The Stone Outside Dan Murphy’s Door waltz

In response to a recent request. This tune was used by Johnny Patterson for his song of the same title.

From the Fiddler’s Companion: Irish, Canadian; Waltz. Canada, Prince Edward Island. G Major. Standard. AAB. Composed by J. Patterson. Perlman (1996) calls the tune “a converted North American pop song.” Source for notated version: Wilfred Bernard (b. 1919, Souris Line Road, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 169. Green Linnet SIF3040, De Dannan - “Ballroom” (1987).

This arrangement by Jim Bradberry put the tune into 4/4 time and increased the tempo.

X:1
T:STONE OUTSIDE DAN MURPY’S DOOR
C:Johnny Patterson
C:as played by Kennedy’s Kitchen
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=140
K:D
FG|A2FE D2DC|C B,3-B,2EF|G2ED C3B,|A,6(FG)|
A2FE D2DC|C B,3-B,2EF|G2ED C2B,C|D6FF|E2EF G2GG|
G F3-F2FF|F E2D B,2DF|E6FG|AA FE D3C|
CB, B,B,E2EF|G2ED C2B,C|D6 FG|A2FE D2DC|
C B,6F|G E2D C2B,B,|A,6FG|A2FE D2CC|
CB,B,B,E2EF|G2ED C2B,C|D6 |]

There’s a sweet garden spot in our memory
It’s the place we were born and reared
It’s long years ago since we left it
But return there we will if we’re spared
And our friends and companions of childhood
Would assemble each night near the store
And the music it would ring and sweet songs we would sing
On a stone outside Dan Murphy’s door

Chorus:
And those days in our hearts we will cherish
Contented although we were poor
And the songs that were sung in the days when we were young
On a stone outside Dan Murphy’s door

When our day’s work is o’er we will meet there
In the winter or spring all the same
And the boys and the girls all together
We would join in some innocent games
When Dan Murphy’d bring down his fiddle
And his daughters looked after the store
And the music it would ring and sweet songs we would sing
On a stone outside Dan Murphy’s door

Back again will our thoughts often wander
To the scenes of our childhood’s home
There are friends and companions we left there
It was poverty caused us to roam
Since then in our lives we have prospered
And then in our hearts we feel sore
For our memories they will fly to the days long gone by
On a stone outside Dan Murphy’s door

Is it just me or does anyone else mind seeing Waltzes written like jigs. If it is in 3/4 as Waltzes are then it should be written as:
ee|f2 e2 c2|A2 E2 A2| etc
Speed is sometimes used as a justification for not writing it this way as it looks too slow. Well, you can play it as fast as you like as long as you don’t turn it into a jig.
Sorry for sounding a bit grouchy - this just happens to be one of my pet hates.

I think you’re sounding a bit grouchy - lighten up. This is how I got the tune (abc file) from I don’t remember where now. Sure, I could have re-written it in the form you suggest, but I don’t really see the problem. You can play it any way you like. Someone requested the tune and I took the trouble to provide it, that’s all. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.

Actually, I just looked at the abc that I submitted (see below) and it is as you suggest it should be written. When I convert it into Noteworthy (via abc2nwc) it comes out as a 3 quarter-notes per measure waltz. So the problem is in how it gets converted at this site.

what I submitted:
X:1
T:STONE OUTSIDE DAN MURPY’S DOOR
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:A
e/e/||fec|AEA|GF-F-|F2B/c/|dBG|EFE|c3-|c2e|
fec|AEA|GF-F-|F2B/c/|dBG|EFG|A3-|A2B|
Bc^d|efe|e^d-d-|^d2d/d/|^dFG|A^dc|B3-|B2e|
fec|A2E/A/|GFF|B2B/c/|dBG|EFG|A3-|A2e|
fec|AEA|G/F/-F-F-|F2c|dBG|EFE|c3-|c2e/e/|
fec|A2E/A/|GFF|B2B/c/|dBG|EFG|A3-|A2

Okay, I guess I have no way to keep the L=1/4 specification, which would keep it in the form you like. I’m sorry.

Stuart, it is a bit petty of me I know, but music notation is a sort of language and never equals learning the tune by ear. For it to work reasonably it needs to conform to some rules at least.
I see where your problem with the L=1/4 lies and unfortunately that is why it needs to be done in the way I suggested above even though it is time consuming.
“Someone requested the tune and I took the trouble to provide it, that’s all. Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.”
Well if I am grouchy what does that make you? 🙂
Thank you for providing the tune - I actually liked it or I wouldn’t have even bothered commenting.
Cheers

Many thanks for posting this Stewart. I heard it first on a Shashkeen DVD. I let my dad hear it and he remembered it being a favourite among Irish workers at sing songs when he worked on power station builds.

Donough, okay I guess we were both grouchy. It was late at night and I had spent a lot of time on this posting, not only for the request but also for my own edification. I was familiar with the song from Kennedy’s Kitchen recording, but didn’t realize where it came from and that it was originally a waltz. And it’s motivated me to work up this tune and song for performance - so that’s good and worth the time. And now I know also how better to submit waltzes to the Session.org, so I’ve learned something there too.

Cheers, S.

More about Johnny Patterson at this site:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/johnny_patterson.htm

An interesting character, songwriter, performer, etc. Has written some memorable songs, including one of his best known songs “The Garden Where the Praties Grow.”

Has anyone… or does anyone know where I’d find Dan murphy on mandolin/tenor banjo tablature????

Much appreciated..

Danny

I got this one from my great grandfather’s playing (circa ’49). He’s careful not to add too much ornamentation, and I agree with his taste. Lovely waltz, I had no idea it had words to it as well. I’m told it’s American in origin, so I would think that the setting would have been picked up somewhere in New York City. I do like to throw in a low A sixteenth note after those G’s to help the swing/drive of the tune.

There’s a great early recording of this tune from Jimmy Shand. He follows it with the jig Dan the Cobbler.