Swallowtail Jig can be found on the
2007 Traveler Celtica Album
8:30
Calico Jack (Rackham’s
Reel) can be found on the Traveler
2012 Mutiny album.
12:00
My Son Jon can be found on the 2012 Traveler Mutiny CD
This version of My Son Jon has to be my favorite version of the song that I have ever heard. The song has quite a long history, is very old and consider an anti-war song enjoyed by generations of
Americans,
Irish and
English. This videos is a joy to watch.
For those interested as
I am, Here's some history on the song.
This is from
Wikipedia:
My Son Jon known formerly as
Mrs McGrath (also known as "
Mrs. McGraw", "my Son Ted", and "
The Sergeant and
Mrs. McGrath" is an
Irish folks song set during the
Peninsular War of the early nineteenth century. The song tells the story of a woman whose son enters the
British Army and returns seven years later having lost his legs to a cannonball while fighting against
Napoleon presumably at the
Battle of
Fuentes DE Onoro (fought between 3 and 5 May 1811).
The general theme of the song is one of opposition to war. Along with "
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye", it is one of the most graphic of all
Irish folk songs that deal with sickness and injuries caused by warfare.
Although the song probably dates from the time of the
Peninsular Wars between 1807 and
1814, the earliest written account of it in
Ireland was in 1876, although it is believed to have been popular with soldiers during the
American Civil War (1861-1865).
I have a son named
John and he went into the
Navy. I don't think the Navy was very good for him. I think he drank too much there and learned to smoke which he does still quite heavily. In a sense my son John lost his legs (His ability to live life as fully as he might have had he not got into the Navy at such an early age.
I find this interesting and hope there are others who will as well.
These are the
Original lyrics to Mrs McGrath:
Now, Mrs. McGrath, the Sargent said,
Would you like to make a soldier out of your son Ted?
With a scarlet coat and a big cocked hat,
Now Mrs. McGrath would you like that?
WI your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-a
Too-RI, oo-ri, oo-ri-aa
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Too-RI, oo-ri, oo-ri-aa.
Now Mrs. McGrath lived on the seashore
for the space of seven longs years or more,
Till a great big ship came sail into the bay,
Says,
It's my song Ted, will you clear the way,
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Oh captain, dear, where have you been,
Have you been sailing in the Meditereen,
And have you any news of my son Ted,
Is the poor boy living or is he dead?
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly-diddle-AA
Well up comes Ted, without any legs,
And in their place was some wooden pegs.
She kissed him a dozen times or two,
Saying,
Holy Moses, is it you,
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Now was your drunk, or was you blind,
When you left your two fine legs behind,
Or was it from walking by the sea,
Wore your two fine legs from the knees away?
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Now was your drunk, or was you blind,
When you left your two fine legs behind,
Or was it from walking by the sea,
Wore your two fine legs from the knees away?
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
No, I was not drunk, and I was not blind
When I left my two fine legs behind,
A cannon ball on the fifth of May
Took my two fine legs from the knees away,
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle aa
Oh
Teddy, my boy, the widow cried,
Your two fine legs were your mother's pride.
The stumps of a tree won't do at all,
Why didn't you run from the cannon ball?
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
All foreign wars, I do proclaim,
Between
Don Juan and the
King of Spain,
And I'll make them rue the time,
They took two legs from a child of mine,
Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Well then, if I had you back again,
I'd never let you go to fight the King of Spain,
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Thanks for watching!
Scott Jeffers-Vocals,
Violin,
Guitar,
Qais
Essar -
Electric Guitar
Mark Niemeyer-Electric
Bass, Guitar
Jason Weidman-DRUMS
Video and editing:
Doris O'Neil
- published: 06 Apr 2015
- views: 35