Muldoon, The Solid Man
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1960.167.A6
Original Tape ID
Summary
A fragment of a popular music-hall song, 'Muldoon, the Solid Man':
I'll set you down and I'll treat you decent,
I will set you down and I'll fill your can.
When I walk the street, each friend I meet
Says, "Here goes Muldoon, he's an honest man."
Item Notes
1 verse of 4 lines. 'Muldoon, the Solid Man' was composed by Edward 'Ned' Harrigan of New York (1844-1911), and first performed by him in an Irish-themed sketch in 1874 in his native city. The song proved popular and eventually found its way to the music halls of Britain and Ireland, where it became the progenitor song for various folk adaptations entering into oral tradition. Jeannie Robertson learned several verses from her mother, and in turn provided the Scottish Folk Revival with a very popular seduction song often called 'I'll Lay ye Doon Love', which later included extra verses by Glasgow singer Enoch Kent.
See:
'Flying Cloud' (M. C. Dean, 1922) pp. 102-103
'The Scottish Folksinger' (N. Buchan & P. Hall, 1973) p. 67
'The Life and Times of "Muldoon, the Solid Man"' (D. Meade, New York Irish History Vol.11, 1997)
'Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 187-188
Item Subject/Person
Muldoon, Michael
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Old Deer
Village/Place - Fetterangus
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good