Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks

Subject: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:48 PM

Hi --

I'm looking for the written text of a song that begins, "Brocades and damasks and tappys are lately brought o'er . . " or close to that effect. It's a cryptic song concerning Dean Swift's pamphlet urging the Irish not to buy English silks, but to buy their own linen and wool instead.

My friend has a recording, but there are a few words we can't make out.

Any history/background regarding the song would also be much appreciated!

thanks, k.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 07:32 PM

Nothing at all with just that phrase. It might help if you post what you have including lyrics, artist and name of album. Also, approx historical date (Swift covered some ground) and date of the release on the album. Record company and order number. Anything at all that you have, OK?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 09:31 PM

You can find that song, "The Dean's Pamphlet", on Liam O'Flynn's CD called "Out to an Other Side". I'm afraid the j-card doesn't contain the lyrics. It is sung by Rita Connolly. It starts like this:

"Brocades and damasks and tabbies and gauzes are by Robert Ballatine lately brought over,
With forty things more now hear what the law says,
Who e'er or not e'er is not the King's law."

Okay, I'm really guessing on that last line! It's a great song but I can't get the words right off the CD. If no one else can help, I'll give it a valiant effort though!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 09:57 PM

Here's a site to the info above...Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 01:49 PM

Hi all,

Okay, I will go and find out the info!

k.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 01:53 PM

GUEST, please let us know what you find. Since you first posted I've been listening to the song but really don't feel I have enough of the lyrics to post them here...unless you all want a REALLY good laugh at my mondegreens!

Subject: ADD: The Dean's Pamphlet - Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 02:41 PM

Hi,

Here's what we've got:

Hi, Kim !!

Well, I've appended as much as I could surmise about the tune, and the almost-complete lyrics. Any historical/contextual info would be most appreciated ! Let me know if anyone can help.

Cheers, Chris

Source: Liam O'Flynn, Out to an Other Side, Tara Records LTD, 1993

Notes about the song: Tune is traditional (does anyone know the tune name?); words almost certainly refer to A Proposal for the Universal Use of Irish Manufactures, &c., a pamphlet written in 1720 by Jonathan Swift - a seditious pamphlet" that advocated the boycott of English goods in Ireland in favor of domestically made items, particularly woolen clothing. He urged the people to burn everything that came from England -- "except the coal." This made him at once very popular, and roused the anger of the authorities to such a pitch that the printer was prosecuted. Swift held the title of the Dean of St. Patrick, hence "his Deanship," an English-granted office which would, one assumes, naturally have disposed him to encourage rather than discourage trade with England. I cannot quite make out the words in the first two lines of the third verse on the recording from whence I learned this song - Rita Connolly and Liam O'Flynn. Still searching for the actual words.

The Pamphlet Brocades and damasks and tappies and gauzes
Are by Robert Valentine lately brought over
With forty things more, now hear what the law says
Who wear or not wear them is not the King's law
But Printer and Dean seditiously mean
Our true Irish hearts from Auld England to wean
They would buy English silks for their wives and their daughters
In pite of his Deanship in Journeyman waters.

Whomever our trading with England would hinder
To inflame both the nations does plainly conspire
Because Irish linen will soon turn to tinder
And wool it is greasy and quickly takes fire.
Therefore, I assure you, our noble Grand Jury
On seeing the Dean's book, we are in a great fury!
They would buy English silks for their wives and their daughters
In spite of his Deanship in Journeyman waters.

???????????
???????????
Henceforward shall print neither pamphlet nor linen
And if swearing, won't do it, they'll be swingeingly mauled
And as for the Dean, you know who I mean
If the Printer would bleach him, he'd scarce come off clean
He would buy English silks for his wife and his daughters
In spite of his Deanship in journeyman waters

--- Line breaks <br> added ---

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Brocades and Damasks
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 18 Jun 01 - 03:04 PM

Thanks for that, GUEST. I'm still going with the word "tabbies" instead of "tappies" though. Tabby is a type of linen.