Three Tune Tuesday- Week 63 - Pure Irish Folk Set #1

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    celticheartbeat

    Published on Aug 09, 2022
    About :

    Hi Everyone

    Im back this week for @ablaze 3 tune Tuesday with a few old Irish folk songs.

    The first one in this set is "Dublin In The Rare Old Times" which is sometimes just called "The Rare Old Times".It was written by Dublin songwriter Pete St John of The Dublin City Ramblers and quickly became a standard on the folk circuit in Ireland and throughout the world in the 1970s.It is a hugely popular song which laments the way Dublin and its traditional way of life underwent seismic changes in the 1960s.

    I first heard this song while studying folk music at college in 2019 for the music appreciation module.I found a documentry made by and starring Ronnie Drew from the band "The Dubliners" which was called The Dubliners guide to Dublin.

    I love starting sets with this song purely for the opening line "Rasied on songs and stories ,heros of reknown ,the passing tales and glories that once was Dublin town"

    Here is the first version of the song I heard.

    "Dublin in the Rare Old Times"
    Pete St John

    Raised on songs & stories, heroes of re-known
    The passing tales & glories that once was Dublin town
    The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens' rhymes
    That once was Dublin city in the rare ould times

    Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
    I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times

    My name it is Sean Demspey, as Dublin as can be
    Born hard & late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be
    By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy
    Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory
    & I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please
    A rogue & a child of Mary, from the rebel liberties
    I lost her to a student chap with a skin as black as coal
    When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul

    Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
    I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times

    The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims my brain
    'Cause Dublin keeps on changing & nothing stays the same
    The Pillar & the Met have gone, the Royal long since pulled down
    As the great unyielding concrete makes a city of my town

    Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
    I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times

    Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay
    & Watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay
    My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes
    I'm part of what was Dublin in the rare ould times

    Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
    I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times

    Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines
    I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times

    The second song in this set is "The Creggan White Hare".This song is traditionally played on an Irish Bouzouki .I have never seen anyone play this on guitar.I came up with my own progression for the song using a capo on the 6th fret and G/D/A chords.

    I fell in love with the lyrics of this song after seeing Daoiri Farell play it in this video.

    The song was originaly record in 1944 by Paddy Tunney.It tells the story of a legedary white hare that even the fastest greyhound cant catch.The word play in these old songs is something else I loved learning and singing this one.

    "The Creggan White Hare"

    In the lowlands of Creggan there lives a white hare
    As swift as the swallow that flies through the air
    You may tramp the world over but none to compare
    To the pride of ol' Creggan, that bonnie white hare

    One clear autumn morning, as you will suppose
    Oh, the red golden sun o’er the green mountain rose
    Barney Conway came down and he did declare
    "This day I’ll put an end to the bonnie white hare!"

    So he searched through thе lowlands and down through the glens
    All among the wild ditchеs where the white hare had ends
    Till at last coming down o’er the heather so fair
    From behind the wild thistle out jumps the white hare

    “Bang! Bang!” went his guns and his dogs he slipped too
    As swift as the wind o'er the green mountain flew
    But his dogs soon came back and this made Barney sigh
    For he knew that the white hare had bid him goodbye

    And we’re some jolly sportsmen down here from Pomeroy
    From Cookstown, Dungannon, and likewise the Moy
    "With our pedigree greyhounds we’ve travelled from far
    And we’ve come down to Creggan in our fine motor car!"

    Well into the lowlands these huntsmen did go
    In search of the white hare they'd look high and low
    Till at last Barney Conway from a turf bank so rare
    Shouted out to the huntsmen: “There lies the white hare!”

    So they called up their greyhounds from off the green lea
    And Barney and the huntsmen all jumped high with glee
    It was there on that turf bank all gathered around
    Seven dogs and nine men did that poor hare surround

    Oh no wonder the white hare did tremble with fear
    As she stood on her hind legs she would raise her big ears
    As she stood on her hind legs with one gallant spring
    She jumped over the greyhounds and broke through the ring

    Well that chase it went on, it was a beautiful view
    As swift as the wind o’er the green mountain flew
    But those pedigree greyhounds they didn’t run too far
    They came back and went home in their fine motor car yeah

    Then there came another man and you all know him well
    His name was Mick Kelly with Bonnie Black Bell
    "Oh in search of the white hare today I’ll have fun
    I'll bet fifty to one my Black Bell of her turn"

    Five turns the hare got then from Bonnie Black Bell
    And the sixth one was given around John Haughey’s well
    It was there we lost sight of the hare and the dog
    And then ten minutes late they rode o’er the black bog

    Well that chase it went on it was great for to see
    The white hare and the black dog both roam light and free
    Till she travelled to Esker where she knew the lands well
    And to bonnie Black Bella there soon bid farewell

    And now to conclude and to finish this rhyme
    I hope you’ll forgive me for singing all this while
    If there’s any amongst you up in Carrick more fair
    Please drink up a health to that bonnie white hare

    Now we come to our last song in this pure Irish folk set and I am closing it with a song I sing as a tribute to the memory of Luke Kelly.Luke was an original member of the band the Dubliners , a powerful and iconic voice of the Irish folk tradition.Luke died in his early 40s from a brain tumour.

    It was seeing videos like this one years ago that made me want to pick up a guitar and sing these old songs.

    "Black Velvet Band"
    The Dubliners

    In a neat little town they called Belfast
    Apprenticed to trade I was bound
    And many an hour's sweet happiness
    Have I spent in that neat little town

    A sad misfortune came over me
    Which caused me to stray from the land
    Far away from my friends and relations
    Betrayed by the black velvet band

    Her eyes they shone like diamonds
    I thought her the queen of the land
    And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
    Tied up with a black velvet band

    I took a stroll down broadway
    Meaning not long for to stay
    When who should I meet but this pretty fair maid
    Come a tripping along the highway
    She was both fair and handsome
    Her neck, it was just like a swan
    And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
    Tied up with a black velvet band

    I took a stroll with this pretty fair maid
    And a gentleman passing us by
    Well, I knew she meant the doing of him
    By the look in her roguish black eye
    A gold watch she took from his pocket
    And placed it right into my hand
    And the very first thing that I kew me lads
    Id landed in Van Damiens Land.

    Her eyes they shone like diamonds
    I thought her the queen of the land
    And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
    Tied up with a black velvet band

    Next morning, before judge and the jury
    Twas ordered I had to appear
    The judge, he says to me:
    "Young man, you're case it is proven clear
    We'll give you seven years penal servitude
    To be spent far away from the land
    Far away from your friends and relations
    To follow your black velvet band"

    So come all you jolly young fellows
    A warning take by me
    When you are out on the town, me lads
    Beware of the pretty colleens
    They'll fill you full of strong liquer
    'Till you are unable to stand
    And the very first thing that you'll know me lads
    You've landed in Van Diemen's Land

    Her eyes they shone like diamonds
    Her neck, it was just like a swan
    And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
    Tied up with a black velvet band

    Her eyes they shone like diamonds
    Her neck, it was just like a swan
    And her hair, it hung over her shoulder
    Tied up with a black velvet band

    Well thats it for this week folks.I will most likely be back next week exploring more rare old Irish songs from the rare old times.Until then stay safe and be sweet to each other.

    Tags :

    ttt threetunetuesday music teamuk

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