditional love songs hold a special place in the hearts of its people. These songs not only capture the essence of Irish love and relationships, but also reflect the history, values, and traditions of the Irish people. In this thesis, we will explore the origins, themes, and significance of traditional Irish love songs, and their enduring impact on Irish culture and music.
Origins of Traditional Irish Love Songs:
The origins of traditional Irish love songs can be traced back to ancient Celtic traditions, where music and storytelling were integral parts of everyday life. These songs were often passed down through generations, with each rendition adding a unique flavor to the original. The earliest known Irish love song, 'Aisling', dates back to the 17th century and is believed to have been composed by the renowned poet, Aodhagán Ó Rathaille. This song, along with others such as 'An Cailín Álainn' and 'A Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá', set the foundation for the development of traditional Irish love songs.
Themes in Traditional Irish Love Songs:
One of the distinctive features of traditional Irish love songs is their portrayal of love in a realistic and relatable manner. These songs often depict the trials and tribulations of love, with themes of longing, heartache, and unrequited love being prevalent. The lyrics are deeply emotional and evoke a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, reflecting the innate sensitivity and passion of the Irish people. Additionally, traditional Irish love songs also celebrate the joys of love, with themes of courtship, marriage, and devotion being explored. These songs are a reflection of the traditional Irish values of loyalty, commitment, and perseverance in love.
Influence of Irish Culture and History:
Traditional Irish love songs are deeply rooted in the country's rich culture and history. The harsh living conditions and political upheavals faced by the Irish people over the centuries have had a profound impact on the themes and lyrics of these songs. For instance, the period of Irish emigration in the 19th and 20th century gave rise to songs such as 'Spancil Hill' and 'The Fields of Athenry', which express the pain of separation and longing for loved ones left behind. Similarly, the struggles of the Irish people against the oppressive rule of the British Empire are reflected in songs such as 'The Foggy Dew' and 'The Rising of the Moon'. Thus, traditional Irish love songs not only serve as a form of artistic expression but also serve as a historical record of the experiences and emotions of the Irish people.
Impact on Irish Culture and Music:
The enduring popularity of traditional Irish love songs is a testament to their cultural significance. These songs have been passed down through generations and have become an integral part of the Irish musical tradition. They have also been featured in various forms of media, such as films, television shows, and theater productions, further cementing their place in Irish culture. Additionally, traditional Irish love songs have also influenced other genres of music, with many contemporary Irish musicians incorporating elements of these songs into their music.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, traditional Irish love songs have played a vital role in shaping the cultural and musical landscape of Ireland. These songs not only provide a glimpse into the unique aspects of Irish love and relationships but also serve as a reflection of the country's history, values, and traditions. Their enduring popularity and influence on Irish culture and music are a testament to their timeless appeal and significance.
The following is by Colm O Lochlainn.
In the life of eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland the ballad singer was an important person. Townsmen and countrymen, being denied any instruction in their own language, were turning more and more to English for the spreading of news and the small amount of culture that remained to them. So it came to pass that ballads on every theme, from courtship to politics, were carried through the country, to be sung and sold at fairs and other rural gatherings. For the historian many of them bave a certain value. They record events of local bistory, murders and burnings, deaths of priests and political leaders (e.g. Lamentable lines on the death of Father James Casey). They gave the popular view of bome and foreign affairs in peace and war; or acclaimed the triumph of some popular idol, the erection of monu ments and the consecration of churches. Sometimes they were in Irish, printed with strange phonetic spelling, and sometimes they were bilingual. They soon became part of the lore of the countryside. They were altered and re-sung in the more intimate circle by the fireside or in the ale bouse. Often they were sung to airs very different from those which the professional ballad singer bad. It even happened that songs of definitely English
origin were sung to authentic Gaelic airs, in all their traditional beauty.
Many collections of ballads bave been made in the past from oral and from printed sources, some recording words only, and others the airs only. The Journals of the Folk Song Societies bave published many fine songs and interesting fragments, some of which are referred to in my commentary.
That indefatigable worker, the late P. W. Joyce, in bis 1909 collection, OLD IRISH FOLK MUSIC AND SONGS (pages 175 to 242), printed 57 street ballads with airs, and also issued a pamphlet, IRISH PEASANT SONGS (1906, reprinted 1922), containing 7 songs with music.
In selecting material from my own 25 years' accumulation, I deliberately limited the scope of this book to ballads in English. I avoided repeating any songs that Joyce bad already done-MOLLY BAWN being the only exception even though I often bad fuller and better versions than bis. I bad determined on 100, but found it very difficult not to exceed this number. All songs by known authors bave been omitted, though many fine ballads by Samuel Lover, Michael Scanlan, P. J. MacCall almost demanded inclusion.
Perhaps I shall do a book of these yet, if the Lord spares me.
Whether taken from printed or oral sources, variants are many. Where my own oral version seems satisfactory I have let it stand. Occasionally I have altered an obviously corrupt line and in one or two places a ribald or redundant verse has been omitted. The titles have been shortened. Most of them originally were announced as A NEW SONG ON THE LUCKY ELOPEMENT or THE MUCH ADMIRED SONG CALLED THE YOUNG MAID'S LOVE or, as already quoted, LAMENTABLE LINES ON THE DEATH OF FATHER JAMES CASEY. In the scope and extent of my commentary I have disciplined myself rigorously, for indeed another book might be written on the history of these ballads and the many versions of their tunes. Regarding the dating of most of the songs here set down, it is difficult to dogmatise. LILLIBULERO, we know for certain, dates to the time of the accession of James II and its author ship is definitely ascribed to Lord Wharton.*
The verse about the "old prophecy found in a bog" seems to bave caught the popular fancy, for it is remembered still in rural Ulster, though the modern songs called THE PROTESTANT BOYS are more often beard sung.
Some others, DUNLAVIN GREEN and PATRICK BRADY, for instance, are authentic 1798 ballads. Of BOLD ROBERT EMMET I am a bit doubtful, but who will date me THE BONNY LABOURING BOY or THE SUIT OF GREEN or THE MAID WITH THE BONNY BROWN HAIR? They are as likely to belong to 1720 as to 1820, and there are many such ageless songs in this book. DONNELLY AND COOPER is definitely datable, and I bave such another, MORRISEY AND THE RUSSIAN SAILOR, in which the glories of the prize ring are sung.
In the 60's and 70's of the last century, and ever since, the Irish element on both American and English variety stage (though we must not forget to bonour Dan Lowry and Pat Kinsella-the Dublin free-and- easies) produced many songs of the rollicking type, represented bere by LANIGAN'S BALL and
FINNEGAN'S WAKE-4 type that saw its downfall with the advent of the Gaelic League and a more virile nationality. Many such songs were written by Johnny Patterson, the clown of Batty's, Powell and Clarke's, and Lloyd's Circuses-author, I am told, of THE
GARDEN WHERE THE PRATIES GROW, GOOD-BYE JOHNNY DEAR, BRIDGIE DONOHUE, and, no doubt, others. The late Percy French-most lovable of men- was a modern composer in the same strain.
Of one or two of our songs it may well be that the authors are still living. So strong the tradition, so true to type are such songs as BACHELOR'S WALK, THE NIGHT OF THE RAGMAN'S BALL, KEVIN BARRY, that it seems almost natural and fitting that no record should remain of their authors. If I have failed in any way to render due gratitude and acknowledgement to any living author, 'tis not for want of wishing, nor want of asking. I pay them what honour I can by setting them in this book with the greatest of ballad writers from 1690 to 1920.
One thing I can claim with confidence, that every song in the book can be sung by anyone who has the ordinary Irishman's ear for music. I have sung them all myself, and bere they are set in keys to suit the average voice. Let the singer approach them with patience and sympathy. He must avoid all exaggeration of dialect and resist the temptation to burlesque, for it is fatally easy. He must sing them quietly and naturally, dropping a verse here and there, if he will, but telling the story completely. He will soon find that he has a rich store of entertainment, of a more universal appeal than any repertoire of operatic or classical song, and a sure bond of fellowship with Irishmen the world over. Furthermore, be will have gone a long way towards gaining an insight into the life and thought of our forebears, and be will link up with the genuine Gaelic tradition which we are seeking to restore.
When the Irish language was fading, the Irish Street Ballad in English was the balf-way-bouse between the Irish culture and the new English way. Now that the nation is retracing its steps, is it too much to hope that we may pause again at the half-way- bouse to find there the simple enjoyment of simple themes, to recapture the rhythm and the idiom of Gaelic poetry and music?
Colm O Lochlainn.
In the life of eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland the ballad singer was an important person. Townsmen and countrymen, being denied any instruction in their own language, were turning more and more to English for the spreading of news and the small amount of culture that remained to them. So it came to pass that ballads on every theme, from courtship to politics, were carried through the country, to be sung and sold at fairs and other rural gatherings. For the historian many of them bave a certain value. They record events of local bistory, murders and burnings, deaths of priests and political leaders (e.g. Lamentable lines on the death of Father James Casey). They gave the popular view of bome and foreign affairs in peace and war; or acclaimed the triumph of some popular idol, the erection of monu ments and the consecration of churches. Sometimes they were in Irish, printed with strange phonetic spelling, and sometimes they were bilingual. They soon became part of the lore of the countryside. They were altered and re-sung in the more intimate circle by the fireside or in the ale bouse. Often they were sung to airs very different from those which the professional ballad singer bad. It even happened that songs of definitely English
origin were sung to authentic Gaelic airs, in all their traditional beauty.
Many collections of ballads bave been made in the past from oral and from printed sources, some recording words only, and others the airs only. The Journals of the Folk Song Societies bave published many fine songs and interesting fragments, some of which are referred to in my commentary.
That indefatigable worker, the late P. W. Joyce, in bis 1909 collection, OLD IRISH FOLK MUSIC AND SONGS (pages 175 to 242), printed 57 street ballads with airs, and also issued a pamphlet, IRISH PEASANT SONGS (1906, reprinted 1922), containing 7 songs with music.
In selecting material from my own 25 years' accumulation, I deliberately limited the scope of this book to ballads in English. I avoided repeating any songs that Joyce bad already done-MOLLY BAWN being the only exception even though I often bad fuller and better versions than bis. I bad determined on 100, but found it very difficult not to exceed this number. All songs by known authors bave been omitted, though many fine ballads by Samuel Lover, Michael Scanlan, P. J. MacCall almost demanded inclusion.
Perhaps I shall do a book of these yet, if the Lord spares me.
Whether taken from printed or oral sources, variants are many. Where my own oral version seems satisfactory I have let it stand. Occasionally I have altered an obviously corrupt line and in one or two places a ribald or redundant verse has been omitted. The titles have been shortened. Most of them originally were announced as A NEW SONG ON THE LUCKY ELOPEMENT or THE MUCH ADMIRED SONG CALLED THE YOUNG MAID'S LOVE or, as already quoted, LAMENTABLE LINES ON THE DEATH OF FATHER JAMES CASEY. In the scope and extent of my commentary I have disciplined myself rigorously, for indeed another book might be written on the history of these ballads and the many versions of their tunes. Regarding the dating of most of the songs here set down, it is difficult to dogmatise. LILLIBULERO, we know for certain, dates to the time of the accession of James II and its author ship is definitely ascribed to Lord Wharton.*
The verse about the "old prophecy found in a bog" seems to bave caught the popular fancy, for it is remembered still in rural Ulster, though the modern songs called THE PROTESTANT BOYS are more often beard sung.
Some others, DUNLAVIN GREEN and PATRICK BRADY, for instance, are authentic 1798 ballads. Of BOLD ROBERT EMMET I am a bit doubtful, but who will date me THE BONNY LABOURING BOY or THE SUIT OF GREEN or THE MAID WITH THE BONNY BROWN HAIR? They are as likely to belong to 1720 as to 1820, and there are many such ageless songs in this book. DONNELLY AND COOPER is definitely datable, and I bave such another, MORRISEY AND THE RUSSIAN SAILOR, in which the glories of the prize ring are sung.
In the 60's and 70's of the last century, and ever since, the Irish element on both American and English variety stage (though we must not forget to bonour Dan Lowry and Pat Kinsella-the Dublin free-and- easies) produced many songs of the rollicking type, represented bere by LANIGAN'S BALL and
FINNEGAN'S WAKE-4 type that saw its downfall with the advent of the Gaelic League and a more virile nationality. Many such songs were written by Johnny Patterson, the clown of Batty's, Powell and Clarke's, and Lloyd's Circuses-author, I am told, of THE
GARDEN WHERE THE PRATIES GROW, GOOD-BYE JOHNNY DEAR, BRIDGIE DONOHUE, and, no doubt, others. The late Percy French-most lovable of men- was a modern composer in the same strain.
Of one or two of our songs it may well be that the authors are still living. So strong the tradition, so true to type are such songs as BACHELOR'S WALK, THE NIGHT OF THE RAGMAN'S BALL, KEVIN BARRY, that it seems almost natural and fitting that no record should remain of their authors. If I have failed in any way to render due gratitude and acknowledgement to any living author, 'tis not for want of wishing, nor want of asking. I pay them what honour I can by setting them in this book with the greatest of ballad writers from 1690 to 1920.
One thing I can claim with confidence, that every song in the book can be sung by anyone who has the ordinary Irishman's ear for music. I have sung them all myself, and bere they are set in keys to suit the average voice. Let the singer approach them with patience and sympathy. He must avoid all exaggeration of dialect and resist the temptation to burlesque, for it is fatally easy. He must sing them quietly and naturally, dropping a verse here and there, if he will, but telling the story completely. He will soon find that he has a rich store of entertainment, of a more universal appeal than any repertoire of operatic or classical song, and a sure bond of fellowship with Irishmen the world over. Furthermore, be will have gone a long way towards gaining an insight into the life and thought of our forebears, and be will link up with the genuine Gaelic tradition which we are seeking to restore.
When the Irish language was fading, the Irish Street Ballad in English was the balf-way-bouse between the Irish culture and the new English way. Now that the nation is retracing its steps, is it too much to hope that we may pause again at the half-way- bouse to find there the simple enjoyment of simple themes, to recapture the rhythm and the idiom of Gaelic poetry and music?
Colm O Lochlainn.
