Erewanna

DESCRIPTION: Barney, "from Killarney's Isle," courts "an Indian maid queen of fairies." She won't marry him until "some great race might crown you big chief." "That's easy," says he; "all my family were great runners and first in every race"
AUTHOR: Words: Jack Drislane Music: Theodore F. Morse (source: sheet music)
EARLIEST DATE: 1906 (sheet music published under the title Arrah Wanna: An Irish Indian Matrimonial Venture by F. B. Haviland Inc.)
KEYWORDS: courting rejection Ireland humorous wordplay Indians(Am.)
FOUND IN: Canada(Newf) Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, p. 191, "Arawana on me honour I'll take care of you" (1 text)
Roud #18207
RECORDINGS:
Vince Ledwell, "Erewanna" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
NOTES [90 words]: The sheet music cover of this has a photo of James H. Sadler (as well as of authors Drislane and Morse), so I would assume Sadler sang it -- but it doesn't actually say so. The cover says merely "Arrah Wanna"; the subtitle "An Irish Indian Matrimonial Adventure" is found in the interior. The main illustration is of an Irish-looking man playing a pipe to a woman with a feather in her hair at the entrance of a tipi who looks as if she was born on a stretch rack -- not very attractive. But then, the whole thing is fairly prejudiced. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: RcErewan

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