{"id":21877,"date":"2023-07-18T13:11:26","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T13:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=21877"},"modified":"2023-07-18T16:03:27","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T16:03:27","slug":"molly-riley-o","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/molly-riley-o\/","title":{"rendered":"Molly Riley O!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Molly Riley
Old Molly Riley<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1893<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td> Words: James Curran, Music: Pat Rafferty,<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN30980<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Pat Rafferty<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Stewart, Lucy; Scotland : Aberdeenshire; 1960
Dunn, George; England, West Midlands: 1971<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From Sheet Music\n\nI'm lodging in a lodging-house\nThat's kept by Mister Riley, \nA dacent man, so is his wife,\nThe genial Mistress Riley. \nThey've got a daughter, she's Al,\nHer name is Molly Riley,\nAnd I am mashed potatoes on\nLittle Molly Riley.\n\nOh, Molly Riley, I love you;\nTell me, Molly Riley, does your heart beat true? <\/em>\nMarry me, my darling, I'll die if you say no; <\/em>\nAnd my ghost will come and haunt you,\nMolly Riley, O! <\/em>\n\nHe loves me as a son, he says,\nAffectionate old Riley ;\nHe borrows cash he never pays,\nAlso does Mistress Riley. \nThe family lives at my expense,\nMy tobacco's stolen by Riley; \nI stand it all\u2014take no offence,\nFor the love of Molly Riley.\n\nHe's got about a dozen sons,\nHas good old Mister Riley, \nAnd they pay the rent with swords and guns\nIn the home of Molly Riley; \nThey pawn my clothes to buy their booze,\nIn the home of Molly Riley; \nAnd I'd stand it all before I'd lose\nMy darling Molly Riley.\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A song from the repertoire of Pat Rafferty<\/a> –  a huge hit in the Halls and pantos of 1893\/94. Such was the song’s popularity that it appeared in another Music Hall song by another artist \u2013 JW \u201cOver\u201d Rowley<\/a> who sang  On Monday she sings “Molly Riley oh!” <\/em>(Written by JW Hall).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly Riley O!<\/em> itself has been collected  from  the singing of Lucy  Stewart a member of the important Scots traveller\u00a0community based in Blairgowrie. Traditional singer George Dunn remembered a fragment of it and recalled seeing the words printed on “Lucky Bags” – paper bags containing sweets and small toys for children. Josephine Dougal recalled her family of expatriate Scots in Australia singing a version in which her brother’s name was substituted for that of Molly Riley.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
You can hear Lucy Stewart sing the chorus on the excellent Tobar an Dualchais\/ Kist o Riches site<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n