# I've recorded a fake Irish folk ballad **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231 "2015-03-17T21:21:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/41 "2015-03-21T03:49:38Z")
I think an Irish person is only supposed to be lucky if (s)he’s carrying a 4-leaf shamrock. Them things is hard to find, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/42 "2015-03-21T04:20:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that’s crawlin’ round? > Our protein sweet by law’s forbid to dig from Irish ground! > The humble Irish dinner bowl no more shall writhe and squirm > For there’s a cruel law agin’ the eatin’ of the worm! > The eatin’ of the worm! > The eatin’ of the worm! > For there’s a cruel law agin’ the eatin’ of the worm! I love you and want to go pub crawling with you till we both topple, puke, and continue to sing! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/43 "2015-03-22T00:50:50Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Is [“St. Brendan’s Fair Isle”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC1umOD9tWw) a traditional folk song or a modern composition? The business with the dragon makes me think it’s modern. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/44 "2015-03-22T06:32:20Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I love you and want to go pub crawling with you till we both topple, puke, and continue to sing! Challenge accepted. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/45 "2015-03-22T06:33:31Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > The business with the dragon makes me think it’s modern. 😕 Were there no dragons in traditional Irish folklore? I mean, they had everything **else!** ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/46 "2015-03-22T06:50:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Challenge accepted. And worms! All the worms we want! No edict from the daft Lunnuners is gonna get ‘tween me and a big writhin’ handful of squirmy, wormy goodness! > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 Were there no dragons in traditional Irish folklore? I mean, they had everything **else!** I dunno… It just felt modern. The words “barbecue” and the phrase “ten million miles” seem unlikely to be in a real traditional work. By the way (checking that no one else has mentioned it) do you know Shaun Davey? His “The Brendan Voyage” is a delight. Unquestionably modern, but miraculously lovely. [Here’s a YouTube segment that gives you a clue to the spirit of the work.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzF92y8e7pc) (My two faves of Davey’s are “Granuaille” and “The Pilgrim.” Lovely stuff!) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/47 "2015-03-22T07:23:34Z")
Barbecue is from the New World; the earliest English usage is in 1661. It was Long John Silver’s nickname (1881-1883). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/48 "2015-03-22T07:37:45Z")
BTW, [here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=719514) a thread I ran not long ago about Irish music in the American Civil War, the which one might almost think an extension of British Isles politics on a continental scale if it weren’t for the black-slavery thing, the latter having no very great salience in most of British history, but much in American. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/49 "2015-03-22T08:08:43Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > By the way (checking that no one else has mentioned it) do you know Shaun Davey? His “The Brendan Voyage” is a delight. Unquestionably modern, but miraculously lovely. [Here’s a YouTube segment that gives you a clue to the spirit of the work.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzF92y8e7pc) > > (My two faves of Davey’s are “Granuaille” and “The Pilgrim.” Lovely stuff!) Is that the guy who did the song at the end of _Waking Ned Devine_? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/50 "2015-03-22T08:25:34Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Fun! In my opinion, the falsetto doesn’t add anything; I’d love to hear it in a range more fitting to your natural voice. But the writing is delightful, and the tune is a joy! From the tune alone, one could easily think it a true traditional piece. You stole everything I wanted to say. When you aren’t in falsetto, you even have a vaguely Irish folksy sound–for a male. I get what you are doing, but I think your falsetto is too light to sound like an older woman, and you’d give more verisimilitude if you lower your voice. Your natural voice is just light enough. And one of the things about old folk songs is that they are often sung by someone else that for whom they were originally intended. They spread to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/51 "2015-03-22T19:12:37Z")
[Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=719514) a tangentially related CS thread I ran. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/52 "2015-03-22T20:57:51Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Barbecue is from the New World; the earliest English usage is in 1661. It was Long John Silver’s nickname (1881-1883). But what’s the earliest Irish folk song it appears in? (The fun thing about the information age is that this question actually could be answered, although I don’t demand that anyone actually put in the research hours. God, I love the information age!) > [@eschereal](#): > > Is that the guy who did the song at the end of _Waking Ned Devine_? Aye: Shaun Davey did the music for Waking Ned Devine. Also The Tailor from Panama. In a more “classical” vein, he wrote “[The Relief of Derry Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNdaRHyEpxw).” (YouTube link to first movement, 13 minutes. If you like modern classical music or Irish music or both, this is an inspiring work, with an inspiring history.) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/53 "2015-03-22T21:20:36Z")
Just for the record … I think my next song is going to be about the digits of pi… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/54 "2015-03-22T22:39:04Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > But what’s the earliest Irish folk song it appears in? (The fun thing about the information age is that this question actually could be answered, although I don’t demand that anyone actually put in the research hours. God, I love the information age!) I don’t know, except a lot of Irish people were “forcible moved” to Barbados and such. Looks like the source I used in the past is gone ([archive](http://web.archive.org/web/20070814204044/http://www.triskelle.eu/music/lyrics.php?index=080.010)). Doesn’t have that song, does have "St. Brendan’s Voyage), confusingly the song in this thread seems to use both names. The one on the site is Christy Moore so obviously modern. [This](http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=5139&Title=SAINT%20BRENDAN%27S%20VOYAGE) says Jimmy Driftwood; modern if he actually wrote it. Yeah, it’s a great age. Makes pub trivia sketchy though. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/55 "2015-03-22T22:54:00Z")
The falsetto doesn’t ruin it for me, and Og knows, traditional Irish Washerwomen are hard to find nowadays, and they cost a lot if you need studio work. Damn unions. 🙂 When I heard only the opening bars, I was thinking of downloading the song and adding some of my Wurlitzer to it for kicks, but you have mixed the song with sweetening already – I think it sounds great! **Tracer,** would it be OK if I used your song (underneath some generic video and announcements) for my cable TV station’s “continuity” for a few days? That’s the video file that plays when nothing else is scheduled. Of course I’ll give you credit for the audio (PM me if you want to specify the text wording). ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/56 "2015-03-24T22:57:26Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > **Tracer,** would it be OK if I used your song (underneath some generic video and announcements) for my cable TV station’s “continuity” for a few days? That’s the video file that plays when nothing else is scheduled. Of course I’ll give you credit for the audio (PM me if you want to specify the text wording). :eek: SURE!!! The more people who hear it, the better! If you’re asking how my name is spelled, it’s “Roger M. Wilcox.” With the M. Never forget the M. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/57 "2015-03-24T23:04:32Z")
Oh! P.S. – if you’re just going to use the audio, I’d recommend you use the MP3 file rather than the audio portion of the YouTube video. I’ve made a few tweaks to the audio since the time the YouTube video went live. The MP3 file is at [http://www.rogermwilcox.com/audio/She%20Are%20Green.mp3](http://www.rogermwilcox.com/audio/She%20Are%20Green.mp3). ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/58 "2015-03-25T00:34:24Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > Oh! P.S. – if you’re just going to use the audio, I’d recommend you use the MP3 file rather than the audio portion of the YouTube video. I’ve made a few tweaks to the audio since the time the YouTube video went live. The MP3 file is at [http://www.rogermwilcox.com/audio/She%20Are%20Green.mp3](http://www.rogermwilcox.com/audio/She%20Are%20Green.mp3). Thanks, but too late. I’ll save your MP3 file for the next St. Patty’s Day. I’m sure the two mixes sound radically different to you, but I don’t see a big difference, and the YT sound is just ducky. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/59 "2015-03-25T01:46:34Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Oops, just rereading that wiki I see that this writer was in Indiana but the phenomenon of professional NYC songwriters writing Irish style ballads did exist. mmm… possibly “came to Australia” from California, (what with us being on Pacific side) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231/60 "2015-03-25T05:06:11Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I don’t see a big difference, and the YT sound is just ducky. Now I’m hearing the sound of Donald Duck going berserk in my head… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-recorded-a-fake-irish-folk-ballad/715231.md?page=4)