Jack O'Ryan

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The story of an Irish fiddler's deception by his apprentice. Also called Jack Orion, my version mixes two of the tunes variations and a touch of something alien...

singer songwriter acoustic folk british guitarist song celtic traditional fingerstyle scottish scotland guitar kelso

David Kilpatrick

Solo singer-songwriter and tunesmith playing British fingerstyle steel and nylon string guitar, and historic instruments. Scots and Irish influences.

I've been writing and playing songs and tunes since teenage years in folk clubs and pubs. I co-organise the Kelso Friday night live music sessions at the Cross Keys (hosted singaround 7.45-10pm) and Cobbles Inn (10-12pm open mic with The Cobbles Band) with the help of many friends. All welcome! Visit us at kelsofolkandlive co uk. It is worth clicking on the tab because the sound quality of my tracks is far higher than the auto player on this page. Many can be streamed or downloaded at 320KBps and the enhancement for solo guitar/voice far exceeds the benefit you get for highly compressed band recordings. My recordings are full dynamic, not compressed. Just select Hi-Fi for the first song, and an MP3 high bitrate window will open - you will still get a sequence of songs. Most of my downloads are free, but some 320KBps tracks are paid-for. These are selected because they make up my main instrumental album. I now have a YouTube page and have started doing some video recordings for fun: @daviddkilpatrick I have mainly played Lowden guitars since 1999. I current play a 1985 S5FN (nylon string), 1986 S22 (jumbo O-size mahogany/cedar), and 1995 S32 (small body rosewood/spruce). I also play my own 1997-built Martin 'kit' Grand Auditorium rosewood/spruce, a Sigma OM-T, Furch Little Jane, Tacoma Papoose, Guild 8-string baritone, Vintage V880 parlour guitar and Gordon Giltrap signature model, a Troubadour mahogany/spruce classical and an Adam Black 12-string. And that's just the guitars... also viola, mandolin, mandola, waldzither, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, low D whistle, keyboards.

Song Info

Genre

World • Traditional Irish

Charts

Peak #56

Peak in subgenre #2

Author

Trad. Arr. David Kilpatrick

Rights

David Kilpatrick

Uploaded

November 25, 2003

Track Files

MP3

MP3 6.4 MB • 128 kbps • 6:57

Story behind the song

I first heard this, as most people did, through Bert Jansch's seminal 9-minute version which takes it close to pure blues. It's actually possible to sing this in half that time using the lively fiddle tune which hides inside the Jansch/Pentangle take! For this recording, I have mixed some elements of the Jansch version with a different guitar accompaniment, and used a Scottish tune for a couple of verses - with a blues-influenced variation for a couple more. With so many verses to handle, I think the variation and the changes in pace are essential for a solo player/singer. This is a very straight recording miked from about 15 inches on the guitar, which is a 1950s Japanese Antoria Classic. That's a very cheap instrument, with fan bracing and laminated woods, but it's one of my favourites for sound. It has no built-in pickup and it's difficult to play because of the very fat, non-adjustable neck...

Lyrics

Jack O'Ryan was as good a fiddler as ever fiddled on a string
He could make young women mad with the tune his fiddle did sing

He could fiddle the fish out of the salt sea or water from a marble stone
Or the milk from out of a maiden's breast though baby she had none

As he sat fiddling in a castle hall he's played them all so sound asleep
Excepting for the young countess, and for love she stayed awake

First hes played a slow slow air and then he's played it brisk and gay
And O dear love behind her hand this lady she did say

When day has dawned and the cocks have crown and spread their wings so wide
It's you may come to my bedroom door to lay down by my side

He's lapped his fiddle in a cloth of green and stolen out on his tip toe
And then he's run off to his own house as fast as he could go

When day has dawned and the cocks have crowed and spread their wings so wide
It's I am bidden to that lady's door to stretch out at her side

Lie down and rest my good master and here's a blanket to your head
I'll waken you in as good a time as any cockerel in the land

Well Tom took the fiddle into his hand he fiddled and sang for a full hour
And he played his master fast asleep and he's off to that lady's bower

And when he came to that lady's door he's tirled so softly at the pin
And the lady true to her promise rose up and let him in

Well he didn't take lady gay to bolster or to bed
But down upon her bower floor he quickly had her laid

He neither kissed her when he came nor yet when from her he did go
And in and out of the window the moonlight did boldly glow

Or ragged are your stockings love, and stubbled is your cheek and chin!
And tangled is that yellow hair that I saw yestereen!

My stockings belong to my boy Tom, they were the first that came to my hand
The wind it did tangle my yellow hair as I rode oer the land

Tom took his fiddle into his hand so saucy there he did sing
And then he's off to his masters house as fast as he could run

Rise up, rise up my good master! Why do you snore so loud?
Theres not a cock in all this land but has clapped his wings and crowed!

Jack O'Ryans off to that lady's house as fast he could run,
Saying here am I my lady fair rise up and let me in!

Surely you didn't leave behind a bracelet or a velvet glove?
Or is it you're come back again to taste more of my love?

Well Jack O'Ryan swore a bloody oath by oak and ash and bitter thorn
Saying Lady, I never was in your arms since the day that I was born!

O then it was your young foot-page that has so cruelly beguiled me!
And woe that the blood of the ruffian lad should spring in my bodie!

O Jack O'Ryans run to his own house, saying Tom me boy come here to me;
And he's hung that boy from his own gate post as high as a willow tree!

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