Spanish Lady

polka

Key signature: Dmajor

Submitted on November 7th 2002 by alastair wilson.

This tune has been added to 186 tunebooks.

Also known as Belfast City, Dublin City, Galway City, Shanty By The Way, Spanish Ladies, Thady Regan.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• Ceilidh by Bun' Ber E
• Could Be Worse by Celtic Brew
• Dance Album by The Bushwhackers Band
• Dance Music Of Ireland: Volume 9 by Matt Cunningham
• Herding Cats by Gaelic Storm
• His Original Recordings by John McKenna
• In Stitches by The Flying Toads
• Irish Dances by Various Artists
• Nine Fine Irishmen's Sin E Ri-Ra by Sin E Ri-Ra
• Pawn To King Four by Queen's Gambit
• Rince: Complete Irish Dancing Set - First Steps And Beyond by Various Artists
• Tear The House Down by The Fables
• The Ceilidh Album by Dave Swarbrick
• The Eamonn Ceannt Ceili Band by The Eamonn Ceannt Ceili Band
• The Houston Sessions by The Alans

X: 1
T: Spanish Lady
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
A/G/|:FA AB/c/|d>c de/f/|ge fd|BA A/B/A/G/|
FA AB/c/|d>c de/f/|ge fd|BA A2:|
fa a/b/a/f/|ed de|fa a>f|ed e2|
fa a/b/a/f/|ed de/f/|ge fd|BA A2:|

Dance Tune Sets

Used for the dance Waves of Tory with tune Waves of Tory and Rattling Bog

# Posted on November 7th 2002 by alastair wilson

Also a song

This is also a very common song with many versions of the lyrics. The Contemplator ( http://www.contemplator.com ) has two versions, one as Spanish Lady and one as Galway City.
This was actually one of the very first Irish songs I ever learnt. I always play it as a song rather than tune, but sometimes play it in set with Maggie In the Woods, where the latter is an instrumental polka

# Posted on November 7th 2002 by lars

Spanish Lady (polka)

Very similar to "Finnegan's Wake" in O'Neill.
Trevor

# Posted on June 28th 2003 by Trevor Jennings

More Lyrics?...

Does anyone have the lyrics the Chieftains used for this song on their "Irish Evening" CD? It starts off pretty much the same as "the original," but the young lady is washing her clothes by the pale moonlight (instead of her feet by charcoal heat). The final verse they sing has me completely stumped -- "Now blue it is a lovely color..."

Does anyone out there have the transcription?
Paul

# Posted on May 3rd 2006 by pn5jn

There's an old copy on broadsheet in the Bodleian Library about Chester city in England

# Posted on March 6th 2010 by Michael Sam Wild

Lyrics are on Wikipedia and quite a few versions sung on YouTube inc 3 Irish Tenors

# Posted on March 6th 2010 by Michael Sam Wild

Transcribed this off John McKenna ...

X: 1
T: Thady Regan
S: John McKenna - "His Original Recordings" - Columbia 1928
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: Polka
K: Dmaj
N: First time through the tune
Z: George Grasso - 5 June 2010
FG AB/c/ | de de/f/ | {a}ge {g}fd | {c}BA A>G ||
FG AB/c/ | de de/f/ | {a}ge {g}fd | {c}BA A2 |]
[| fa {b}a (3f/g/f/ | (3e/f/e/ d/c/ de | fa {b}a (3f/g/f/ | (3e/f/e/ d e2 ||
fa {b}a (3f/g/f/ | (3e/f/e/ d/c/ de/f/ | {a}ge {g}fd | {c}BA A2 |]

# Posted on June 6th 2010 by iTrad

"Spanish Ladies" = "The Seige of Ennis" 3 of 3 ~ rescued duplication

~ /tunes/display/11853
Submitted on March 23rd 2012 by fiddlerman.
http://www.thesession.org/members/display/82037

X: 3
T: Spanish Ladies
T: Seige of Ennis #3, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Dmaj
|: FA AB/c/ | dd de/f/ | ge fd | BA A/B/A/G/ |
FA AB/c/ | dd de/f/ | ge fd | BA A2 :|
|: fa a/b/a/f/ | ed de | fa a/b/a/f/ | ae e>g |
fa a/b/a/f/ | ed de/f/ | ge fd | BA A2 :|

The 'comments' from the above rescued transcription can be found for "The Rattlin' Bog", the link given below.

"Allan's Irish Fiddler: Containing 120 Reels & Jigs, Hornpipes & Set Dances selected from all sources, arranged by Hugh McDermott"
Mozart Allan, Glasgow
Page 30, Set Dances #118: "The Seige of Ennis"

That suggested set of polkas:

1. ) "The Rattlin' Bog" (with 'comments')
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/583
2. ) "Farewell To Whisky"
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1529
3. ) "Spanish Ladies"

# Posted on March 24th 2012 by ceolachan