Billy's Bones and Mrs. McGrath (the Dubliners)

[Mick Molloy]

Is it me or has Billy's Bones the same melody line?

[Zuzana]

It has. (Or it is me too.)

[MacRua]

You are not the only ones....

[firehazard]

'Tis funny, I was listening to Bruce Springsteen's version of "Mrs McGrath" today.
And then listening to Springsteen's "American Land" off the same album, and thinking how it's reminiscent of "Sally MacLennane"...

[Mick Molloy]

You are not the only ones....

Do you always remember these things? Do you have a photographic memory of some sort?

[MacRua]

Either it or brains to use Search. Choose what you prefer...
Or a whole office of long-legged pretty females working for me (keeping books, catalogueing facts, running for cigs, etc, etc.). It's a nice variant too, huh?

[Mick Molloy]

or brains to use Search.

I rather have someone looking FOR me

[MacRua]

Make an anonymous call and inform some venue about a bomb...

[Mick Molloy]

Make an anonymous call and inform some venue about a bomb...

[dsweeney]

Is the " Mrs. McGrath " by the Dubliners that you're talking about the same song as done by Springsteen on his " Seeger sessions " album ? I'm thinking it can't be because I can't hear any similarity between it and Shane's " Billy's bones ".

[dsweeney]

Is the " Mrs. McGrath " by the Dubliners that you're talking about the same song as done by Springsteen on his " Seeger sessions " album ? I'm thinking it can't be because I can't hear any similarity between it and Shane's " Billy's bones ".

Replying to my own query, you'ze are absolutely right. But it's only the slow breakdown in the middle of " Billy..." I think. " Now Billy's out there, in the desert sun...and his mother cries when the morning comes...and there's mothers cryin'...etc. this is a direct lift from the Dubs tune alright. Springsteen's " Mrs. Mcgrath " seems to be a different tune entirely though. Curious that both tunes have the same anti-war message, so there is probably some linkage between from way back when.Liner notes say the Springsteen tune was a general anti war song that was adopted by Irish with Republican leanings around the time of the Easter Rising.

[Jeff Roesgen]

If it's of interest, there's a really good book called Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (edited by William Cole) which provides a history of Mrs. McGrath and includes sheet music and lyrics. It was published in the 1960's so it might be a bit hard to find - but libraries and such might have it. It's a nice resource if you're into folk music and history etc.

[redadeg]

What melody plays Spider on his whistle directly in the beginning?

Sorry about my stupidness, but its something scottish?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLPGphHOE0Q

[old barney greyheron]

'Tis funny, I was listening to Bruce Springsteen's version of "Mrs McGrath" today.
And then listening to Springsteen's "American Land" off the same album, and thinking how it's reminiscent of "Sally MacLennane"...

I've said the exact same thing about 'American Land'.....love that album!

[philipchevron]

What melody plays Spider on his whistle directly in the beginning?

Sorry about my stupidness, but its something scottish?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLPGphHOE0Q

I think it probably is derived from a Scottish air, but I don't know its name.