I'll Tell Me Ma Explained

"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.

Opening verse and chorus

I'll tell me ma, when I get homeThe boys won't leave the girls alonePulled me hair, and stole my combBut that's alright, till I go home.

Chorus:She is handsome, she is prettyShe is the belle of __ __ cityShe is a-courting one, two, threePray, can you tell me who is she?

Recordings and renditions

I'll Tell Me Ma
Cover:	VanMorrisonTheChieftainsSingle.JPG
Type:	single
Artist:	Van Morrison and The Chieftains
Album:	Irish Heartbeat
B-Side:	Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta
Released:	1988
Recorded:	December 1987–January 1988
Genre:	Folk
Label:	Mercury
Producer:	Van Morrison, Paddy Moloney
Prev Title:	Queen of the Slipstream
Prev Year:	1988
Next Title:	Have I Told You Lately
Next Year:	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 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]}

External links

• Roud 2649 at Vaughan Williams Memorial Library - this lists alternate titles and renditions including "The Wind" and "The Rain Rains Down"
• Web site: I'll Tell My Ma (I) . The Traditional Ballad Index . California State University at Fresno . Robert B. . Waltz . David G.. Engle .
• Web site: Wind, The (Rain, Rain, the Wind Does Blow) . The Traditional Ballad Index . California State University at Fresno . Robert B. . Waltz . David G.. Engle .

Notes and References

1. Book: Gomme, Alice Bertha . 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 . Nutt . Alice Gomme . 1894 . London . 387 . 978-0-500-27316-6.
2. Web site: The Irish Sessions :: . Young Dubliners . 12 February 2014 .
3. Irish Heartbeat | Album Reviews . Rolling Stone . 11 August 1988 . 12 February 2014 . Browne . David.
4. Web site: Brak - Brak Presents The Brak Album Starring Brak - at Rhino . Rhino Records . 12 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609191051/http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=79772 . 9 June 2007 . dead.
5. Web site: Capital Celtic Network - Sham Rock . Capitalceltic.com . 11 May 2004 . 14 February 2014 . 22 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222024923/http://www.capitalceltic.com/sham-rock.shtml . dead .
6. Web site: 1998-11-07 Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive . . 7 November 1998 . 14 February 2014.
7. Web site: Nick . Guida . The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone - 1962 - Columbia CL 1909 LP (mono) - Sleeve Notes . Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem website . 13 February 2014.
8. Web site: The Dubliners Discography:1 . Dgdclynx.plus.com . 13 February 2014.
9. Web site: Releases - Jan/Feb 2007 - The Dubliners - Live at Vicar Street . . 12 February 2014 . Rossiter . Nicky . Jan–Feb 2007.
10. Web site: Lick the Tins: Blind Man on a Flying Horse - Sleeve Notes . Mainly Norfolk . 1991 . John . Tobbler . 3 October 2013--> . 14 February 2014.
11. Web site: APHC: Performers, music sources and credits . . American Public Media . 30 November 1996 . 14 February 2014.
12. Review of Craic on the Road, . Winick . Steve . Dirty Linen Magazine . June–July 1995 . 58.
13. I'll tell me ma by Orthodox Celts on Spotify . Spotify . 7 October 2013 . 13 February 2014.
14. Web site: The Celts Strike Again . . 13 February 2014.
15. Web site: Wiggledance (1997) The Wiggles. [videorecording] | publisher=[[National Library of Australia]] | work=Trove | access-date=30 August 2013].
16. Web site: The Wiggles movie soundtrack . . Trove . 6 February 2014.
17. Web site: The Wiggles - Apples & Bananas | Music CD | ABC Shop . Shop.abc.net.au . 14 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170329141434/https://shop.abc.net.au/products/wiggles-the-cd-apples-and-banana . 29 March 2017 . dead .
18. Web site: Evan . Cater . Gaelic Storm - Gaelic Storm . AllMusic . 28 July 1998 . 13 February 2014.
19. Web site: Dave. Sleger . Za to Zato - Belfast Food . AllMusic . 13 February 2014.
20. Web site: The Tossers 'Communication & Conviction' CD . The Tossers: The Tossers 'Communication & Conviction' CD - Music . Shopbenchmark.com . 14 February 2014 . 21 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221172935/http://www.shopbenchmark.com/thetossers/music/the-tossers-communication-and-conviction-last-seven-years-thick-records.html . dead .
21. Web site: The Tossers - Maidrin Rua / Tell Me Ma Lyrics . MetroLyrics . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222011745/http://www.metrolyrics.com/maidrin-rua-tell-me-ma-lyrics-the-tossers.html. 2014-02-22. unfit. 14 February 2014.
22. Web site: Thank You for Hearing Me: "I'll Tell Me Ma" . Sineadoconnor.com . 12 February 2014 . 22 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222023737/http://www.sineadoconnor.com/full_discography/songs/ill_tell_me_ma.php . dead .
23. Sinead O'Connor: Sean-Nós Nua. Billboard. 19 October 2002. 1 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20021021205658/http://www.billboard.com/billboard/reviews/review_displayprint.jsp?vnu_content_id=1738992. 21 October 2002. dead.
24. Web site: The Poxy Boggards | Whiskey Business | CD Baby Music Store . Cdbaby.com . 14 February 2014.
25. Web site: The Irish Sessions :: . Young Dubliners . 8 December 2007 . 12 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223005618/http://youngdubliners.com/pages/website/irishsessions.shtml . 23 February 2014 . dead .
26. Web site: The Irish Sessions :: Lyrics . Young Dubliners . 14 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223005048/http://www.youngdubliners.com/pages/website/irishsessionslyrics.shtml . 23 February 2014 . dead .
27. Web site: Beatnik Turtle: 'I'll Tell Me Ma' . NPR . 3 April 2008 . 14 February 2014.
28. Web site: Gig Reviews | Christy Moore in Newbridge . Mick . Lynch . CLUAS . 12 October 2004 . 14 February 2014.
29. Web site: Live at Vicar Street . ChristyMoore.com . 16 June 2012 . 14 February 2014.
30. Web site: The Irish Tenors - Discography . Theirishtenors.com . 13 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130105204531/http://www.theirishtenors.com/discog.html . 5 January 2013 . dead .
31. Web site: Orla Fallon releases "My Land" . Celticradio.net . 6 April 2011 . 14 February 2014.
32. Web site: Reviews . 6 March 2010 . Marc Gunn . 12 February 2014.
33. Web site: Renaissance Festival Lyrics: I'll Tell My Ma/I'll Tell My Cat . Renaissancefestivalmusic.com . 16 June 2006 . 14 February 2014.