I'll Tell Me Ma
Encyclopedia
"I'll Tell Me Ma" is a well known children's song. It was collected in various parts of England in the 19th century and again appears in collections from shortly after the turn of the 20th century. In Ireland the chorus usually refers to Belfast
city and is known colloquially as "The Belle of Belfast City", although it is also adapted to other Irish cities, such as Dublin.
English versions refer to the "Golden City" or "London City".
This song is Roud Folk Song Index
number 2649.
(I'll) tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair, they stole my comb
But that's all right till I go home
(chorus):She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast city
She is courting one, two, three
Please, won't you tell me, who is she?
Albert Mooney says he loves her
All the boys are fighting for her
They knock at the door and they ring the bell
Saying, oh my true love, are you well?
She comes out as white as snow
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Old Jenny Murphy says she'll die
If she doesn't get the guy with the roving eye
(Chorus)
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high
Let the snow come tumbling from the sky
She's as sweet as apple pie
And she'll get her lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own
She won't tell her ma when she goes home
Let them all come as they will
It's Albert Mooney she loves still
(Chorus)
Gloucestershire Version
(Collected from Miss Matthews, Forest of Dean, 19th century)
The wind, the wind, the wind blows high,
The rain comes pouring from the sky;
Miss So-and-So says she'd die
For the sake of the old man's eye.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the lass of the golden city;
She goes courting one, two, three,
Please to tell me who they be.
A. B. says he loves her,
All the boys are fighting for her,
Let the boys say what they will
A. B. has got her still.
A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in the centre. When asked, "Please tell me who they be," the girl in the middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or vice versa). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was named goes into the centre.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
city and is known colloquially as "The Belle of Belfast City", although it is also adapted to other Irish cities, such as Dublin.
English versions refer to the "Golden City" or "London City".
This song is Roud Folk Song Index
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
number 2649.
Lyrics
Irish Version(I'll) tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair, they stole my comb
But that's all right till I go home
(chorus):She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast city
She is courting one, two, three
Please, won't you tell me, who is she?
Albert Mooney says he loves her
All the boys are fighting for her
They knock at the door and they ring the bell
Saying, oh my true love, are you well?
She comes out as white as snow
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
Old Jenny Murphy says she'll die
If she doesn't get the guy with the roving eye
(Chorus)
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high
Let the snow come tumbling from the sky
She's as sweet as apple pie
And she'll get her lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own
She won't tell her ma when she goes home
Let them all come as they will
It's Albert Mooney she loves still
(Chorus)
Gloucestershire Version
(Collected from Miss Matthews, Forest of Dean, 19th century)
The wind, the wind, the wind blows high,
The rain comes pouring from the sky;
Miss So-and-So says she'd die
For the sake of the old man's eye.
She is handsome, she is pretty,
She is the lass of the golden city;
She goes courting one, two, three,
Please to tell me who they be.
A. B. says he loves her,
All the boys are fighting for her,
Let the boys say what they will
A. B. has got her still.
A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in the centre. When asked, "Please tell me who they be," the girl in the middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or vice versa). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was named goes into the centre.
Recordings
- The Rankin FamilyThe Rankin FamilyThe Rankin Family is a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four SOCAN Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and two Big Country Music Awards.- Career...
on their 2nd album Fare Thee Well LoveFare Thee Well LoveFare Thee Well Love is the second studio album by Canadian folk music group The Rankin Family. The album was originally self-released by the siblings in 1990...
, 1990 - Lick the TinsLick the TinsLick the Tins was a mid to late 1980s Celtic/folk rock/indie band from London. The name was derived from a nickname given to an old tramp by the children from the home town of one of the band members, Ronan Heenan. They are best known for their cover version of "Can't Help Falling in...
, on Blind Man on a Flying HorseBlind Man on a Flying HorseBlind Man on a Flying Horse is the only album by Lick the Tins. It was released in 1986 with 12 tracks. It resulted in three singles, "Can't Help Falling in Love", "The Belle of Belfast City" and "In the Middle of the Night"...
, 1986 - The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, on their collaboration record Irish HeartbeatIrish HeartbeatIrish Heartbeat is the eighteenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group The Chieftains, released in 1988... - The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, on Live From Dublin: A Tribute To Derek BellLive from Dublin: A Tribute to Derek BellLive From Dublin: A Tribute To Derek Bell is an album by The Chieftains. The album is a live recording of a concert dedicated to Derek Bell, a former member of the band. The band invited on stage friends of Derek Bell, such as Ronnie Drew, Carlos Núñez, Anúna and Jeff White...
, sung by Ronnie DrewRonnie DrewJoseph Ronald "Ronnie" Drew was an Irish singer and folk musician who achieved international fame during a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners. He was born in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin... - The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
and Brak (character)Brak (character)Brak is a supervillain on the 1966 Hanna-Barbera cartoon Space Ghost, portrayed as a catlike alien space pirate trying to conquer the galaxy...
on the latter's variety show, "Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak", and in the subsequent album, "Brak Presents the Brak Album Starring Brak" - The Clancy BrothersThe Clancy BrothersThe Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
and Tommy MakemTommy MakemThomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
, on The Boys Won't Leave The Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone is a collection of mostly traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was their third album for Columbia Records and was released in 1962. It was also their first studio album for Columbia. Its title is taken from the song,... - The DublinersThe DublinersThe Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
- Four to the BarFour to the BarFour to the Bar was an Irish band in New York City during the early to mid 1990s.From its beginnings as one more hard-drinking pub band from the boroughs, it ventured into a neotraditional fusion of pop, rock, and Irish and American folk....
, on their live album Craic on the RoadCraic on the Road (album)Craic on the Road: Live at Sam Maguire's was the first full-length album by Four to the Bar, released in 1994.- Track listing :#I'll Tell Me Ma #Waxie's Dargle/The Rare Old Mountain Dew #My Love's in Germany... - The Irish Tenors
- Christy MooreChristy MooreChristopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
- Gaelic StormGaelic StormGaelic Storm is a Celtic band. Their music includes traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres...
- The CorriesThe CorriesThe Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
, on The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie BellThe Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell- Line-Up :*Roy Williamson *Ronnie Browne *Bill Smith *Paddie Bell Note: Acoustic guitars, mandolin and bandurra are also heard but no credits are given.... - Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, on Sean-Nós NuaSean-Nós NuaSean-Nós Nua is the sixth full-length album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. It consists of traditional Irish songs, the title meaning "new old-style".The album sold 225,000 copies worldwide.-Track listing:#"Peggy Gordon" – 5:45... - The TossersThe TossersThe Tossers are a six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in July 1993. They have toured with Murphy's Law, Streetlight Manifesto, Catch 22, Dropkick Murphys, The Reverend Horton Heat, Flogging Molly, Street Dogs, Clutch, Sick of it All & Mastodon. They opened for The Pogues...
, on Communication & Conviction: Last Seven YearsCommunication & Conviction: Last Seven YearsCommunication & Conviction: Last Seven Years is a compilation album by The Tossers. It was released in 2001 on Thick Records.- Track listing :# "Young Ned Of The Hill" - 2.33# "Maidrin Rua/Tell Me Ma" - 3.41# "Seven Drunken Nights" - 4.00... - Orthodox CeltsOrthodox CeltsOrthodox Celts is a Serbian band which plays Irish folk music combined with rock elements. Despite their unusual sound the band is one of the top acts of the Serbian rock scene and has influenced several younger bands, most notably Tir na n'Og and Irish Stew of Sindidun.The band started their...
, on The Celts Strike AgainThe Celts Strike AgainThe Celts Strike Again is the second studio album by the Serbian Irish folk/Celtic rock band Orthodox Celts released in 1997. Besides covers of traditional Irish songs, the album features two songs written by the members of the band, "Drinking Song" and "Blue"....
(the line 'She's the belle of BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
City' replaced with 'She's the belle of BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
City') - Sham RockSham RockSham Rock are a Northern Irish pseudo-folk band, best known for their 1998 single, "Tell Me Ma". The single remained in the UK Singles Chart for 11 weeks, peaking at number 13. It sold over 200,000 copies in the UK and the Republic of Ireland....
- SlainteSlainteSláinte is a Gaelic word meaning "health". It is often used in the phrase sláinte mhaith, "good health".Sláinte may refer to:*Sláinte Technologies, a Hospital & Health Care software company...
- The Young Dubliners, on With All Due Respect - The Irish SessionsWith All Due Respect - The Irish SessionsWith All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions is an album by American rock band Young Dubliners. The album was released on February 13, 2007. The album consists of renditions of traditional Irish folk songs and also features covers of songs by Irish bands The Dubliners and The Pogues.-Track...
- Marc GunnMarc GunnMarc Gunn is a musician and podcaster. As the autoharp-playing half of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Gunn and partner Andrew McKee developed a following with weekly performances on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. This led to gigs at renaissance faires, science fiction conventions, and...
, on Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion and was parodied on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat LoversIrish Drinking Songs for Cat LoversIrish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers is the first full-length cat-related CD by Marc Gunn. The majority of the songs are parodies of Irish folk songs , with new cat-themed lyrics written by Marc Gunn... - AmadanAmadanAmadan, originally based in Corvallis, Oregon , plays both punk and world music. They are often categorized as a Celtic punk band due to their Irish influences...
on Hell-Bent 4 Victory - The Poxy BoggardsPoxy BoggardsThe Poxy Boggards are an American all-male folk band based in Pasadena. They were founded in 1994 at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Since this time, they have achieved success in the re-burgeoning of the Irish-folk movement, playing with bands such as The Fenians...
, on Whiskey Business