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Brennan on the Moor
Old-Time & Blugrass Song and fiddle tune
ARTIST: Sung by: Neal Morris; Recorded in Timbo, AR 7/18/59
Listen To: Neal Morris- Brennan on the Moor
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: before 1862; "One of the most celebrated bagpipe tunes in 1770," states Grattan Flood (1906) DATE: 1959
RECORDING INFO: Brennan on the Moor [Laws L 7/Sh 135]
Rm - Battle of Saratoga
Pb - Bracey on the Shore
Laws, G. Malcolm / American Balladry from British Broadsides, Amer. Folklore Society, Bk (1957), p169
Scott, John Anthony (ed.) / Ballad of America, Grosset & Dunlap, Bk (1967), p264
Friedman, Albert B. (ed.) / Viking Book of Folk Ballads of the English-S, Viking, sof (1963), p371 [1880s]
Kidson, Frank (ed.) / Traditional Tunes. A Collection of Ballad Airs, S.R. Publishers, Bk (1970/1891), p124 [1880s] (Bold Brennan on the Moor)
Wells, Evelyn Kendrick (ed.) / The Ballad Tree, Ronald, Bk (1950), p300
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 8
Boni, Margaret Bradford (ed.) / Fireside Book of Folk Songs, Simon & Schuster, Bk (1947), p 28 (Bold Brennan on the Moor)
Ives, Burl / Irish Songs, Duell-Sloan, Bk (1958/1955), p 85
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p 42
Agee, Joseph. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p170/# 135 [1918/06/02]
Christopher, Linus. Ives, Edward D. (ed.) / Drive Dull Care Away, IIS, Bk/ (1999), p126 [1965/08/26]
Cinnamond, Robert. Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 7. Fair Game and Fowl, Caedmon TC 1163, LP (1962), trk# A.08 [1955/08]
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, Tradition TLP 1042, LP (1961), trk# A.01
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Columbia CS 8448, LP (1960), trk# A.06
Clancy Brothers. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof (1959), 5, p60
Edwards, George. Cazden, Norman, et.al. / Folk Songs of the Catskills, SUNY Press, sof (1982), p416/#110 [1940s]
Edwards, George. Cazden, Norman / Abelard Folk Song Book, Abelard-Schuman, Bk (1958), p 72
Glazer, Tom. Namu, the Killer Whale, and Other Ballads of Adventure, United Artists UAS 6540, LP (196?), trk# A.04 (Brennan)
Ives, Burl. Songs of Ireland, Decca DL 8444, LP (196?), trk# A.03
Ives, Burl. Ives, Burl / Burl Ives Song Book, Ballantine Books, Bk (1963/1953), p 52
Kines, Tom. Irishman in North Americay, Folkways FG 3522, LP (1962), trk# B.01
Lorette, Paul. Flanders, Helen H. & George Brown / Vermont Folk Songs and Ballads, Folklore Associates, Bk (1968/1931), p 98 [1930/09/24]
McCurdy, Ed. Ballad Record, Riverside RLP 12-601, LP (1955), trk# B.01
Morgan, William Jacob. Folk Music From Wisconsin, Library of Congress AFS L55, CD (2001/1960), trk# 7 [1946]
Morris, Neil. Bad Man Ballads, Prestige International INT 25009, LP (196?), trk# 10 [1959/10/06] (Willie Brennan)
Morris, Neil. Southern Journey. Vol. 5: Bad Man Ballads, Rounder 1705, CD (1997), trk# 5 [1959/10/06] (Willie Brennan)
Stubblefield, Blaine. Lomax, John A. & Alan Lomax / Our Singing Country, MacMillan, Sof (2000/1941), p317 [1938]
Wasson, Laura. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume II, Songs of the South and ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p168/#176 [1942/01/28]
Wills, Charlie (Charles William). Kennedy, Peter (ed.) / Folksongs of Britain and Ireland, Oak, Sof (1984/1975), trk# #315, P697 [1952] ()
MELODY OF: "Bracey on the Shore"
OTHER NAMES: "Bold Brennan on the Moor;" "Brennan's on the Moor"
RELATED TO: Battle of Saratoga;
SOURCES: Folk Index; Ballad Index; Wolf Folklore; Kuntz
Ballad Index: Brennan on the Moor [Laws L7]
DESCRIPTION: Irishman Brennan, perhaps in revolt against the English, turns robber in the hills. After various escapades, he is captured, only to be freed by a blunderbuss smuggled in by his wife. At last, betrayed by a woman, he is taken and hanged
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1862 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(3014))
KEYWORDS: outlaw rambling execution
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1804 - Hanging of William Brennan, a highwayman who worked in County Cork
FOUND IN: US(Ap,NE,NW,MA,SE,So) Canada(Mar) Ireland Britain(England,Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (22 citations):
Laws L7, "Brennan on the Moor"
Ford-Vagabond, pp. 245-246, "Bold Brannan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
GreigDuncan2 258, "Brannon on the Moor" (4 texts, 4 tunes)
Belden, pp. 284-286, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text plus a reference to 1 more)
Randolph 176, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 236-237, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie 124, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Flanders/Brown, pp. 98-99, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Leach, pp. 745-747, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Ives-DullCare, pp. 126-127,242-243, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
SharpAp 135, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Friedman, p. 371, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
FSCatskills 110, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scott-BoA, pp. 264-266, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Hodgart, p. 204, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Kennedy 315, "Brennan's on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
OLochlainn-More 73, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor, p. 59, "Brennen on the Moor" (1 text)
Darling-NAS, pp. 103-106, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 325, "Brennan On The Moor" (1 text)
DT 421, BRENMOOR
ADDITIONAL: Kathleen Hoagland, editor, One Thousand Years of Irish Poetry (New York, 1947), pp. 250-252, "Brennan on the Moor" (1 text)
Roud #476
RECORDINGS:
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, "Brennan on the Moor" (on IRClancyMakem02)
William Jacob Morgan, "Brennan on the Moor" (AFS, 1946; on LC55)
Neil Morris, "Willie Brennan" (on LomaxCD1705)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(3014), "Brennan On the Moor," J.O. Bebbington (Manchester), 1858-1861; also 2806 c.8(304), Firth b.26(276), Harding B 11(2135), 2806 b.9(178), Firth c.17(11)[some words illegible], 2806 b.9(242), Harding B 11(3014)[some words illegible], Harding B 11(443), Harding B 11(442), Harding B 19(26), "Brennan On the Moor"; 2806 b.10(112)[some words blurred], "Bold Brannan"; Harding B 11(365), 2806 c.15(240), Harding B 11(364), "Bold Brennan on the Moor"; Harding B 26 (341), "A Lament on the Execution of Captain Brennan"
LOCSinging, as101620, "Brennen on the Moor," Horace Partridge (Boston), 19C
NLScotland, L.C.1270(015), "Brennan On the Moor," unknown, c. 1880; also APS.4.95.15(4), "Bold Brannan on the Moor" ("The first of my misfortunes was to list & desert"), unknown, n.d.
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Charlie Quantrell" (tune & meter, theme, lyrics)
NOTES: "Brennan on the Moor" is listed as a fiddle tune nd appears in Mel Bay's Bluegras Fiddle p. 6 with melody fiddle variation and lyrics. It's also found in Randolph, Vol. II, #176, "Brennan on the Moor"; Belden, p. 284, "Brennan on the Moor."
Notes Kuntz: BRENNAN ON THE MOOR. Irish, Air. D Major. Standard tuning. AB. "One of the most celebrated bagpipe tunes in 1770," states Grattan Flood (1906), who identified it as a setting of a song written in praise of a noted Irish Tory or Rapparee named William Brennan. Joyce (1909) states Brennan was a noted highwayman of the 18th century whose ballywhick was the Kilworth Mountains near Fermoy in Cork. Joyce had the ballad on broadsheets printed by Haly of Cork in the 1840’s, but states that he prints the melody for the first time, taken from a ballad-singer in Trim in the 1850’s. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 379, pgs. 186-187.
X:1 T:Brennan on the Moor ; M:C; L:1/8; R:Air; S:Joyce – Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909); Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion; K:D
D/E/ | FF FF A2 GF | FE D>D D3A | dc ec dF GA | =cB A>F F3A | \
dc ec dF GA |=c>B AF F3d | cBB BB B>c d>B | AB AG F3z ||
DE D>D D3z | DF A>A A3d |c>B Bc BA F>E | ED D>D D3 ||
BRENNAN ON THE MOOR- Sung by: Neal Morris
Recorded by Wolf in Timbo, AR 7/18/59;
Listen To: Neal Morris- Brennan on the Moor
There was a highway robber;
A story I will tell.
His name was Willie Brennan;
In London he did dwell.
All in the mountain dreary,
He proved his first career,
And many a noble gentleman
Before him shook with fear.
Chorus: Oh, Brennan on the moor,
Brennan on the moor.
Bold, gay, undaunted,
Stood young Brennan on the moor.
A brace of loaded pistols
He carried both night and day.
He robbed not from the poor,
But always on the king's highway.
He robbed from the rich
As in disturbance of Black Bess,
And he freely divided
With widows in distress.
(Chorus)
Now young Willie met a peddler;
His name was Julius Vaughan.
They traveled on together
'Til the day began to dawn.
The peddler missed his money,
Likewise his watch and chain,
And he overtake young Willie
And he robbed him back of same.
(Chorus)
Now young Willie finds the peddler;
A brave young man is he.
So straightaway he did go,
His companion for to be.
The peddler, being bravehearted,
He throwed his pack away,
And he proved a royal comrade
Until his dying day.
(Chorus)
Now the nobles and the marshall
Got a message from the Queen.
She said, "If you don't want to die
Upon the guillotine,
If you would keep your rich estates,
And live above the poor,
Then bring to me the body
Of young Brennan on the moor."
(Chorus)
Well, the night the trouble started,
The truth I will confess.
They undone their jackets
And they opened up their vests.
They threw theirselves in the open field
In the wild country,
And they both received nine wounds apiece
Before they would yield.
(Chorus)
Now Willie's down in town;
In prison he's bound down.
'Tis for some awful crime they've done
they've taken them to town.
The jury found them guilty,
And the judge did thus reply:
"Oh, it's for your highway robbery
You're both condemned to die."
(Chorus)
That night, Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Was looking for a crew.
The Queen said, "Here's two robbers
That might like to go with you."
And Willie and the peddler
Swore allegiance on their knees,
And continued with their robbing
From the Spaniards on the sea.
(Chorus)
Now they sailed on many missions,
Bringing treasure to the crown.
They sailed with Johnny Hawkins
When the Spanish fleet went down.
They won both fame and glory,
And went down in history,
With the men that made the Queen of England
The mistress of the sea.
(Chorus)
Now what became of Julius Vaughan
No one will ever know,
But Willie was in London
When his hair was white as snow.
He gave away the riches
To the widows and the poor,
And was buried in a lonely grave
Upon the lonesome moor.
(Chorus)
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