Happy St. Paddy’s Day

Stephen Pate, Butcher Boy

I first heard this haunting Irish folk song from Liam Clancy in the 1960′s on his Vanguard LP.

It stuck with me through all the years as one of the saddest songs. 

The song is variously attributed to London town or Dublin town. It’s an amalgam of several broadside ballads.

The song has been performed by Tommy Makem and other Irish artists.

Thank goodness the days of people hanging themselves over getting pregnant with uncaring lovers is past.

PS – If you were wondering where the stories were for a few days, I was working on this song and video.

On Sunday I performed it at Orwell Corner Historic Village at their St. Patrick’s Day concert. Tom LeClair and Charles Kennedy helped out with bass and guitar.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrTzTqF4-p8']