I'll Tell Me Ma

"I'll Tell Me Ma" (also called "The Wind") is a traditional children's song. It was collected in various parts of the United Kingdom in the 19th century and again appears in collections from shortly after the turn of the 20th century.[1] In Ireland, especially within Ulster, the chorus usually refers to Belfast city and is known colloquially as "The Belle of Belfast City", although it is also adapted to other Irish cities, such as Dublin.[2] Other versions refer to the "Golden City" or "London City". This song is Roud Folk Song Index number 2649.

The song accompanies a children's game. A ring is formed by the children joining hands, one player standing in the centre. When asked, "Please tell me who they be," the girl in the middle gives the name or initials of a boy in the ring (or vice versa). The ring then sings the rest of the words, and the boy who was named goes into the centre.[1]

Opening verse and chorus

I'll tell me ma, when I get home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
Pulled me hair, and stole my comb
But that's alright, till I go home.

Chorus:
She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast city
She is a-courting one, two, three
Pray, can you tell me who is she?

Recordings and renditions

"I'll Tell Me Ma"
Single by Van Morrison and The Chieftains
from the album Irish Heartbeat
B-side	"Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta"
Released	1988
Recorded	December 1987–January 1988
Genre	Folk
Length	2:29
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	unknown
Producer(s)	Van Morrison, Paddy Moloney
Van Morrison and The Chieftains singles chronology
"Queen of the Slipstream" (1988) "I'll Tell Me Ma" (1988) "Have I Told You Lately" (1989)

The song has been covered on numerous albums, some of which have adapted the lyrics to their locales.

One of the more notable renditions was by Van Morrison and The Chieftains, for their collaboration record Irish Heartbeat in 1988;[3] the album reached number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. The song was guest-sung by Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners on The Chieftains album Live From Dublin: A Tribute To Derek Bell in 2005. The Chieftains also played the song with Cartoon Network character Brak for the latter's variety show special, Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak and related album in 2000.[4]

Sham Rock released a popular rendition of the song set to a dance beat titled "Tell Me Ma" in 1998.[5] The single reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart,[6] remained on the charts for 17 weeks, and sold over 200,000 copies. It has been included on various compilation albums that have sold a total of over 3 million copies.[5]

Other notable recordings include:

• The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, as "I'll Tell My Ma" on The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone, 1962. The album title is a lyric from the song.[7]
• The Corries, as part of "The Singing Games" on The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell, 1964. The song uses the lyric "She's the girl of the windy city"
• The Dubliners as "I'll Tell My Ma" on their debut album The Dubliners with Luke Kelly, 1964.[8][9]
• Lick the Tins, as "The Belle of Belfast City (Roud 2649)", on Blind Man on a Flying Horse, 1986. It was first released as a single.[10]
• The Rankin Family as "Tell My Ma", on their second album Fare Thee Well Love, 1990, and on their re-released album North Country, 1993.[11]
• Four to the Bar, on their live album Craic on the Road, 1994.[12]
• Orthodox Celts, on The Celts Strike Again, 1997 - This version uses the lyric "She's the belle of Belgrade City" in reference to their home town.[13][14]
• The Wiggles did a rendition of this called "Nya, Nya, Nya" which is found on the video Wiggledance!,[15] and album The Wiggles Movie Soundtrack, both released in 1997.[16] They would later sing "I'll Tell Me Ma" on the album, Apples & Bananas, 2014.[17]
• Gaelic Storm as "Tell Me Ma" on their debut album Gaelic Storm, 1998.[18]
• Belfast Food, on Za to Zato, 1999.[19]
• The Tossers as "Maidrin Rua / Tell Me Ma" on Communication & Conviction: Last Seven Years, 2001.[20] This version uses the lyric "She is the belle of Dublin city".[21]
• Sinéad O'Connor, on Sean-Nós Nua, 2002[22][23]
• The Poxy Boggards as "Tell Me Ma", on Whiskey Business, 2006.[24]
• The Young Dubliners, on With All Due Respect - The Irish Sessions, 2007[25] This version uses the lyric "She is the belle of Dublin city".[26]
• Beatnik Turtle as "Tell Me Ma", on Sham Rock, 2008.[27]
• Christy Moore, on an extended version of his song "Lisdoonvarna", sings a verse of "I'll Tell Me Ma", on Live at Vicar Street, 2002[28][29]
• The Irish Tenors, on Ellis Island, 2001[30]
• Orla Fallon, Live With The Dubliners And Damien Dempsey, on My Land, 2011.[31]
• The Rumjacks, on "Hung, Drawn & Portered", 2009
• Northern Irish punk band The Undertones reference this song in their song "Top Twenty", a B-side of "Here Comes the Summer" by lifting the line "The boys won't leave the girls alone."
• Celtic Thunder recorded a short version on their "Voyage" album, which included two other traditional Irish folk tunes. (The other two being "Courtin' in the Kitchen" and "The Irish rover".) The Medley was given the title of "The Clancy Bros. Medley".
• As "The Golden City" the song features three times in The Singing Street, a film of children's songs featuring Edinburgh school pupils, made in 1950.

Parodies

• Marc Gunn did a parody called "I'll Tell My Cat" on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, 2005[32][33]
• The tune of I'll Tell Me Ma was interpolated by Barndance Boys for their 2003 song Yippie-I-Oh.

References

1. Gomme, Alice Bertha (1894). The traditional games of England, Scotland and Ireland: with tunes, singing rhymes and methods of playing according to the variants extant and recorded in different parts of the kingdom. London: Nutt. p. 387. ISBN 978-0-500-27316-6.
2. "The Irish Sessions ::". Young Dubliners. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
3. Browne, David (11 August 1988). "Irish Heartbeat | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
4. "Brak - Brak Presents The Brak Album Starring Brak - at Rhino". Rhino Records. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
5. "Capital Celtic Network - Sham Rock". Capitalceltic.com. 11 May 2004. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
6. "1998-11-07 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive". Official Charts Company. 7 November 1998. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
7. Guida, Nick. "The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone - 1962 - Columbia CL 1909 LP (mono) - Sleeve Notes". Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem website. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
8. "The Dubliners Discography:1". Dgdclynx.plus.com. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
9. Rossiter, Nicky (January–February 2007). "Releases - Jan/Feb 2007 - The Dubliners - Live at Vicar Street". Irish Music Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
10. Tobbler, John (1991). "Lick the Tins: Blind Man on a Flying Horse - Sleeve Notes". Mainly Norfolk. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
11. "APHC: Performers, music sources and credits". A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. American Public Media. 30 November 1996. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
12. Winick, Steve (June–July 1995). "Review of Craic on the Road,". Dirty Linen Magazine (58).
13. I'll tell me ma by Orthodox Celts on Spotify. Spotify. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
14. "The Celts Strike Again". Orthodoxcelts.com. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
15. "Wiggledance (1997) The Wiggles. [videorecording]". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
16. "The Wiggles movie soundtrack". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
17. "The Wiggles - Apples & Bananas | Music CD | ABC Shop". Shop.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
18. Cater, Evan (28 July 1998). "Gaelic Storm - Gaelic Storm". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
19. Sleger, Dave. "Za to Zato - Belfast Food". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
20. The Tossers 'Communication & Conviction' CD. "The Tossers: The Tossers 'Communication & Conviction' CD - Music". Shopbenchmark.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
21. "The Tossers - Maidrin Rua / Tell Me Ma Lyrics". MetroLyrics. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
22. "Thank You for Hearing Me: "I'll Tell Me Ma"". Sineadoconnor.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
23. "Sinead O'Connor: Sean-Nós Nua". Billboard. 19 October 2002. Archived from the original on 21 October 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
24. "The Poxy Boggards | Whiskey Business | CD Baby Music Store". Cdbaby.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
25. "The Irish Sessions ::". Young Dubliners. 8 December 2007. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
26. "The Irish Sessions :: Lyrics". Young Dubliners. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
27. "Beatnik Turtle: 'I'll Tell Me Ma'". NPR. 3 April 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
28. Lynch, Mick (12 October 2004). "Gig Reviews | Christy Moore in Newbridge". CLUAS. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
29. "Live at Vicar Street". ChristyMoore.com. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
30. "The Irish Tenors - Discography". Theirishtenors.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
31. "Orla Fallon releases "My Land"". Celticradio.net. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
32. "Reviews". Marc Gunn. 6 March 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
33. "Renaissance Festival Lyrics: I'll Tell My Ma/I'll Tell My Cat". Renaissancefestivalmusic.com. 16 June 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2014.

External links

• Roud 2649 at Vaughan Williams Memorial Library - this lists alternate titles and renditions including "The Wind" and "The Rain Rains Down"
• Waltz, Robert B.; Engle, David G. (eds.). "I'll Tell My Ma (I)". The Traditional Ballad Index. California State University at Fresno. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
• Waltz, Robert B.; Engle, David G. (eds.). "Wind, The (Rain, Rain, the Wind Does Blow)". The Traditional Ballad Index. California State University at Fresno. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.