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In a Sow’s Ear 2-15-10

Gwen Petersen
Big Timber, Mont.

“Write an Irish poem to put to music,” he said. So I researched and discovered that many, many poems and songs of the Irish persuasion have to do with lads being hopelessly in love with a lass who dies; or songs about various styles and methods of drinking and fighting; or the fun of attending wakes and weddings. The perspectives seem to derive mainly from the male viewpoint.

Oh, there’s a wealth of songs about girls and women such as: “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washerwoman,” “Kathleen Mavourneen,” “Kitty of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady,” “Peg O’ My Heart” …

Where, I pondered, are the tunes depicting the loves, nostalgia, humor from the Irish lass’s standpoint? How about “The Boy I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washer Fellow,” “Gartheen Mavourneen,” “Kelly of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Cockleburr,” “Sweet Robert O’Grady,” “Paddy O’ My Heart” …



Digging deeper into my collection of Irish music, I found a tune: “The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow.” It, too, is from the stand point of a fine Irish lad goin’ out a-walkin’ and seeing a “pretty girl milking …”

I’ve taken the liberty of writing fresh words to the tune:



Here’s the original:

“Write an Irish poem to put to music,” he said. So I researched and discovered that many, many poems and songs of the Irish persuasion have to do with lads being hopelessly in love with a lass who dies; or songs about various styles and methods of drinking and fighting; or the fun of attending wakes and weddings. The perspectives seem to derive mainly from the male viewpoint.

Oh, there’s a wealth of songs about girls and women such as: “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washerwoman,” “Kathleen Mavourneen,” “Kitty of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady,” “Peg O’ My Heart” …

Where, I pondered, are the tunes depicting the loves, nostalgia, humor from the Irish lass’s standpoint? How about “The Boy I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washer Fellow,” “Gartheen Mavourneen,” “Kelly of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Cockleburr,” “Sweet Robert O’Grady,” “Paddy O’ My Heart” …

Digging deeper into my collection of Irish music, I found a tune: “The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow.” It, too, is from the stand point of a fine Irish lad goin’ out a-walkin’ and seeing a “pretty girl milking …”

I’ve taken the liberty of writing fresh words to the tune:

Here’s the original:

“Write an Irish poem to put to music,” he said. So I researched and discovered that many, many poems and songs of the Irish persuasion have to do with lads being hopelessly in love with a lass who dies; or songs about various styles and methods of drinking and fighting; or the fun of attending wakes and weddings. The perspectives seem to derive mainly from the male viewpoint.

Oh, there’s a wealth of songs about girls and women such as: “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washerwoman,” “Kathleen Mavourneen,” “Kitty of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady,” “Peg O’ My Heart” …

Where, I pondered, are the tunes depicting the loves, nostalgia, humor from the Irish lass’s standpoint? How about “The Boy I Left Behind Me,” “The Irish Washer Fellow,” “Gartheen Mavourneen,” “Kelly of Coleraine,” “My Wild Irish Cockleburr,” “Sweet Robert O’Grady,” “Paddy O’ My Heart” …

Digging deeper into my collection of Irish music, I found a tune: “The Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow.” It, too, is from the stand point of a fine Irish lad goin’ out a-walkin’ and seeing a “pretty girl milking …”

I’ve taken the liberty of writing fresh words to the tune:

Here’s the original:


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