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.
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You really had some fun doing this, lol.. and quite unlike me not trying to make my videos too long hehehe..
Your love for Irish guitar stands out here. Hehe.
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Ah Dublin in the Rare Old Times is an auld favorite of mine, it's a great tune and one a good friend of mine sings regularly. Serious amount of verses there and you sang it well.
Daoiri Farell does some version of the Creggan White Hare, again tonnes of verse so credit for learning them and doing a great song great justice.
And finishing with Luke Kelly, fantastic, my favourite of his is probably Paddy Kavanagh's poem that he brought to life "Raglan Road"