Talk:I'll Tell Me Ma

WikiSource
I recommend that, rather than moving the article, the text of the song be moved to WikiSource, and this page link to that.

-- TimNelson 04:45, 1 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I would prefer to have the lyrics in the article itself. One reason for this is the shortness of the lyrics. Another reason is that it makes the article richer, like a picture to help describe a subject. Spelemann 21:26, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as stub, and the rating on other projects was brought up to Stub class. BetacommandBot 06:02, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Origin of this song
Versions of this song were collected in the 19th century in England, and published in Alice B. Gomme's Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1894 ("The Wind", versions from Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Isle of Wight, Yorkshire, etc.), so it couldn't have been written by Francie McPeake (born 1885). Other versions collected are: Grainger Collection 1906, Miscellanea of Rymour Club 1906-11, Grieg-Duncan 1907, Cecil Sharp 1908, Gillington (Isle of Wight) 1909, Gatty Ms (Yorks) 1909, Piper, JAFL (American, Illinois) 1915

This needs to be corrected. Hohenloh (talk) 13:30, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

The song shares a certain musical similarity with the American folk song "Cotton-Eyed Joe" which seems to be of comparable vintage. If folks learn of origin information here it may be relevant to the origin discussion about that song. --WBTtheFROG (talk) 22:26, 6 December 2015 (UTC)

"Wind and the rain" verse
Conor Makem, Tommy Makem's son, told me that his father added the verse "Let the wind and the rain and the hail...." It is now part of the standard Irish folksong version as normally performed. I have been unable to find a citation for this but the lyric certainly sounds like Makem's sense of humor ("she won't tell her ma when she goes home") and I presume Conor's to be an accurate statement (Tommy was in the room at the time). I leave this comment here for anybody who is interested. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.53.65.89 (talk) 00:50, 13 March 2011 (UTC)

It may have been "adapted" by Tommy Makem, but this verse was already in the song in the 19th century (see citations). Hohenloh + 10:54, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Old Johnny Murphy says she'll die
Surely this line (7th in 2nd verse) is wrong, it should be a girl's name. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ahardy66 (talk • contribs) 08:29, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

No, the line is fine, and I've always heard it sung this way. Hohenloh + 10:50, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Know any historical reason why? The only related information I know is that the Waterboys' first single was called "A Girl Called Johnny" --Ahardy66 (talk) 17:24, 9 August 2011 (UTC)