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The Irish Girl (Handsome Molly)
Traditional Old-Time Song; Widely known
ARTIST: From American Memory Collection Jackson broadside- 1800’s no date given Jackson Printer, 190 Houston-st.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1800’s broadside
RECORDING INFO: Grayson & Whitter, "Handsome Molly" (Victor 21189, 1927; on GraysonWhitter01, LostProv1) Blake, Norman. Rising Fawn String Ensemble, Rounder 0122, LP (1979), cut#B.01. Bluestein, Evo. Evo's Autoharp, Greenhays GR 715, LP (1985), cut# 7.Bursen, Howard (Howie). Cider in the Kitchen, Folk Legacy FSI-074, LP (1980), cut# 2. Carr, Kevin. 15th Annual Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, Black Mountain Mi 7775, LP (197?), cut# 1a. New Lost City Ramblers. Old-Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1964/1976), p 35 Seeger, Mike. Old Time Country Music, Folkways FA 2325, LP, cut# 14. Watson, Doc; and Gaither Carlton. Old-Time Music at Clarence Ashley's. Part 1, Folkways FA 2355, LP (1961), cut# 13. Watson, Doc. Essential Doc Watson, Vanguard VCD 45/46, CD (1986), cut#23. West, Harry and Jeanie. Smokey Mountain Ballads, Counterpoint/Esoteric CPT-545, LP (197?), cut# 9.
Some Recordings of Irish Girl/Handsome Molly:
Grayson & Whitter (1927)
Old Time Music At Clarence Ashley's (Vol. 1): Watson & Carlton (1961)
The Country Gentlemen Sing and Play Folk Songs And Bluegrass: (1961)
Folk Song Festival : Stanley Brothers (1962)
Traditional Music from Grayson and Carroll Counties,) (1962)
Old Time Country Music : Mike Seeger (1962)
The Country Gentlemen on the Road : The Country Gentlemen (1963)
Treasures Untold : Doc Watson (1964)
Chicago Mob Scene - A Folk Song Jam Session: Various Artists - Larry Ehrlich
Folk Banjo Styles : Tom Paley (196?)
From The Maple On The Hill : Wade Mainer (1976)
Going Down Lee Highway : Grayson & Whitter (1977)
The Bergerfolk, Vol. 4 - Pack Up Your Sorrows : The Bergerfolk (1978)
Rising Fawn String Ensemble : Norman Blake (1979)
Smokey Mountain Ballads : Harry West & Jeannie (197?)
Cider In The Kitchen : Howard Bursen (1980)
Hits From Home : Tom Bledsoe & Rich Kirby (1982)
Wild Over Us : Duffy Brothers (1982)
Grinning In Your Face : Martin Simpson (1983)
Evo's Autoharp : Evo Bluestein (1985)
Acoustic Music To Suit Most Occasions : The Deighton Family (1988)
Odd Man In : Tim O'Brien (1991)
Treasures Untold : Doc Watson (1992)
1959-1963 Box Set : Flatt & Scruggs (1992)
Early Starday-King Years 1958-61 : The Stanley Brothers (1994)
Original Folkways Recordings of Watson and Ashley, 1960-1962 (1994)
Ian & Sylvia : Ian & Sylvia (1995)
Stanley Series, Vol 3 #4 : Stanley Brothers (19??)
1963-64 Newport Folk Festival Recordings : Doc Watson (19??)
Going Down Lee Highway 1927-1929 Recordings : Grayson and Whitter (19??)
Ballads & Songs : Various Artists (Grayson & Whitter) (19??)
Alex Campbell, Ola Belle & Deacon (19??)
RELATES TO: "Black-Eyed Mary;" "Lovely Molly;" “Loving Hannah;” “Farewell Ballymoney;” Irish Girl; Going Across the River to Hear My Banjo Ring ; Gee Whiz What They Done to Me;
SOURCES: Silber-FSWB, p. 148, "Handsome Molly;" Folk Songs of Peggy Seeger-Oak; Sing Out-Vol. 2;
NOTES: Handsome Molly is a version of the “Irish Girl/Farewell Ballymoney” branches of tunes. Below are notes on both related branches.
NOTES ON FAREWELL BALLYMONEY: Farewell Ballymoney branch includes the titles "Black-Eyed Mary""Lovely Molly"and "Loving Hannah." Here are some collected versions: Randolph 749, "Black-Eyed Mary" Meredith/Anderson, p. 172, "Lovely Molly;" Sharp/Karpeles-80E 44, "The Irish Girl;" S. Henry H625, pp. 342-343, "Dark-Eyed Molly"; H615, p. 343, "Farewell Ballymoney;" Kennedy 155, "Going to Mass Last Sunday;" MacSeegTrav 63, "I Went to Mass on Sunday;" Lomax-FSNA 103, "Loving Hannah." The setting of this song varies widely. One stanza, however, is fairly characteristic: I went to church last Sunday/ My true love passed me by/I could see her mind was a-changing/By the rolling of her eye. This stanza also shows up in some versions of "The Irish Girl." “I believe the old-time country song "Handsome Molly" to be a form of this piece (and most experts agree)” Traditional Ballad Index.
NOTES ON IRISH GIRL: Irish, Air (4/4 time). A Major. Standard. One part. "This beautiful air, and the accompanying words, I have known since my childhood. I have copies of the song on broadsheets, varing a good deal, and much corrupted. The versions I give here of air and words are from my own memory, as sung by the old people of Limerick whin I was a child. More than half a century ago I gave this air to Dr. Pertie: and it is included in the Stanford-Petrie collection of Irish music, with my name acknowledged. But the words, as I give them here, have hitherto never been published though I have seen very corrupt versions in print" (Joyce). This melody served as the vehicle for many a folksong in the English speaking world, and versions have been collected in Canada, America and Australia. Cazden (et al, 1982) notes that several lumbercamp ditties were sung to it, including "Peter Emberley," some versions of "The Jam at Gerry's Rock," "The Farmer's Son and the Shanty Boy," and his Catskill Mountain (New York) collected "Adieu to Prince Edward's Isle." Phillips Barry identifies the tune strain for another Irish song in Petrie's collection, #498, "The Maid of Timahoe." Here are the lyrics:
One evening, as I stray'd down the river's side,
Looking all around me, as an Irish girl I spied,
Red and rosy were her cheeks, and coal-black was her hair,
And costly were the robes, which my Irish girl did wear.
Her shoes of Spanish leather, were bound with spangles high,
The crystal tears came down her eyes and she began to cry,
Och, hone, alas! asthore! mavourneen gal mechree!
Why should you go and leave me, and slight you own Molly?
The first time that I saw my love, I was sick and very bad,
All the request that I asked was that she might tie my head,
I asked her if one as bad as me could ever mend again,
For love's a sore disorder--did you ever feel the pain?
My love she'll not come nigh me for all the moan make,
Nor neither will she pity me, if my poor heart should break.
But was I of some noble blood, and she of low degree,
She would hear my lamentation, and come and pity me.
My only love is fairer than the lilies that do grow,
She has a voice that's clearer than any winds that blow;
She's the promise of this country, like Venus in the air,
And let her go where'er she will, she's my joy and only dear.
Be it so or be it not, of her I take my chance,
The first time that I saw my love, she struck me in a trance:
Her ruby lips and sparkling eyes have so bewitched me,
That was I king of Ireland, queen of it she should be.
I wish I was a butterfly on my love's breast I'd lie,
Or was I but a linnet, how I would sing and fly,
Or if I was a corn creak, I'd sing till morning clear,
I would sit and sing for Molly, for once I loved her dear.
If my love was a red rose in yonder garden fair,
And I to be the gardener, of her I would take care,
There's not a day thro' out the year, but my love I would renew
With flowers fine I'd garnish, with sweet-william thyme and rue
If I was in Monaghan, and sitting on the grass,
And in my hand a bottle, and on my knee a lass:
I'd call for liquors plenty, and I'd pay before I go,
Come on they say, my brave boy's, let the wind blow high or low.
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