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  • Old Irish Songs

    I first heard this song on an
    old LP we had, entitled "Irish Songs of Freedom" by
    Willie Brady

    Last edited by KatieMorag; 20-05-2016, 12:57 AM.

  • #2
    Since then, I've heard it sung by Scarlett O'Hara's dad in "Gone With the Wind". and the same tune with different lyrics in "The Rising of the Moon"......which is about the same period........

    The Wearing of the Green - Historical Context:

    "The Wearing of the Green" is a traditional Irish folksong that dates back to the Irish Rebellion of 1798, when the Irish rose up against the British. At that time, wearing green clothing or shamrocks was considered a rebellious act in and of itself, potentially even punishable by death. The song clearly mocks that policy, and its popularity in its day (and now, even) enforced the color green and the shamrock as important symbols of Irish pride. "The Wearing of the Green" has been recorded by many different groups, and remains a favorite pub sing-along to this day. Several different sets of lyrics have been written, with the best-known set coming from playwright Dion Boucicault, who wrote them for his 1864 play Arragh na Pogue ("The Wicklow Wedding").

    "The Wearing of the Green" Lyrics:

    Oh, Paddy dear, did you hear the news that's going 'round?
    The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground
    Saint Patrick's Day no more to keep, his color can't be seen
    For there's a bloody law again' the Wearing of the Green.


    I met with Napper Tandy and he took me by the hand
    And he said "How's poor old Ireland and how does she stand?"
    "She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen
    For they're hanging men and women there for Wearing of the Green."

    She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen
    For they're hanging men and women there for Wearing of the Green.

    Then since the color we must wear is England's cruel red
    Sure Ireland's sons will never forget the blood that they have shed
    You may pull the shamrock from your hat and cast it on the sod
    But 'twill take root and flourish there, though underfoot 'tis trod.
    When laws can stop the blades of grass for growing as they grow
    And when the leaves in summertime their verdure dare not show
    Then I will change the color too I wear in my caubeen*
    But 'til that day, please God, I'll stick to Wearing of the Green.

    She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen
    For they're hanging men and women there for Wearing of the Green.

    But if at last our color should be torn from Ireland's heart
    Her sons, with shame and sorrow, from the dear old Isle will part
    I've heard a whisper of a land that lies beyond the sea
    Where rich and poor stand equal in the light of Freedom's day.
    Ah, Erin, must we leave you, driven by a tyrant's hand
    Must we seek a mother's blessing from a strange and distant land
    Where the cruel cross of England shall never more be seen
    And where, please God, we'll live and die, still Wearing of the Green.

    She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen
    For they're hanging men and women there for Wearing of the Green.

    *"Caubeen" is an Irish word for a certain type of hat, similar to a beret.

    BTW, where is Napper Tandy?? Napper, if you're reading, please come back!
    Last edited by KatieMorag; 20-05-2016, 01:29 AM.

    Comment


    • #3
      Boulavogue

      Another one from Willie Brady's album......Boolavogue (song)
      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      Boolavogue is an Irish ballad commemorating the campaign of Father John Murphy and his army in Wexford during the 1798 Rising.. It was composed by Patrick Joseph McCall in 1898, the centenary of the Rebellion, issued by Irish Noíníns (Dublin 1894).[1]

      The ballad covers the victories of Father John Murphy of the town of Boolavogue in County Wexford as he led his parishioners in routing the Camolin Cavalry on 26 May 1798, to defeat the British at Oulart Hill, as well as at Enniscorthy. The Wexford insurgents fought bravely against professional troops, and were eventually defeated at the Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21 June. Father Murphy and the other leaders were hanged.

      McCall, who also composed the popular ballads Kelly the Boy from Killanne and Follow Me up to Carlow, wrote Boolavogue to the old air Eochaill (in English, Youghal Harbour). The tune had previously been borrowed for the Irish/Australian traditional song Moreton Bay, about an Irish convict's brutal treatment in Australia, and would later be used by Seán Ó Riada as part of the film score for Mise Éire (1959). The song was inspired by songs contemporary to the events of 1798 such as Come All You Warriors.

      Liam Gaul [2] states that Boolavogue is the song most closely associated with PJ McCall, and has become an anthem for Wexford. Gaul notes that Boolavogue was not published in any of McCall’s literary works, and was first printed in the Irish Independent on 18 June 1898 under the title Fr Murphy of the County Wexford. This title was still being used when it appeared in the 1922 edition of Padraig Breathnach’s Songs of the Gael. It was only later that the song became widely known as Boolavogue.

      McCall was from Dublin, but often visited Wexford, and was familiar with its history and geography. Boolavogue contains references to people and places that played a major part in the 1798 Rising.

      Father Murphy was a priest who at first tried to persuade people not to take part in the rebellion. He changed his opinion and became a reluctant rebel leader after soldiers burned down the homes of his parishioners they suspected of rebellion. The Lieutenant Thomas Bookey whose 'regiment' is mentioned in the song was the leader of the Yeoman Cavalry in the Boolavogue area
      Last edited by KatieMorag; 20-05-2016, 01:19 AM.

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      • #4

        Comment


        • #5
          Nostalgia notwithstanding, I prefer the Dubliners' version......

          Comment


          • #6
            Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" is a popular song written in 1808 by Irish poet Thomas Moore using a traditional Irish air.

            Contents
            Origins of the melody Edit

            The tune to which Moore set his words is a traditional Irish air, first printed in a London songbook in 1775.[1] It is occasionally wrongly credited to Sir William Davenant, whose older collection of tunes may have been the source for later publishers, including a collection titled General Collection of Ancient Irish Music, compiled by Edward Bunting in 1796. Sir John Andrew Stevenson has been credited as responsible for the music for Moore's setting.[2]

            It is thought that after Moore's wife, Elizabeth, was badly scarred by smallpox, she refused to leave her room, believing herself ugly and unlovable. To convince her his love was unwavering, Moore composed the ‘Endearing’ poem which he set to an old Irish melody and sang outside her bedroom door. He later wrote that this restored her confidence and re-kindled their love.[citation needed]


            The lyrics, as originally published in 1808

            BELIEVE me, if all those endearing young charms,
            Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
            Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
            Like fairy-gifts, fading away!
            Thou wouldst still be ador'd as this moment thou art,
            Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
            And, around the dear ruin, each wish of my heart
            Would entwine itself verdantly still!

            It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
            And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear,
            That the fervour and faith of a soul can be known,
            To which time will but make thee more dear!
            Oh! the heart, that has truly lov'd, never forgets,
            But as truly loves on to the close;
            As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,
            The same look which she turn'd when he rose!

            Other uses of the melody.

            Other than "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms", the tune is perhaps best known as the melody to "Fair Harvard", the alma mater of Harvard University. A seventeenth-century folk song, Matthew Locke's "My Lodging is in the Cold, Cold Ground", was set to this tune some time after its original setting to a different, also traditional, air. Simone Mantia, a pioneer of American euphonium music, composed a theme and variations on the melody, which remains a staple of the solo euphonium literature.

            The first verse, as originally written, was sung by the character "Alfalfa" in a 1936 episode of MGMs "The Little Rascals" entitled "Bored of Education." The tune, with the Endearing Young Charms title, also became a staple of Warner Brothers cartoons, appearing first in Private Snafu short Booby Traps. Subsequent uses included the 1951 Merrie Melodies animated cartoon Ballot Box Bunny, 1957 short Show Biz Bugs, 1965 Road Runner cartoon Rushing Roulette, and finally in a new twist on the gag, with Slappy Squirrel's 1993 introductory episode, "Slappy Goes Walnuts", from Animaniacs. Variations were also done in the 1963 Andy Griffith Show episode "Rafe Hollister Sings", and the 2010 South Park episode "Crippled Summer". In its cartoon appearances, the song is often the cue for a classic "bomb gag" wherein the playing of the first line of the song sets off a rigged explosion on the final note. The gag is so well known that it is often called "The Xylophone gag"

            Roger Quilter's setting of the song was included in the Arnold Book of Old Songs, published in 1950.ve Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms

            John McDermott - Believe Me (If All Those Endearing Young Charms) ...
            Last edited by jembo; 20-05-2016, 07:10 AM.
            I google because I'm not young enough to know everything.
            Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit

            Comment


            • #7
              John McCormack version, 1911......

              Comment


              • #8
                Boolavogue

                I passed by Boolavogue while driving through Wexford today.

                The song was compulsory learning when I was in primary school... that wasn't enough to put me off it though as I still like it today - especially the melody.
                Everything is self-evident.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by cogito View Post
                  I passed by Boolavogue while driving through Wexford today.

                  The song was compulsory learning when I was in primary school... that wasn't enough to put me off it though as I still like it today - especially the melody.
                  Did you bump into any Cowardly Yeomen?

                  Comment


                  • #10


                    The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls

                    by Thomas Moore (1779-1852)


                    The harp that once through Tara's halls
                    The soul of music shed,
                    Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
                    As if that soul were fled.
                    So sleeps the pride of former days,
                    So glory's thrill is o'er,
                    And hearts that once beat high for praise,
                    Now feel that pulse no more!

                    No more to chiefs and ladies bright
                    The harp of Tara swells;
                    The chord alone that breaks at night,
                    Its tale of ruin tells.
                    Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
                    The only throb she gives
                    Is when some heart indignant breaks,
                    To show that still she lives.



                    COMMENTS
                    Tara, of course, is the mysterious hilltop castle that was home to Irish high kings. It actually existed somewhere in what is now County Meath from very ancient times well before the time of Saint Patrick (432) until its destruction probably in the sixth century, but in any case well before the death of High King Brian Boru on the battlefields of Clontarf (1014). In the poem, written while Ireland was still under an unwelcome British rule, Thomas Moore lets Tara symbolize the seat of Irish government and the rule of Ireland.

                    The harp, the traditional musical instrument of Ireland, symbolizes the Irish people, culture and spirit.

                    The British arrived in Ireland in 1172 and took the island by force--an unwelcome colonial power ruling the Irish people for 750 brutal years. Despite numerous abortive rebellions, Irish independence was not wrested from England until 1922.

                    Although Tara was actually demolished several centuries before the arrival of the British, Moore invites the reader to imagine a figurative Tara that still exists. But the soul of Ireland*--the harp--is not permitted to express itself there, and so hangs mute and unused on the wall. The pride and glory of self-rule are gone, and the only chord that sounds at night is when some brave individual asserts his or her Freedom in the face of brutal oppression.

                    This is the poetry of which revolution is born.
                    I google because I'm not young enough to know everything.
                    Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by KatieMorag View Post
                      Did you bump into any Cowardly Yeomen?
                      I'd have run them over... after what they did to poor Father Murphy from old Kilcormack.
                      Everything is self-evident.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Drank in a boozer called " Liquor Hole " situated on Vinegar Hill ......in the U.S. of A .

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by jembo View Post
                          Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms" is a popular song written in 1808 by Irish poet Thomas Moore using a traditional Irish air.

                          Contents
                          Origins of the melody Edit

                          The tune to which Moore set his words is a traditional Irish air, first printed in a London songbook in 1775.[1] It is occasionally wrongly credited to Sir William Davenant, whose older collection of tunes may have been the source for later publishers, including a collection titled General Collection of Ancient Irish Music, compiled by Edward Bunting in 1796. Sir John Andrew Stevenson has been credited as responsible for the music for Moore's setting.[2]

                          It is thought that after Moore's wife, Elizabeth, was badly scarred by smallpox, she refused to leave her room, believing herself ugly and unlovable. To convince her his love was unwavering, Moore composed the ‘Endearing’ poem which he set to an old Irish melody and sang outside her bedroom door. He later wrote that this restored her confidence and re-kindled their love.[citation needed]


                          The lyrics, as originally published in 1808

                          BELIEVE me, if all those endearing young charms,
                          Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
                          Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
                          Like fairy-gifts, fading away!
                          Thou wouldst still be ador'd as this moment thou art,
                          Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
                          And, around the dear ruin, each wish of my heart
                          Would entwine itself verdantly still!

                          It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
                          And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear,
                          That the fervour and faith of a soul can be known,
                          To which time will but make thee more dear!
                          Oh! the heart, that has truly lov'd, never forgets,
                          But as truly loves on to the close;
                          As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,
                          The same look which she turn'd when he rose!

                          Other uses of the melody.

                          Other than "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms", the tune is perhaps best known as the melody to "Fair Harvard", the alma mater of Harvard University. A seventeenth-century folk song, Matthew Locke's "My Lodging is in the Cold, Cold Ground", was set to this tune some time after its original setting to a different, also traditional, air. Simone Mantia, a pioneer of American euphonium music, composed a theme and variations on the melody, which remains a staple of the solo euphonium literature.

                          The first verse, as originally written, was sung by the character "Alfalfa" in a 1936 episode of MGMs "The Little Rascals" entitled "Bored of Education." The tune, with the Endearing Young Charms title, also became a staple of Warner Brothers cartoons, appearing first in Private Snafu short Booby Traps. Subsequent uses included the 1951 Merrie Melodies animated cartoon Ballot Box Bunny, 1957 short Show Biz Bugs, 1965 Road Runner cartoon Rushing Roulette, and finally in a new twist on the gag, with Slappy Squirrel's 1993 introductory episode, "Slappy Goes Walnuts", from Animaniacs. Variations were also done in the 1963 Andy Griffith Show episode "Rafe Hollister Sings", and the 2010 South Park episode "Crippled Summer". In its cartoon appearances, the song is often the cue for a classic "bomb gag" wherein the playing of the first line of the song sets off a rigged explosion on the final note. The gag is so well known that it is often called "The Xylophone gag"

                          Roger Quilter's setting of the song was included in the Arnold Book of Old Songs, published in 1950.ve Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms

                          John McDermott - Believe Me (If All Those Endearing Young Charms) ...
                          Originally posted by KatieMorag View Post
                          John McCormack version, 1911......

                          [QUOTE=KatieMorag;404767]Did you bump into any Cowardly Yeomen?



                          That was the first tune I remember learning to play on the violin when I was a child

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                          • #14
                            Fáinne geal an Lae

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                            • #15
                              Fáinne Geal an Lae

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