Peter Street

Here's a good song done here by me with no music. Warnings against a rowdy life...

PETER STREET

Oh ye landsmen and ye seamen come listen to my song,
It’s of a trick was played on me, it won’t delay you long.
I came from sea the other day, a fair girl I did meet,
She kindly asked me to a dance, was up on Peter Street.

"Oh no," says I, "me fair maid, though I can dance quite well,
Tonight I’m bound for Wicklow’s town that’s were my people dwell."
"You’d better come with me," she said, "for the distance is not far,"
And finding her so friendly, I jumped into her car.

Now as the dance was over straight to the bed did go,
‘Twas little didn’t I ever think she’d pull my overthrow:
Robbed my gold watch and thirty pounds, a pack of fags and fled,
And left me there, stark naked, alone upon the bed.

Now when I awoke in the morning it was nothing did I spy,
But a woman’s shirt and apron up the bed did lie.
I rung me hands, I tore my hair, I cried, "What shall I do?
Ah, tonight I’m bound for Wicklow’s town, no more will I see you."

Now as the streets were lonesome at the hour of two o’clock,
I put on the shirt and apron and marched down to the dock.
The crew they saw me coming and these words to me did say,
"My dear old chap you’ve struck a snap since you’ve been gone away.

"Are those the new spring fashions that the ladies wear onshore?
Where is the shop you bought them at and is there anymore?"
The Captain on the quarterdeck looked at me with a frown,
Saying, “Jack I'd buy a better suit than that for thirty pounds”.

"I would sir, if I could sir, if I’d only got the chance,
But I met a girl on Peter Street and she asked me for a dance.
She danced my hearts deception, I got robbed from head to feet,
And I’ll take my oath no more I’ll go to a dance on Peter Street."

Oh, ye landsmen and ye seamen a warning take by me:
Be sure to choose good company when you go out on spree.
Be sure to choose good company or your find yourself like me,
With a woman’s shirt and apron for to fit you out for sea!

The Galtee Mountain Boy

Here's a video to accompany my last post. This is "The Galtee Mountain Boy". The lighting was way off in the room due to extreme brightness from the sun. The cam couldn't handle it properly. Anyway, here's the rebel song:

Tradition with a Touch of Class

Today my World Geography class and I finished off our first section related to land and water forms, which means we are moving along pretty good. The material isn't too challenging and the students, for the most part, are getting it. I had them working quite a bit this week with questions and case study material related to mountain types, etc., so I thought I'd give them a treat at the end of the week.

Well it's a treat for me anyway. Not all people like traditional music, but I thought I'd try it out on them in case they liked it. To be somewhat related to the course material I brought in my guitar to sing "The Galtee Mountain Boy". This is a lovely ballad about the anti-treaty movement in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century. This group opposed the "Free Staters" who wanted peace and a treaty with England to end the fighting during the Irish War of Independence. The people mentioned in the song were leading members of the anti-treaty group and had varying levels of involvement in the action. The "flying column" is a small, guerrilla type band of soldiers who roamed the mountains and raided from their outlaw posts in the hills. The lyrics are as follows:

THE GALTEE MOUNTAIN BOY
by Patsy Halloran

"I joined the flying column in nineteen and sixteen,
In Cork with Seán Moylan, in Tipperary with Dan Breen.
Arrested by Free Staters and sentenced for to die...
Farewell to Tipperary," said the Galtee Mountain Boy.

"We went across the valleys and over the hilltops green
Where we met with Dinny Lacey, Seán Hogan and Dan Breen
Seán Moylan and his gallant men, who kept the flag flying high...
Farewell to Tipperary," said the Galtee Mountain Boy.

"We trekked the Wicklow Mountains, we were rebels on the run.
Though hunted night and morning, we were outlaws but free men.
We trekked the Dublin Mountains as the sun was shining high...
Farewell to Tipperary", said the Galtee Mountain Boy.

"I’ll bid farewell to old Clonmel that I never more shall see
And to the Galtee Mountains that oftimes sheltered me,
To the men who fought for their liberty and died without a sigh...
May their cause be ne’er forgotten," said the Galtee Mountain Boy.

And a map I provided for the kids:



As it happens, the kids seemed to really like it. It helped them not do work as well, so this is now doubt a reason why. But who knows, maybe someone enjoyed hearing it.

A Video Drive By

Two quick videos that I recorded earlier today. The first is "Bonnie Woodhall", a scottish ballad. The second is "Will You Go, Lassie, Go?" written by a man from Belfast. It is often mistaken for a scottish tune.