Im inclined to sing from time to time but have yet to come across an actual song about Guinness or the drinking of Guinness. I love my pint, but the only ballads Ive come across rave about poitin or the rare old mountain dew, I presume Brendan Behan must have wrote one. Can anyone enlighten me?
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Lyrics to the link I posted.
Notes: This song probably dates to around 1900.
You've heard of General Wellington,
Who won at Waterloo,
But there's a good old Irishman
I'll mention unto you.
He comes from dear old Dublin,
He's a man we all applaud,
For he always finds a corkscrew
Far more handy than a sword.
He's good old General Guinness,
He's a soldier strong and stout.
He's found on every bottle
And he can't be done without!
His noble name has world-wide fame
Deserves three hearty cheers
Hurrah for General Guinness of the Dublin Booziliers!
This hale and hearty warrior
Is worshipped in the ranks,
For he does his task inside the cask,
As well as in the tanks.
He bears the brunt on every front,
North, south, east, and west,
And he wears about ten million
Canteen medals on his chest.
He's good old General Guinness,
He has won the world's applause.
'Twas him who kept our spirits up
In the midst of all our wars.
Who was the first to flirt
With Mademoiselle from Armentieres?
Why good old General Guinness
Of the Dublin Booziliers.
All over bonny Scotland too,
The General is seen.
They've given him the freedom
Of the "toon" of Aberdeen.
From Inverness to Galashiels,
He keeps them warm and bright,
And they love to gather 'round him,
Och, on every moonlit night.
He's good old General Guinness,
He's as good as Scottish broth,
'Twas him who turned the Firth of Forth
Into the Firth of Froth.
All Scotsman dance The Highland Fling
And shout when he appears,
Hurrah for General Guinness of the Dublin Booziliers.
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
The is of course An Buachaill Caol Dubh which is an allegory for alcoholism, and I have heard some suggest that the 'slender dark boy' of the title is an allusion to a bottle of porter.
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It fails to explicitly mention the drink though.
The Dark Slender Boy
When I go to market to make a purchase
And grasp the earnest within my hand,
The dark slim laddie still seeks and searches
Till he slips beside me sedate and bland.
It's not long after my senseless laughter
Will reach the rafter and I'm left prone;
When I pay what's owing, e'en though it's
snowing,
Quite bare I'm going, my money gone.
The dark slim laddie's aye open-handed,
So kind, so candid, witb features fine;
But he has left me in pain, bereft me
Of all my fortune, my sheep and kine.
If I took a notion to cross the ocean
His deep devotion would not despair;
Swift as a swallow my track he'd follow,
And on the morrow l'd find him there!
The Queen of Thomond met us while roaming
Along the roadway and told the lad
If he'd me abandon that she would grant him
A hundred topers to make him glad.
The slim boy answered in tones of banter
'Twas ne'er his fancy to lose a friend:
O'er hill, o'er hollow he'd always follow
A soak so mellow until the end
You neighbours come listen a moment and I'll sing you a sporting song
Although I'm not good at composing and I'd better not hold you long
The best of my tunes they are broken, but some others are going quite strong
Though lately I've heard it outspoken that some of my notes were wrong
For a dozen long years I've been shaping, singing and making rhymes
Though very often contrary and putting down airy times
Sleeping in very cold places, and often out late until dawn
Sure 'tis how I do hear them comparing myself and the tailor ban
A pair of rollicking sportsmen and we're nearly both of one size
And very fond of this porter, sure 'tis bulging out both our eyes
The people are saying we are topers, we often be out until dawn
For the dogs do be barking before us and they welcoming home Dan Ban
'Twas often I drank with this tailor at the markets or fair each time
On Sundays we'd doubt 'ere a failure, sure we thought that our sport was fine
He used to be acting ould capers and be singing his queer rawcan
With the landlady looking for payment and she cursing the tailor ban
Oh there wasn't a tramp in the nation, either ugly, fair or fine
Or a beggar of very low station but was putting down airy times
We drank with oul' journeymen, bakers and every queer sprawcan
You'd swear for to look at their features they were cousins of the tailor ban
Now we struck up a comical bargain, myself and Dan Ban last June
We'd go east to old Kilafadyen and 'tis there we'll be marching soon
A-ploughin' and digging their gardens and cutting out shapes of ban
And we'll make a mad trip to Kilgarvan, myself and the tailor ban
Myself will go in for Miss Foley and everyone knows she's fine
For her mother she often has told me the house and the place is mine
The tailor and Matty out poaching and not being home until dawn
Sure the mate and the fish will be roastin' for myself and the tailor ban
Then I will have the nice farm for myself and my charming wife
And soon see an end of this storm that is threatening me all my life
And if with a son or a daughter kind fortune should favour Sean
Let nobody ask who's the father, myself or the tailor ban
Oh but by herrings, he was a great tailor for cutting and shaping flies
Making game of the neighbours or telling them bare faced lives
But he turned to drinking completely with every queer crawmpan
And I've nothing to add in his favour, but good luck to the Tailor Ban
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It must have been bad timing. I have relations there & been there many times. Fine little town, and as warm as anywhere else in Scotland in summer....though that doesn't mean a great deal....
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It's not exactly a folk song, but there's always Christy Moore's 'Delirium Tremens', though you'd need a good memory to recall the 'surfboard' reference (or watch this instead - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zff9hVH3ptY).
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Another Christy Guinness allusion, from Trip To Jerusalem.
"It was in the Gulf of Aqaba,
I met some Paddies and we had a fleadh
Danced through the streets of Eilat Town,
Sang Sean South of Garryowen
I was travelin', I don't know,
You pack your gear, get up and go
Leave the crack for another bout,
I could damn well do with a pint of stout."
Gotta be Guinness. But what disappointing stuff it is, depending for its bitterneess on burnt malt rather than dacent fresh hops, of which it contains very little.
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Tom Donohue from Prairie Home Companion wrote "Irish Blues" which uses Irish Washerwoman for its tune. The chorus *or the B part):
And last night we really got going
And last night the Guiness was flowing
The drinking, the dancing I couldn't refuse
I woke up this morning with the Irish blues.
There is a podcast of the whole song. It was last year.
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Quit drinking for a hundo. Anyone up for the Queen's offer? Altogether now: HELL NO.
'The Queen of Thomond met us while roaming
Along the roadway and told the lad
If he'd me abandon that she would grant him
A hundred topers to make him glad.'
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
How about the ragtime ditty performed by Emerson, Lake & Palmer called "Benny The Bouncer" Which goes in part like this:
Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots,
He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots,
Benny looked at Sidney and Sidney stared right back in his eye,
Sidney chose a switchblade and Benny got a cold meat pie.
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Christy Moore, Delirium Tremens
"Goodbye to the Port and Brandy, to the Vodka and the Stag,
To the Schmiddick and the Harpic, the bottled draught and keg.
As I sat lookin' up the Guinness ad I could never figure out
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after 14 pints of stout."
Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Im inclined to sing from time to time but have yet to come across an actual song about Guinness or the drinking of Guinness. I love my pint, but the only ballads Ive come across rave about poitin or the rare old mountain dew, I presume Brendan Behan must have wrote one. Can anyone enlighten me?
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Scots_Niall
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Nearest I can think of is "10 pints of Tetleys"
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by ormepipes
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlv49hH10kk
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by frauschmittle
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
There are about the hard stuff though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mMRMDogu2c
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Lyrics to the link I posted.
Notes: This song probably dates to around 1900.
You've heard of General Wellington,
Who won at Waterloo,
But there's a good old Irishman
I'll mention unto you.
He comes from dear old Dublin,
He's a man we all applaud,
For he always finds a corkscrew
Far more handy than a sword.
He's good old General Guinness,
He's a soldier strong and stout.
He's found on every bottle
And he can't be done without!
His noble name has world-wide fame
Deserves three hearty cheers
Hurrah for General Guinness of the Dublin Booziliers!
This hale and hearty warrior
Is worshipped in the ranks,
For he does his task inside the cask,
As well as in the tanks.
He bears the brunt on every front,
North, south, east, and west,
And he wears about ten million
Canteen medals on his chest.
He's good old General Guinness,
He has won the world's applause.
'Twas him who kept our spirits up
In the midst of all our wars.
Who was the first to flirt
With Mademoiselle from Armentieres?
Why good old General Guinness
Of the Dublin Booziliers.
All over bonny Scotland too,
The General is seen.
They've given him the freedom
Of the "toon" of Aberdeen.
From Inverness to Galashiels,
He keeps them warm and bright,
And they love to gather 'round him,
Och, on every moonlit night.
He's good old General Guinness,
He's as good as Scottish broth,
'Twas him who turned the Firth of Forth
Into the Firth of Froth.
All Scotsman dance The Highland Fling
And shout when he appears,
Hurrah for General Guinness of the Dublin Booziliers.
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by frauschmittle
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
The is of course An Buachaill Caol Dubh which is an allegory for alcoholism, and I have heard some suggest that the 'slender dark boy' of the title is an allusion to a bottle of porter.
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by sergeant fox
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It fails to explicitly mention the drink though.
The Dark Slender Boy
When I go to market to make a purchase
And grasp the earnest within my hand,
The dark slim laddie still seeks and searches
Till he slips beside me sedate and bland.
It's not long after my senseless laughter
Will reach the rafter and I'm left prone;
When I pay what's owing, e'en though it's
snowing,
Quite bare I'm going, my money gone.
The dark slim laddie's aye open-handed,
So kind, so candid, witb features fine;
But he has left me in pain, bereft me
Of all my fortune, my sheep and kine.
If I took a notion to cross the ocean
His deep devotion would not despair;
Swift as a swallow my track he'd follow,
And on the morrow l'd find him there!
The Queen of Thomond met us while roaming
Along the roadway and told the lad
If he'd me abandon that she would grant him
A hundred topers to make him glad.
The slim boy answered in tones of banter
'Twas ne'er his fancy to lose a friend:
O'er hill, o'er hollow he'd always follow
A soak so mellow until the end
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Another drinking song from the album by Jackie Daly & seamus creagh - I got the words from Mudcat: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=16573 :
THE TAILOR BAN (Sean 'Johnny' O Tuama)
You neighbours come listen a moment and I'll sing you a sporting song
Although I'm not good at composing and I'd better not hold you long
The best of my tunes they are broken, but some others are going quite strong
Though lately I've heard it outspoken that some of my notes were wrong
For a dozen long years I've been shaping, singing and making rhymes
Though very often contrary and putting down airy times
Sleeping in very cold places, and often out late until dawn
Sure 'tis how I do hear them comparing myself and the tailor ban
A pair of rollicking sportsmen and we're nearly both of one size
And very fond of this porter, sure 'tis bulging out both our eyes
The people are saying we are topers, we often be out until dawn
For the dogs do be barking before us and they welcoming home Dan Ban
'Twas often I drank with this tailor at the markets or fair each time
On Sundays we'd doubt 'ere a failure, sure we thought that our sport was fine
He used to be acting ould capers and be singing his queer rawcan
With the landlady looking for payment and she cursing the tailor ban
Oh there wasn't a tramp in the nation, either ugly, fair or fine
Or a beggar of very low station but was putting down airy times
We drank with oul' journeymen, bakers and every queer sprawcan
You'd swear for to look at their features they were cousins of the tailor ban
Now we struck up a comical bargain, myself and Dan Ban last June
We'd go east to old Kilafadyen and 'tis there we'll be marching soon
A-ploughin' and digging their gardens and cutting out shapes of ban
And we'll make a mad trip to Kilgarvan, myself and the tailor ban
Myself will go in for Miss Foley and everyone knows she's fine
For her mother she often has told me the house and the place is mine
The tailor and Matty out poaching and not being home until dawn
Sure the mate and the fish will be roastin' for myself and the tailor ban
Then I will have the nice farm for myself and my charming wife
And soon see an end of this storm that is threatening me all my life
And if with a son or a daughter kind fortune should favour Sean
Let nobody ask who's the father, myself or the tailor ban
Oh but by herrings, he was a great tailor for cutting and shaping flies
Making game of the neighbours or telling them bare faced lives
But he turned to drinking completely with every queer crawmpan
And I've nothing to add in his favour, but good luck to the Tailor Ban
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Rudall the time
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
There's a Dubliners song of which I only remember a chorus line - "Drink it up, boys, it's well after ten..."
It's obviously a drinking song, and for all I know, it may be about Guinness or porter. Someone here might know it.
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by nicholas
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
"From Inverness to Galashiels,
He keeps them warm and bright,
And they love to gather 'round him,
Och, on every moonlit night."
An atom bomb wouldn't keep you warm in Galashiels.
Maybe my trips to / through Galashiels have been unfortunately timed!
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by nicholas
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It must have been bad timing. I have relations there & been there many times. Fine little town, and as warm as anywhere else in Scotland in summer....though that doesn't mean a great deal....
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Rudall the time
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
It's not exactly a folk song, but there's always Christy Moore's 'Delirium Tremens', though you'd need a good memory to recall the 'surfboard' reference (or watch this instead - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zff9hVH3ptY).
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Very specifically there is the Guinness Song by J. Cready sung by Margaret Barry.
# Posted on February 13th 2011 by Taglione
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Another Christy Guinness allusion, from Trip To Jerusalem.
"It was in the Gulf of Aqaba,
I met some Paddies and we had a fleadh
Danced through the streets of Eilat Town,
Sang Sean South of Garryowen
I was travelin', I don't know,
You pack your gear, get up and go
Leave the crack for another bout,
I could damn well do with a pint of stout."
Gotta be Guinness. But what disappointing stuff it is, depending for its bitterneess on burnt malt rather than dacent fresh hops, of which it contains very little.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Steve Shaw
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Bitterneeeeeeeess? You know what I meeen.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Steve Shaw
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Drink it up men.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CW_TyDMblI
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by CleverName
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Tom Donohue from Prairie Home Companion wrote "Irish Blues" which uses Irish Washerwoman for its tune. The chorus *or the B part):
And last night we really got going
And last night the Guiness was flowing
The drinking, the dancing I couldn't refuse
I woke up this morning with the Irish blues.
There is a podcast of the whole song. It was last year.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by grumblingoldwoman
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Quit drinking for a hundo. Anyone up for the Queen's offer? Altogether now: HELL NO.
'The Queen of Thomond met us while roaming
Along the roadway and told the lad
If he'd me abandon that she would grant him
A hundred topers to make him glad.'
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
How about the ragtime ditty performed by Emerson, Lake & Palmer called "Benny The Bouncer" Which goes in part like this:
Sidney was a greaser with some nasty roots,
He poured a pint of Guinness over Benny's boots,
Benny looked at Sidney and Sidney stared right back in his eye,
Sidney chose a switchblade and Benny got a cold meat pie.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Ailin
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Hi Niall,
Thing its it time you wrote one!
I could put flute on it ... like the old days... above the video store!
Stopping banging your feet !
Kess
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Kess
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Christy Moore, Delirium Tremens
"Goodbye to the Port and Brandy, to the Vodka and the Stag,
To the Schmiddick and the Harpic, the bottled draught and keg.
As I sat lookin' up the Guinness ad I could never figure out
How your man stayed up on the surfboard after 14 pints of stout."
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by johnkerr
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
John Kerr, it's always best to read a full thread before posting a redundancy (see above).
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by MacCruiskeen
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/26763/comments#comment566319
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Ben Steen
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
I'm sure Barry Dransfield recorded that General Guinness song on one of his old albums.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
General Worthington - different song.
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by Kenny
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
can any one tell me the first line of the poem at the start
# Posted on February 14th 2011 by DES RYNNE
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Since when is it a redundancy to post additional information that was not included in the original comment?
Geez. I guess this is why I rarely post here any more. Carry on.
# Posted on February 15th 2011 by johnkerr
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
Sorry, Kenny, this is what happens when you remember something without checking your sources.
# Posted on February 16th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Are there actually any folk songs about Guinness?
I do it all the time, Pete. No worries.
# Posted on February 16th 2011 by Kenny