Just to rattle cages (yours, not the audience), we played Danny Boy at the pub we performed at on Sun eve. We had played there before and were surprised when a bartender requested it. It turns out another bartender had recently died who loved the song, so it was asked in rememberence. People at the bar were dabbing their eyes. We figured we may get a request again, so we practiced it once just in case. Well, St Patrick’s Day, a bunch of my family comes out to hear us play. Who requests Danny Boy but my own sister, who likes all the real hokey stuff and regularly asks me to play My Heart Will Go On. I did that one once for her, then said never again. She still asks for it. Anyway, we played Danny Boy and got loud applause. Whatever.
As the evening wore on, people got drunker and louder. I chose this inopportune time to play a slow air. I guess I was being perverse. One of my sisters shushed the entire bar to silence while I played. I went directly into Half Penny Money, which I have pretty well nailed and the same sister starts stamping her foot. (Blame the tequila.) Everyone starts clapping to the jig. (I had a microphone.) The whole thing goes down well. It was fun.
Tony
Tony
Personally, I can’t stand the IWW because it reminds me of drunken idiots on St. Patrick’s Day hooting and hollering when they hear it because it’s the only dance tune they recognize, although they couldn’t tell you its name if you put a gun to their heads. Of course, I’ll happily take their money if they request it
Why not learn something more musically satisfying? There are any number of great tunes available in print, on CD, or on the internet.
Well, here are some lyrics to the tune in question (from some children’s songbook or other)
Ahem…
“OHHHHHHH, MacTavish is dead and his brother don’t know it
His brother is dead and MacTavish don’t know it
They’re both of them dead and they’re in the same bed
and so neither one knows that the other is dead.”
In my tinwhistle workshops, I always hand out “Irish Washerwoman” AND “Danny Boy” for students to practice on their own time, precisely because they ARE so overdone, so well-known that they will easily be able to recognize that they’re making mistakes. I certainly encourage them to go beyond these tunes, of course, but when you’re first learning, it’s helpful to have something familiar to hang onto when there’s no instructor or other help around.
That “Mactavish is dead” lyric was recorded by Don McLean some 25 or so years ago on his double-live album. Where he got from is anyone’s guess.
Tom Bingham tomandceil@bigsplat.net
On 2002-03-22 11:22, tomandceil wrote:
…
That “Mactavish is dead” lyric was recorded by Don McLean some 25 or so years ago on his double-live album. Where he got from is anyone’s guess.
Tom Bingham tomandceil@bigsplat.net
I learned the “McTavich is dead” lyrics as a kid more than 40 years ago, Tought to me by my parents who picked it up when they were kids. Growing up we used it as a hiking song, with a nice step, at ages 4,5,6 and 9, my brothers and I pretty much wore it out after singing it continuously for a half hour or so. I think we sang the last 20 minutes just to needle my dad who kept suggesting other songs.
I guess we learned there’s more to enjoying a song than just the music.
On 2002-03-22 13:46, Bloomfield wrote:
Hey! What’s wrong with drunken exuberance?!?
Nothing at all, provided it’s not a problem in other aspects of one’s life.
I guess the point was to nudge newbies away from vaudevillian tunes that very few if any people still play in Ireland and towards the actual living tradition.
On 2002-03-22 13:46, Bloomfield wrote:
Hey! What’s wrong with drunken exuberance?!?
Nothing at all, provided it’s not a problem in other aspects of one’s life.
I guess the point was to nudge newbies away from vaudevillian tunes that very few if any people still play in Ireland and towards the actual living tradition.
Good point, Pat. Here’s to the Actual Living Tradition! [downs a pint]
I reckon even the most obnoxious tune(Irish washerwoman isn,t one)played in the right setting with interesting variations and a bit of humour can be a winner.There,s a session venue in my town where whisky in the jar and the wild rover are actually prohibited by management.I can understand this attitude when a jaded pop singer trots these out in between U2 and Thin lizzy but not when it concerns people who really understand the genre and have a deep respect for the tradition and who may have legitimate reasons apart from commerciality for playing them.My euro,s worth. peace,Mike
