Songs & Ballads from British Isles- Irish Themes
D. Irish Themes Contents:
33. Erin's Lovely Home
34. Skewball
35. The Rose of Ardee
36. Old Grannau Weal
D. Irish Themes
The Irish, who dug the Erie Canal and led the singing of
chanteys on American ships (as they were later to lead the
singing in our lumberwoods), must have been the most con-
spicuous immigrants in the 1840s; hence they might have been
expected to furnish more than four songs to the manuscript
even though the traditions of the Stevens family were Yankee.
The four songs, however, give an idea of what subjects interested
the Irish-Americans of the time. "Erin's Lovely Home" tells
about a young man who stole a girl of fortune. "Skewball"
reminds us how much the Irish loved horses. "The Rose of
Ardee" is a typical love song. "Old Grannau Weal" boasts that
there were millions of Irish in America at the time of our
Songs and Ballads fro?n the British Isles 81
Revolution (as there were not) and lays claim to liberty-loving
America as a child of Erin. In addition to these four songs the
Stevens family must have known some of the songs of Thomas
Moore, whose lyrics were probably as popular here as those of
Robert Burns and almost as well loved as the plays of "the Bard
of Avon" or as the novels of "the Wizard of the North," Sir
Walter Scott.
35. Erin's Lovely Home
The facts that Tyrone is a county in Ireland and Omagh one of
its principal towns, as well as the name of the ballad itself, identify
it as Irish. The Douglass version is longer than the Mackenzie one,
having three stanzas, 1, 9, and 10, which are not in the latter. These
stanzas, the first of which is an invitation to listen and the last two of
which are the girl's promise of loyalty and the boy's farewell, give
the ballad a traditional introduction and conclusion. Ozark also has
a somewhat shorter version, omitting Douglass stanzas 1 and 5 and
having several lines with different wording.
According to Mackenzie, the song has appeared in broadsides and
songsters in both England and the United States. The earliest Amer-
ican songster he lists is dated 1 869, which would have been later than
the song was written in the present manuscript. Sharp (One Hun-
dred English Folk Songs) has printed the melody, as has Ozark.
Erins Lovly Home
1 . All you thats at liberty you will draw near
A sad and dismal story I mean to let you hear
It is in A foreign country to languish sigh and mourn
Far from my parents and my friends and erins lovely home
2. When I was young and in my bloom my age was 2 1
I had become a servant unto a gentleman
I served him true and honest and very well it is known
Till cruely he banished me from erins lovey home
3. The reason why he banished me I mean to let you know
For the stealing of his daughter which proved my over throw
She had a heavy fortune but riches i had none
That is the reason I must go from Erins lovely home
8z A Pioneer Songster
4. It was in her fathers garden as we were all alone
Embracing one another her love she did make known
She says my dearest William if with me you will roam
We will bid adiew to all our friends in Erins lovely home
5. That very night I gave consent which proved my overthrow
And from her fathers dwelling along with her did go
The night being bright with the moon light we both set out
alone
And thought that we would then escape from Erins lovey home
6. But when we came to belf ast town it was the break of day
My true love says we must prepare our passage for to pay
Five hundred pounds she did lay down saying this is all your
own
And do not fret for those you left in Erins lovely home
7. But to my sad misfortune as quickly you shall hear
In a few hours after her father did appear
He marched me off to omah Jail in the county of tyrone
Where there I was transported from Erins lovely home
8. When I received my sentence it grieved my heart full sore
For to leave my love behind me it grieved me ten times more
With seven links upon my chains and every link a year
Before I can return once more to the arms of my dear
9. The rout it came unto the jail before I got away
My true love came to me and unto me did say
Cheer up your heart dont be dismayed for you are not denied
Until you do return once more to Erins lovely home
1 o. So now adiew my lovely ann no more I have to say
It was your cruel father that sent me far away
Into a foreign country to languish sigh and moan
Far from my parents and my friends and Erins lovely home
34. Sketvball
The basis of this song, according to Green Mountain, was a race in
Ireland on the Kildare track between an unknown Sku-ball, a white
horse with bay spots which Squire Marvel had just imported, and
Sir Ralph Gore's mare, Miss Portly. The reference to Sku-ball's con-
Songs and Ballads from the British Isles 83
versation with his rider goes back to the stories of "Whisperers"
who talk Irish to their horses.
The oldest version of this song was printed in London in The Vo-
cal Library in 1822. A copy of this is printed in Scarborough's On
the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs (Cambridge, 1925). This is a longer
version than Douglass, though it omits Douglass stanza 8, and the
wording shows quite a bit of variation. For instance, cattle in Vocal
are called horses in Douglass; Miss Sportly and Squire Mervin of
Vocal are respectively Miss Sprightly and Spurmurthy in Douglass;
and in Douglass stanza 7, line 6, "sorrow four" is probably the result
of misunderstanding the name Sir Ralph Gore. Most of the lines of
Douglass, however, are quite similar to the corresponding ones of
Vocal. Scarborough also mentions an article in Lippincotfs Maga-
zine for December, 1869, which quoted sections from "The Noble
Skewball." Brown reports two fragments from North Carolina. A
version in The Songster's Museum (Hartford, 1829), now in the
Barry Collection of Ballad Prints, names "Money Makes the Mare
Go" as the tune to which it was sung. In Country Songs of Vermont
(New York, 1937) Flanders prints a tune that came by oral tradition
from Ireland.
The version from The Songster's Museum is reprinted in Green
Mountain together with a modern one from Vermont. The two
missing lines at the beginning of Douglass were probably an invita-
tion to listen, since both versions in Green Mountain begin that way.
The words in brackets are supplied mainly from the Vermont ver-
sion, which omits, however, Douglass stanzas 3 and 4, that is, the
account of the owner's bet and the preparation for the race. The
Vermont version, moreover, names the mare Miss Grissell.
[Skewball]
Five hundred guines on the plains of Killdeer
To run with Miss sprightly that famous grey mare
The time being come and the horses brought forth
The people all flocked east west north and south
All for to view the sports man as i do declare
They ventured their money all on the grey mare
84 A Pioneer Songster
3. Spurmurthy he smiled and thus he did say
Come gentlemen all you that have money to lay
All you that lay hundreds i will hold you all
For i will lay thousands on the famous scuball
4. The time being come and the horses brought out
Spurmurthy he ordered his rider to mount
And all the spectators for to clear the way
The time being come not a moments delay
5. [ The ]y mounted their horses and away they did fly
[Sku-] ball like an arrow Miss sprightly passed by
[And if you would have] been there for to have seen them gone
round
[You would swear] in your heart that they neer touched t[he
ground]
6. [Oh, it's when they did come] to the middle of the [course]
[Sku-ball and his rider] began this discourse
[Says Sku-ball to his rider] come tell unto me
[How far Miss] sprightly's this moment from me
7. Oh thus says the rider you bear a great [style]
For the grey mare is behind one quarter of an [English half mile]
Stick tight to your saddle my boy never [fear]
For you ne'er shall be beat on the plains of ki[lldeer]
Although i never was in this country before
I've beat Mrs springhtly and broke sorrow four
8. When they had got out too [the] last winding [winning] post
Scuball to spurmurthy saying give us a toast
Here's a health to mrs sprightly that famous grey mare
Who has lost all her gold on the plains of killdeer
55. The Rose of Ardee
Ardee is in Ireland, but whether the young man courted Nancy
in Ireland or whether he is an immigrant to America who courted
her here is not clear. Hudson prints a song called "Rose of Ardeen"
as a version of "The Brown Girl." The first stanza is closely similar
to that of Douglass, but after that the story is quite different. A ver-
sion word for word the same as Douglass appears in an edition of
The Forget-Me-Not Songster owned by Professor Henry Belden.
Songs and Ballads from the British Isles 85
The Rose of Ardee
1 . When first to this country a stranger I came
I placed my affections on a handsome young dame
She is neat tall and slender her waist is genteel
She is the flower of this country and the rose of ardee
2. I courted my darling at the age of sixteen
She is the flower of the country and the Rose of Ardee
Until a young weaver chanced her for to see
Stole the flower of this country and the Rose of ardee
3. I'll away to the army for months two or three
Perhaps that some fair maid I might chance to see
Perhaps some fair maid to me might prove kind
And banish young Nancy quite out of my mind
4. When i gets my weeks pay to the tavern I will go
I'll call for strong liquors to relieve my hearts wo
I'll call for strong liquors and then I will say
Here's a curse to young Nancy you have led me astray
5. I will give my curse to any young man
That will fix his affections too much upon one
They willset and drink 'till your money is all gone
Then with another young man away they will run
36. Old Grannau Weal
Lady Gregory {Seven Short Plays [Dublin, 1909]) prints a song,
"Granuaile," to be sung in her play "The Rising of the Moon." In
the song Granuaile is a symbolic name for Ireland. The same name,
spelled differently, appears in this ballad of the American Revolu-
tion. The spirit of Ireland is represented as sympathetic with the
United States in the struggle for independence.
The personal references may be explained as follows: Charles
Wolf ran Cornwall (1 735-1 889) was a Lord of the Treasury in
North's government from 1774 to 1780. Frederick North, Earl of
Guilford (1 732-1 792), was the leading minister of George III dur-
ing the American Revolution. George Grenville (17 12-1770) was an
English statesman during whose ministry the Stamp Act was passed.
John Stuart, third Earl of Bute (17 13-1792), was made First Lord of
the Treasury in 1762. Joseph Warren was President of the Provincial
86 A Pioneer Songster
Congress at Watertown, Massachusetts, but was killed in the Battle
of Breed's Hill on June 17, 1775. Bigsby refers to Robert Digby,
Commander in North America; Derby has not been identified. There
were three English admirals named Graves at this period. The refer-
ence is probably to Samuel Graves (17 13-1787) who, as commander
of the North American station, attempted to carry out the Boston
Port Act in 1774.
The Douglass version of this song corresponds almost exactly to
that in Rough and Ready, but no tune has been found.
Old Grannau Weal
1 . Old Grannau she arose in the morning so soon
She put on her petticoat apron and gown
Saying very bad news last night came to me
They are wronging my children thats over the main
2. Old Grannau set out with her gallant in rage
And straight way for Dublin it was her first stage
And as she was prancing it was up Dublin street
She with lord Cornwall had a chance for to meet
3. He says noble Grannau come tell me in haste
Have you any good news from the East or West
O bad news says Grannau that makes me complain
They are wronging my children thats over the main
4. That news is to true lord Cornwall he said
They will bring them to slavery soon I'm afraid
Theres lord North and Cranville and infamous Bute
That brought on the tea act that now in dispute
5. Old Grannau set out with her grand equipage
And straight way for london it was her first stage
And as she was prancing it was up london street
Twas there with North Granville and Bute she did meet
6. You are three villains as I understand
Who are wronging my children in yon foreign land
And it is reported and told as a fact
You are the three villains that made the tea act
7. You are wrongly informed says these gentlemen
To yield to your slavery we never intend
Songs and Ballads from the British Isles 87
That land is our kings we solemnly say
And we will make laws and your sons must obey
8. You are three arrant liars says old Grannau in haste
Tis very well known from the east to the west
My children they ventured their lives o'er the flood
And purchased that land with the price of their blood
9. They said noble Grannau do'nt give such a vent
We'll cool your sons courage and make them repent
With our great ships of war and our men in the field
We'll cool your sons courage and make them to yield
10. I would not have you think for to frighten my sons
At Lexinton battle they made your men run
They are men of experience in every degree
The'll turn your proud ships with a hell-a-ma-lee
11. O says noble grannau give me leave to tell
Of a battle that was fought it was nigh Bunker hill
Where twelve hundred Britons lay dead on the field
And five hundred more have since died of their wounds
12. O Grannau do'nt tell us about bunker hill
For in that battle we gained the field
You once had warren but now he is slain
You have no more Warren's now over the main
13. Well well says old grannau through Warren is dead
A Washington lives and our armies he'll head
We'll handle your troops as polite as you please
And pay them their trouble for crossing the seas
14. We cannot deny but your Washington's brave
Then only think of what armies we have
We'll send over bigsby old Derby and Graves
Your sons must submit or we'll make them our slaves
15. Well Well says old Grannau go on with your cause
Our sons will never submit to your laws
And when they've beat you and drove your troops hone
My sons will be free and make laws of their own
1 6. Too late you will see your desperate crimes
And mourn and lament to the end of your times
A Pioneer Songster
That ever you sent your troops o'er the flood
To spill my dear innocent childrens blood
17. I have a millions of sons in america born
To yield to your slavery they hold it in scorn
They are men of experience in every degree
They never will yield to your bloody tea Act
1 8. Sing wobaroo bob-a-roo says old Grannau weal
The fox is in the trap he's caught by the tail
They are men of experience and never will fail
Sucsess to our sons says old Grannau Weal