goatboy
and
the music machines
a documentary by Randy A. Riddle
Paddy McGinty's Goat
Transcribed by Randy A. Riddle, Goatboy, and Gil Fray; recording from the collection of Goatboy
Real Audio excerpt of "Paddy McGinty's Goat"
Mis-ter
Pa-trick McGinty, an Irishman of note,
Came into a fortune and he bought himself a goat
Said he, "Sure of goat milk, I'm aim to have my fill."
But when he got his nanny home, he found it was a Bill.
And
now all the ladies who live in Kililew
Are all wearing bustles like their mothers used to do
They each wear a bolster beneath their petticoat
And leave the rest to providence and Paddy McGinty's Goat.
Little
Nora McCarthy, the knot was going to tie
She washed all the bloomers and hung them out to dry
Along came the Goat and he saw that it was white
He chewed 'em up to fodder as begun the wedding night.
"Oh,
turn off the gas quick!" she shouted out to Pat
"Although I'm your bride, sure, I'm not worth looking at!"
"I had two of everything, I told you when I wrote,
But now I'm wearing nothing 'cause of Paddy McGinty's Goat!"
Off
the West coast of Ireland one morning there were seen
As plain as any pikes there's the German submarines
The Coast Guard Mahooney, he fell into a pit
Said Paddy McGinty's Goat, "It's time for me to do my bit"
He
dived into the water as frisky as a whale
Swam around the u-boat, waggin' his little tail
He upped with his horn and he stuck it in the boat
And sent the Hun to Heligoland did Paddy McGinty's Goat.
Now
our Paddy's Goat has a wonderous appetite
One morning for breakfast he ate some dynamite
A big box of matches he swallowed all serene
Out he went and swallowed up a quart of parafine
He
sat by the fireside and didn't care a hang
He swallowed a spark and exploded with a bang
If you go to heaven, you can bet your dollar note
The angel who is with you guarded Paddy McGinty's Goat.
Updates
"Paddy McGinty's Goat" seems to have been quite a popular song -- I've received several messages from people who heard the song from one of their relatives or in versions recorded by folk-revival artists in the 1950's. Here's a rundown of some variations of the tune and memories from people on the Net about "Paddy McGinty's Goat".
On
Oct 18, 1998, I received the following email from a reader from the UK
who found this page:
My late father used to sing this song to us on seemingly interminable
car journeys when we were young. I can still remember the smell of the
car, and the inevitable carsickness as we wound our way across the
English Pennines, across the moors, to visit our relatives.I remembered the song recently, attempting to sing it to my
granddaughter, and couldn't recall all the words, so I looked it up on
your website. My dad didn't sing all the verses you have listed, but of
the ones he did sing, there were slight variations ;verse 7 line 3 and 4 he sang
'A box full of matches he swallowed all serene,
Then off he went and swallowed up a quart of gasoline'
and the last line in verse 8 was
'the angel with the whiskers on is Paddy McGinty's goat'Either my dad didn't know, or was too embarrassed to sing to us, the
rather risque verses about the underwear!This was all when I was very young - about 40 years ago!
Regards
Rosalyn Atkins
Ron Heard in Austrialia contributed the following variations on one verse that he recalls his father singing about fifty years ago. From a message dated September 2, 1999:
Off the West Coast of Ireland one foggy day was seen
As plain as a pike staff a German submarine.
When Coastguard Maloney fell over in a fit
Said Paddy McGinty's Goat " 'tis time to do my bit"He sprang into the water as frisky as a whale
And swam arround the U-boat and wagged his little tail
[next line totally forgotten -- it's the one I was looking for]
And he sent the Huns to Heligoland, did Paddy McGinty's Goat.[Two more lines totally forgotten - - perhaps the goat died in the effort]
If ever you go to heaven, you can bet a dollar note
That the angel with the whiskers on is Paddy McGinty's Goat.
Nick Glykeriou from the UK contributed yet another variation on the lyrics he heard from his uncle about 19 years ago; from a message dated November 8, 1999.
Now Old Mrs Lane said to her daughter Mary-Jane,
Who was the young man you were cuddling in the lane,
With long wiry whiskers a'hanging from his chin,
T' was only Paddy McGinty's goat she answered with a grin.She was sent away from the village in disgrace,
And came back with powder and paint upon her face,
She had rings upon her fingers and she wore a sable coat,
You can bet your life she never got those from Paddy McGinty's Goat.
Karen Barry in Ireland learned this variation when she about ten years old; the version she recalls didn't include the verse about the submarine; from a message dated January 11, 2000:
Now Mickey Reilly went to the races the other day,
he won a twenty pound note and shouted 'hip hooray',
he held out the note saying 'look at what I've got',
when along came McGinty's goat and swallowed all the lot.He's taken me twenty pound note cried Mickey with a jump,
so they called for the doctor, to get the stomach pump,
well they pumped and they pumped for that twenty pound note,
but all they got was sixpence out of Paddy McGinty's goat!
Joseph O'Dea recalled hearing a version by Val Doonican on the radio when he grew up in Ireland. He offers up the lyrics to Doonican's version in a message from August, 2001.
Now Patrick McGinty, an Irishman of note
Fell in for a fortune and he bought himself a goat
Says he, "Sure of goat's milk, I'm goin' to have me fill."
But when he brought the nanny home, he found it was a Bill.All the young ladies who live in Killaloe
They're all wearin' bustles like their mothers used to do
They each wear a bolster beneath their petticoat
And leave the rest to Providence and Paddy McGinty's goat.Mrs. Burke to her daughter said, "Listen Mary-Jane
"Who was the lad you were cuddlin' in the lane?
"He'd long wiry whiskers a'hangin' from his chin."
"'Twas only Pat McGinty's goat" she answered with a grin.
Then she went away from the village in disgrace
She came back with powder and paint upon her face
She'd rings on her fingers and she wore a sable coat
You bet your life she didn't get those from Paddy McGinty's goat.
Now Nora McCarthy, the knot was goin' to tie
She washed out her trousseau and she hung it out to dry
Along came the goat and he saw the bits o' white
And chewed up all her folaroles upon her weddin' night.
"Oh, turn out the light quick!" she shouted out to Pat
"For though I'm your bride, sure, I'm not worth looking at!
"I had two of everything, I told you when I wrote,
But now I've one of nothing, all through Paddy McGinty's goat!"
Mickey Reilly he went to th' races th' other day,
He won twenty dollars and he shouted "hip hooray",
He held up the note shoutin', "Look at what I've got",
The goat came up and grabbed it, didn't he swallowed up the lot!
"He's eaten me banknote" says Mickey with a hump,
They went for the doctor and they got a stomach pump,
They pumped and they pumped for the twenty dollar note,
But all they got was ninepence out of Paddy McGinty's goat!
Now oul' Paddy's goat had a wonderous appetite
And one day for breakfast he had some dynamite
A big box o' matches he swallowed all serene
Then out he went and swallowed up a quart o' par-a-feen!
He sat by the fireside, he didn't give a hang
He swallowed a spark and exploded with a bang
So, if you go to heaven, you can bet a dollar note
That the angel with the whiskers on is Paddy McGinty's Goat.
And
I received the following note from Lesley McGinty on November 5, 1999:
This song is a family favourite with us for obvious reasons (see email address!!). My son Charlie, now aged 9 1/2 was actually due to be born on St Patricks Day 1990, so was always known as Paddy mcGinty when he was a bump! Unfortunately, or fortunatley depending on your outlook!, he came a week early which may be just as well as he would have been Paddy McGinty all his life even if he had been a girl!!
We had great difficulty infinding a cuddly toy goat for him, but eventually got one at London Zoo. For some reason, it is now me who has the nickname Paddy, so the goat has pride of place in my office
Kind regards
Lesley McGinty (and Charlie)
London
.
rand@coolcatdaddy.com/8.31.01