For some reason Australia's bird expert came into my mind, and Sean Dooley now has permanent presence on ABC Melbourne at I think ten past two. It is talk back, and people tune in to listen and to call in with questions about birds.
Then into my mind came a choone, a tune, and the first couple of lines were like this.
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Hang down your head with shame
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry.
I won't look it up, and don't you. Allow those who already know the song and what it is about speak first.
Was it black American related? Or maybe it was Irish? I don't know.
Australia's bird expert, Sean Dooley.
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It is about a man who was involved with two women at the same time. He killed one of them and was hanged for his crime.
ReplyDeleteFlesh it out Debby. Where and when?
DeleteA name new to me.
ReplyDeleteYour Mr Dooley may be the equivalent of our Bill Oddie?
I've heard the name JayCee, but your Bill is all over different media, whereas our Sean is very focused on birds.
DeleteI always associated the Tom Dooley song with convicts or jail or something. Even before you started with the song, the moment I read the title I was singing it!
ReplyDeleteJeanie, it is quite an earworm.
DeleteI know what it's about. Murder.
ReplyDeleteSo it seems Bob. I have now read about him.
DeleteI think it's about a romantic triangle, if I'm not mistaken. That's how the Kingston Trio introduced it on a recording I have, anyway!
ReplyDeleteOk, Steve. I think it's been established that it is a US song, although maybe before the US became the US.
DeletePoor boy you’re bound to die. I met her on the mountain There I took her life.
ReplyDeleteI’ll have to start listening to the radio again to hear Mr Dooley talk
Cathy,
DeleteMagic! As soon as I saw Andrew's heading, I sang out loud "poor boy you're bound to die".
You've got it Cathy.
DeleteHels, I couldn't remember the word 'bound'. I was thinking 'gonna'.
DeleteI had to look him up
ReplyDeleteAnd I just have, Roentare.
DeleteI knew the song as:
ReplyDelete"Hang down your head Tom Dooley,
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Poor boy you're bound to die."
And thought it was about a Ned Kelly type criminal who got caught.
Great that you accurately remember the lyrics River.
DeleteBut it seems the song is about something else.
I am a nature and bird lover, Andrew. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Linda. :)
DeleteNice, Linda and Darla. So am I.
DeleteI know it was a hit for the Kingston Trio back in the 1950s.
ReplyDeleteAs I discovered Kirk. I hope you slept with the tune on your mind.
DeleteLoved that song Andrew, used to play it on the piano long ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's about the murderer Tom Dula.
Margaret
DeleteBrilliant! How did you know about the obscure Tom Dula in North Carolina over 150 years ago?
Margaret, and it seems Dula was pronounced as Dooley. The facts are complicated but yes, it does seem he was a murderer of a woman.
DeleteHels, as I have discovered. Nothing to do with black men or indigenous Americans.
DeleteHels, I just knew. I studied music, classical and played the piano, did the theory and so on so I could teach if I wanted. When pop music came along in those days, though as young as I was, I would look back and see what those songs were about, I still do occasionally if the song grabs me, some of them I remember!
DeleteAndrew, yes, you are correct.
Remember the song but no idea about its meaning. An ear worm for the next few hours now.
ReplyDeleteEar worm Fun60? My job is done.
DeleteI shall have that bloody song in my head all day now. Thank you, Andrew! 😟😂🤣
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure JB.
DeleteI now have that song stuck in my head. It was on a record left in the basement we moved into in 1970. It was based on a love triangle and murder in 1866 in North Carolina. Some things don't change, sex, jealously, and murder.
ReplyDeletePixie, some things certainly don't change.
DeleteI remember the song well but wasn't sure about the story until reading all of the comments, Andrew.
ReplyDeletePat, although I remember a few lines, I did not know what the song was about either.
DeleteI sang it too, but am ashamed I never knew what it was about.
ReplyDeleteJackie, it seems very few of us did know what it was about.
DeleteBoy Tom Dula liked to sleep around, with the farmer's wife, and her cousin, then another cousin who had syphillis. So they all got it and dula was mad! Some things never change. The good old days.
ReplyDelete