JIGS,  REELS,  &  SONGS  ABOUT  WHISKEY

JIGS, REELS, & SONGS ABOUT WHISKEY
 Big Paddy's first album is eight tracks of traditional Irish tunes, rowdy pub songs, and a couple of great modern covers for good measure. It was recorded during the holidays of 2003-2004 at Red Door Studio in Eldorado Canyon.  The recording engineer was Steve Koppe, a friend and fellow musician who has been in business for 20 years.  The album was recorded in one take sessions; we didn't have the money to retake everything, so we laid each track down in one take.  I would like to thank Steve Koppe again for bein a brutha cat and having a great on-the-fly ear.  Slainte, Steve!

Guitars, Mandolin, Tenor Banjo, Bass Bodhran: Jon Sherman
Vocals & Percussion: Sean Michael Kayo Gaughan
Release Date: 2004
Recorded At: Red Door Studio, El Dorado Canyon
Sound Engineer: Steve Koppe
Photos:
Album Notes:



Songlist:
  1. The Foggy Dew (traditional)
  2. New-Rigged Ship / Kitchen Girl (traditional)  
  3. Black Waterside (traditional)
  4. Banish Misfortune / Mug Of Brown Ale (traditional)
  5. Sam Hall (traditional)  
  6. Polkas
  7. Streams Of Whiskey (originally by The Pogues)
  8. Tater Patch / Little Rabbit (traditional)













1. THE FOGGY DEW - a traditional Irish song about the Easter Uprising of 1916

An’ t’was down the glen one Easter morn,
to a city fair rode I
That’s when Ireland’s lines of marching men
in squadrons passed me by
No pipes did hum, nor battle drum
did sound it's dread tattoo
But the Angels' bells o'er the Liffey swells
rang out through the foggy dew...

Right proudly high over Dublin Town
they hung out the flag of war
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
than at Sulva or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath
strong men came hurrying through
While Britannia's Sons, and their long range guns,
sailed in through the foggy dew...

It was England bade our Wild Geese go
that small nations might be free
Their lonely graves are by Sulva's waves,
or the fringe of the Great North Sea
Oh, but had they died by Pearse's side,
or fought with valor and truth
Their grave we’d keep where the fenians sleep,
'neath the shroud of the foggy dew

But the bravest fell, and the solemn bell,
it rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide,
in the springing of the year
And the world did gaze, in deep amaze,
at those fearless men, and true
Who bore the fight that freedom's light
might shine through the foggy dew – hey!

Ah, back to the glen I rode again,
my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
I’d never see no more
But to and fro in my dreams I go,
and I'd kneel and I’ll pray for you
For our slaveries fled, O you rebels dead,
when you fell in the foggy dew.


History: A commemoration of the Easter Rising of 1916, in Dublin.  The Easter Rising (Irish: Éirí Amach na Cásca) was a rebellion staged in Ireland against British rule on Easter Monday, April 24, in 1916; despite its military failure, it can be judged as being a significant stepping-stone in the eventual creation of the Irish Republic.  It was an attempt by militant Irish Republicanists to violently force independence from the United Kingdom.  The Irish Republican revolutionary attempt occurred from April 24 to April 30, 1916, in which the Irish Republican Brotherhood led by school teacher and barrister Pádraig Pearse, joined by a part of the Irish Volunteers and the smaller Irish Citizen Army of James Connolly, seized key locations in Dublin and proclaimed an Irish Republic independent of Britain.  The Rising was suppressed and its leaders executed.  (Read more about it here.)









2. NEW-RIGGED SHIP / KITCHEN GIRL - traditional

instrumental

History: Coming soon





























3. A BLACK WATERSIDE - traditional

One evening fair, I took the air
Down by Black Waterside
And I was gazing all around me there,
At this lovely Irish girl that I spied.

All through the burnished, powdered night
We did lie ...
And this young lass rose, and gathered all her clothes
Saying "Fare thee well today."

That's not the promise you gave to me,
When you first laid on my chest
You could make me believe with your lyin' tongue
That the sun would rise in the west.

Go home, go home to your father's house
Go home and weep your fill
And think of how you wrote this fortune
That you bought with your want and your will.

There's not a man in this whole town
As easily led as I,
And when the sky does fall and the seas run dry,
Why it's then that you'll marry I.

One evening fair, I took the air
Down by Black Waterside
And I was gazing all around me there,
At this lovely Irish girl that I spied...

And it's then that you'll marry I...


History: The story of a romantic encounter on the Black Water, the river that runs through County Cork in Ireland.  The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Sandy Denny, and Linda Thompson, Liam Clancy, Bert Jansch, and John Renbourn (the Renbourn version is sung by Jacqui McShee and takes the female point of view, as you might imagine).  Led Zeppelin also recorded this song instrumentally, under the title "Black Mountainside".









4. BANISH MISFORTUNE / A MUG OF BROWN ALE - traditional

instrumental


History: A traditional Irish jig, "Banish Misfortune" switches back and forth between major and mixolydian modes, while the "Mug of Brown Ale" jig stays in the adorian.  We don't imagine there's hardly anyone out there to whom this means much at all.





























5. SAM HALL - a traditional song

Well, my name is Sam Hall, chimneysweep, chimneysweep
Yes, my name is Sam Hall, chimneysweep
My name is Sam Hall, and I’ve robbed ‘em great and small
And my neck’ll pay fer it all, when I die, when I die
And I hate you one and all, s’ damn your eyes!

See, it all went like this:

I killed a man, they said, so they said, so they said
I killed a man they said, so they said
Well I killed a man they said, said I bashed his bloody head
With a great big lump of lead, damn their eyes, damn their eyes
With a great big lump of lead, damn their eyes!

So they put me in the quad, in the quad, in the quad
They put me in the quad, in the quad
Beat iron bars with iron rods
And they left me there to die, damn their eyes, damn their eyes
And they left me there to die, damn their eyes!

Well the parson he did come, he did come, he did come
The parson he did come, he did come
Well the parson he did come, and he looked so fuckin’ glum
And he talked ‘til Kingdom Come, damn his eyes, damn his eyes
And he can kiss my fuckin’ bum, damn his eyes!

So I went to Palden Hill, in a cart, in a cart
I went to Palden Hill, in a cart
Well, I went to Palden Hill and I said “God, I’ve had my fill!”
And I tied the rope right well, damn their eyes, damn their eyes
On top of Palden Hill, damn their eyes!

Well, the sheriff, he came too, he came too, he came too
The sheriff, he came too, he came too
Well, the sheriff he came too, with all his bloody boys in blue
And all his fuckin’ crew, damn their eyes, damn their eyes
They said, “Sam we’ll see you through, damn your eyes!”

I saw Molly in the crowd, in the crowd, in the crowd
I saw Molly in the crowd, in the crowd
I saw Molly in the crowd, and I shouted right out loud
I said, "Now Molly, aren't you proud? Damn your eyes, damn your eyes!"
I said, "Now Molly, aren't you proud? Damn your eyes!"

But up this ladder I did go, it’s no joke, it’s no joke
Up this ladder I did go, it’s no joke
Up this ladder I did go, and the hangman pulled the rope
And these little words I spoke, tumbling down, tumbling down
And these little words I spoke, tumbling down:

Well, my name is Sam Hall, chimneysweep, chimneysweep
Yes, my name is Sam Hall, chimneysweep
My name is Sam Hall, and I’ve robbed ‘em great and small
And my neck’ll pay fer it all, when I die, when I die
And I hate you one and all, s’ damn your eyes!

And my name is Sam Hall, damn your eyes...


History: "Sam Hall" was adapted from an earlier song called 'Jack Hall', about a British chimney sweep who was hanged for burglary in 1701.  The song has been recorded many times, with many variations in the lyrics.












6. POLKAS - traditional

instrumental

History: The polka was introduced into the ballrooms of France and England in 1843.  The Times of London described it as embracing the "intimacy of the waltz combined with the vivacity of the Irish jig". Polka, from the bohemian word pulka, which means half, refers to the little half step or close-step that is characteristic of this dance.  The polka as a dance had little lasting effect in Scotland, but the Irish polka is almost a different animal; it has developed into a dance and tune form peculiar to Ireland, and Irish polkas -- the tunes -- have become a popular part of repertoires all over the world.  In the Sliabh Luachra area of Kerry in the southwest of Ireland, the polka is the predominant dance tune, unlike the rest of Ireland where the reel reigns supreme.  In fact, the reel in Kerry ranks a poor fifth in popularity after polkas, jigs, slides and hornpipes.





























7. STREAMS OF WHISKEY - originally by Shane McGowan & The Pogues

Well last night as I slept,
I dreamt I met with Behan
Shook him by the hand
An' we passed the time o' day
When questioned on his views,
And asked of life's philosophies,
He had a few simple, clear words to say:

That I'm goin', I'm going
Any which way that wind may be blowin'
I'm goin', I'm going
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'!

Well, I've cursed bled and sworn,
Jumped bail and landed up in jail
Life often tried to stretch me,
The rope ...
And now I've got a pile,
I'm goin' to the Chelsea,
Walkin' on my feet,
But I'll leave there on my back

Because I'm goin', I'm going
Any which way that wind may be blowin'
I'm goin', I'm going
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'!

Well, the words that he spoke
Seemed the wisest of philosophies:
"There's nothing to be gained
By what may cause a tear;
And when the world's too dark,
I'll need the light inside of me
To walk into the attic,
And drink fifteen pints of beer!"

Because I'm goin', I'm going
Any which way that wind may be blowin'
I'm goin', I'm going
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'

I'm goin', I'm going
Any which way that wind may be blowin'
I'm goin', I'm going
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'
Where streams of whiskey are flowin'!


History: Of the seventeen thousand band names Shane McGowan was writing under before settling in with "The Pogues", the name was "The New Republicans" in 1981 when Shane wrote this one.  This was around the time when they were making attempts as busking (playing in public places for donations), though in Covent Garden one man reportedly told them, "Very few people have come here and failed what we like to call The Covent Garden Seal Of Quality. I'm sorry, you have failed."  Eventually there came the name "Pogue Mahone", gaelic for "kiss my arse", which later shifted into just "The Pogues".

This song was written about Brendan Behan, the brother of Dominic Behan (who wrote "Come Out Ye Black & Tans", on our album "A Terrible Thirst"). The Behans were a famous and prodigious Irish family, descended from rebels and activists, and all of them highly educated playwrights and novelists, talented with words -- not to mention violently insurrectious.  In 1942, at age 19, Brendan Behan was tried for the attempted murder of two detectives in Dublin, and sentenced to fourteen years in prison, and was released in 1946 as part of a general amnesty; in 1947, he again spent a short time in prison in Manchester for helping a fellow republican to escape from jail.  He learned Irish in prison, and after his release he spent some time in the Gaeltacht areas of Galway and Kerry, where he started writing poetry in Irish.

Brendan was once hired to write an advertising slogan for Guinness.   As part of his payment for this, the company offered him half a dozen kegs of their stout.  After a month, the company asked Brendan what he had come up with.  He had already managed to drink all of the beer they'd given him, and he had come up with the following slogan: "GUINNESS MAKES YOU DRUNK".

Brendan had long been a heavy drinker, describing himself on one occasion as "a drinker with a writing problem", and claiming "I only drink on two occasions -- when I'm thirsty and when I'm not".  He developed diabetes in his 30s.  The combination of drinking and diabetes resulted in a series of notoriously drunken public appearances.  He died at age 41 in Dublin, and his last words were to several nuns standing over his bed: "God bless you, may your sons all be bishops."












8. TATER PATCH / LITTLE RABBIT - traditional

instrumental

History: Coming soon













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