Annotation:Pat was a darling boy
PAT WAS A DARLING BOY. Irish(?), Air (9/8 time). A comic song was advertised in The Harmonicum as a new song in 1829, sung in London pleasure gardens in 1838, and printed in period songsters such as The Shamrock (Glasgow, 1830, pp. 227-228). John Diprose's The Red, White & Blue Monster Songbook (1860, p. 397) gives that the song was "Written by Teernan, Composed by [Jonathan] Blewitt, and Sung by Mr. Biven." Jonathan Blewitt (19 July 1782 – 4 September 1853) was an English organist, composer of light operas and songs, and a musical director. Other sources give 'T. Cooke' as the author[1]
‘Twas at the sign of the fork
Young Pat first open’d his throttle,v And being a native of Cork,v No wonder he dipp’d in the bottle;
His mother’s own milk they say
Soon made him quite funny and frisky,
For when she put cream in his tea,
By the pow’rs it was nothing but whisky.
O Paddy O’Flannagan,
Neat tippling Paddy,
Whugh, whugh, whugh,
Pat was a darling boy.
Says Father O’Fogerty, Pat,
Now love your enemies ever,
Pray let me exhort you to that;
Says Pat, it’s my constant endeavour,
For whiskey, my deadliest foe,
When down in my gullet I shove it,
I take it to heart you must know,
For nobody better can love it.
O Paddy O’Flannagan, &c.v
It may or may not be 'Irish', but perpetuates that stereotype of the Irishman as a drunkard.
- ↑ Thomas Cooke (1782-1848) was a celebrated singing teacher. In 1821 he became director of Drury Lane Theatre and a few years later was alternating a singer and as leader of the orchestra. He was Renowned both for his versality and for his sense of humour.