This version of My Son Jon has to be my favorite version of the song that I have ever heard. The song has quite a long history, is very old and consider an anti-war song enjoyed by generations of Americans, Irish and English. This videos is a joy to watch. The guys were really animated last night, dancing their own jig. You can tell this is a favorite of the guys to perform since it is a song done often and very popular with the audience, wherever they might be playing. This is also a good video of Jason Weidman playing. Scott Jeffers couldnt keep still if he wanted to. Darwin Scott is pretty much cut out of this video but there must be an incentive for being there live! For those interested as I am, Heres some history on the song. This is from Wikipedia: My Son Jon known formerly as Mrs McGrath (also known as Mrs. McGraw, my Son Ted, and The Sergeant and Mrs. McGrath is an Irish folks song set during the Peninsular War of the early nineteenth century. The song tells the story of a woman whose son enters the British Army and returns seven years later having lost his legs to a cannonball while fighting against Napoleon presumably at the Battle of Fuentes DE Onoro (fought between 3 and 5 May 1811). The general theme of the song is one of opposition to war. Along with Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, it is one of the most graphic of all Irish folk songs that deal with sickness and injuries caused by warfare. Although the song probably dates from the time of the Peninsular Wars between 1807 and 1814, the earliest written account of it in Ireland was in 1876, although it is believed to have been popular with soldiers during the American Civil War (1861-1865). I have a son named John and he went into the Navy. I dont think the Navy was very good for him. I think he drank too much there and learned to smoke which he does still quite heavily. In a sense my son John lost his legs (His ability to live life as fully as he might have had he not got into the Navy at such an early age; I am responsible for signing him in 1 month before he turned 18. Im not sure it was the right decision for him.) I find this interesting and hope there are others who will as well. These are the Original lyrics to Mrs McGrath: Now, Mrs. McGrath, the Sargent said, Would you like to make a soldier out of your son Ted? With a scarlet coat and a big cocked hat, Now Mrs. McGrath would you like that? WI your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-a Too-RI, oo-ri, oo-ri-aa Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA Too-RI, oo-ri, oo-ri-aa. Now Mrs. McGrath lived on the seashore for the space of seven longs years or more, Till a great big ship came sail into the bay, Says, Its my song Ted, will you clear the way, Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA Oh captain, dear, where have you been, Have you been sailing in the Meditereen, And have you any news of my son Ted, Is the poor boy living or is he dead? Wi your too-RI-AA, folly-diddle-AA Well up comes Ted, without any legs, And in their place was some wooden pegs. She kissed him a dozen times or two, Saying, Holy Moses, is it you, Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA Now was your drunk, or was you blind, When you left your two fine legs behind, Or was it from walking by the sea, Wore your two fine legs from the knees away? Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA No, I was not drunk, and I was not blind When I left my two fine legs behind, A cannon ball on the fifth of May Took my two fine legs from the knees away, Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle aa Oh Teddy, my boy, the widow cried, Your two fine legs were your mothers pride. The stumps of a tree wont do at all, Why didnt you run from the cannon ball? Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA All foreign wars, I do proclaim, Between Don Juan and the King of Spain, And Ill make them rue the time, They took two legs from a child of mine, Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA Well then, if I had you back again, Id never let you go to fight the King of Spain, For Id rather have me Ted as he used to be, Than the King of France and his whole navy, Wi your too-RI-AA, folly diddle-AA
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:57:49 +0000
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