Borrowed Music

**Tue May 25, 2004 2:20 pm**

Yeah goodbar, the songs do have a similar melody. Actually though, Shane recorded a version of Roddy McCorley. It's a b-side on the 'That Woman's Got Me Drinking' single and also on the 'Rare Oul' Stuff' CD. However, if you hear the traditional song "Homes of Donegal" you realize the melody came directly from that song. Perhaps the melody of Roddy McCorley was originally borrowed from Homes of Donegal way back...or vice versa...

**Tue May 25, 2004 9:17 pm**

Hellbeard wrote:"The old main drag" is borrowed from some Italian socialist anthem called Contessa.

Hellbeard, I tried to google this Contessa but couldn't find her anywhere! Do you have a reference, lyrics, MP3, anything? Would be interesting to hear. Thanks.

**Tue May 25, 2004 10:25 pm**

Graek wrote:Yeah goodbar, the songs do have a similar melody. Actually though, Shane recorded a version of Roddy McCorley. It's a b-side on the 'That Woman's Got Me Drinking' single and also on the 'Rare Oul' Stuff' CD. However, if you hear the traditional song "Homes of Donegal" you realize the melody came directly from that song. Perhaps the melody of Roddy McCorley was originally borrowed from Homes of Donegal way back...or vice versa...

i see.

**Wed May 26, 2004 3:23 pm**

Christine,
I have a mp3 of Contessa recorded by Modena city ramblers.
I could send it to your email or something, now if I just knew where to send it :wink:

[...]

oh why do I always forget to login before posting. Is it really necessary to have the anonymous posting thingie?

**Wed May 26, 2004 4:03 pm**

Hellbeard wrote:Is it really necessary to have the anonymous posting thingie?

I believe it is necessary. Forcing people to register will needlessly scare off some that would otherwise participate.

When you log in you can check the "remember me" box. The site will set a cookie in your browser so that it will know who you are on future visits.

**Thu May 27, 2004 1:55 pm**

Hellbeard wrote:Christine,
I have a mp3 of Contessa recorded by Modena city ramblers.
I could send it to your email or something, now if I just knew where to send it

I found it pretty quickly with a file sharing program (Gnucleus)...just searched for Modena City Ramblers. Great tune...and it really is the same melody. The instrumentation almost sounds Irish...are the MCR really from Italy?

Anyway, GREAT lead. Thanks.

**Thu May 27, 2004 3:12 pm**

Trying to figure out WHEN this "contessa" song was written....and by whom...The song is from Modena City Ramblers CD 'Riportando Tutto a Casa' from '93 or '94. But I assume it wasn't written by them. Anyone speak Italian? :-)

Found these pages for the Modena City Ramblers-
http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_music_mcr.html
http://www.ramblers.it/

**Thu May 27, 2004 3:27 pm**

Yeah, an Italian friend of mine sent a couple of songs by them and they all sound very Irish, great band by the way. Going to buy an album or two.

I'll ask him more about the origin and get back with the details later tonight.

Cheers!

**Fri May 28, 2004 10:31 am**

Many thanks for the Modena City Ramblers leads, Hellbeard and Graek. I remember their "Bella Ciao" from way back when!

From their site it seems they started playing in 1991 and count The Pogues among their influences, so I think it must be the other way around: "The Old Main Drag" came first and they used Shane's melody for their "Contessa". Still, it would be great to hear, perhaps someone can upload it to the FTP, there is a great covers' section too. And if someone can translate the lyrics???

**Fri May 28, 2004 7:54 pm**

He says the song was written in 1966 and that all Italian socialists keeps it near at heart. So it's not the other way around.

Here's the lyrics in english:

What a mess countess
at the car factory
those four ignorants
are on strike
they wanted their wages raised
they said: "they are taking advantage of us"
and when the police came
those four beggars
screamed louder
they soiled with blood
the courtyards and doors
who knows how much time will take us to clean?

Companions from fields and workshops
take the scythe and bring the hammer
go down in the place and hit with that
go down in the place and ditch the system
you good people that seeks peace
peace for doing what you want
but if this is the price we want war
we want to see you buried
but if this is the price
we paid it
nobody in the world can be enslaved

if you knew countess
what i've been told
by a beloved relative of the occupation
that those bad people
closed in there
were making profession of free love
but, my astonished beloved
a laborer want a doctor son too
and think about what enviroment could come out
there is no more moral,
countess.

if the wind was hissing now it hisses louder
the riot ideas are never dead
if someone says so they are don't listen to him
he's a person that wants to betray
if someone says so spit on him
he throw the red flag away
you good people that seeks peace
peace for doing what you want
but if this is the price we want war
we want to see you buried
but if this is the price
we paid it
nobody in the world can be enslaved

yeah.. i'll upload the song to the ftp.

**Mon May 31, 2004 12:12 am**

Thanks Hellbeard. "That's interesting" :wink:

They seem worth looking up. Cheers.

**Mon May 31, 2004 12:23 am**

This one is open to debate, but I'll bring it up anyway.

"King of Swing" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on the album <i>Big Bad Voodoo Daddy</i> has an uncanny resemblance to The Pogues' "Gridlock" from <i>Peace & Love</i>.

**Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:49 pm**

This probably is pretty obvious, and thus why it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, but SKIPPING RHYMES borrows from the old folk song / nursery rhyme This Old Man as well as the Irish Trad songs Whiskey you're The Devil and (i think) A Nation Once Again.

sanx

**Fri Jun 04, 2004 6:50 pm**

Mrs McGrath --> Billy's Bones

**Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:05 am**

I still can't find any sources of that song Contessa that predate the Pogues tune. Is it possible that the TEXT was written in 1966 and the melody was borrowed from the Pogues tune? hm...

Got a new one. Visiting my parents...my mother had on an album James Galway and the Chieftains did together...the second track is a set of O'Carolan harp tunes, the first one being "Fanny Power"...I quickly recognized this as the entire melody for "London You're a Lady"....so....

"London, You're A Lady" on Peace and Love
Borrows it's melody from the O'Carolan harp tune "Fanny Power", or sometimes called "Planxty Fanny Poer".

Borrowed Music

Not borrowed _BY_ The Pogues

Who is online