Harrigan

DESCRIPTION: "Who is the man who will spend or will even lend? Harrigan, that's me! ... For I'm just as proud of my name, you see." "H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N spells Harrigan Proud of all the Irish blood that's in me Divvil a man can say a word agin me."
AUTHOR: George M. Cohan (1878-1942)
EARLIEST DATE: 1908 ("Fifty Miles to Boston")
KEYWORDS: Ireland wordplay
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, pp. 175-176, "H, A, double R, I, GAN spells Harrigan!" (1 text)
Roud #25468
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Lollypop" (tune, form)
cf. "Castor Oil" (tune, form)
cf. "Davenport" (tune, form)
SAME TUNE:
Lollypop (File: ACSF125L)
Castor Oil (File: ACSF266C)
Davenport (Fle: ACSF267D)
NOTES [102 words]: Although the show "Fifty Miles to Broadway," and this song, are entirely the work of George M. Cohan, he chose the name "Harrigan" as a tribute to a man whose shows he much admired, Edward Harrigan, for whom see the notes to "The Babies on Our Block." Cohan's father in fact is said to have performed with Harrigan.
The song is popular enough to have a Wikipedia page, which lists multiple uses in movies and popular recordings.
Although the song has, at best, a very weak hold in tradition, its by-blows ("Lollypop," "Castor Oil," "Davenport") are all alive and well and keeping the tune popular among children.- RBW
Last updated in version 6.6
File: KSUC175C

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography