As we have so far been to England, Scotland and America it seemed only right that we delve into the treasure trove of Irish folk music (don’t worry Wales we’ll get to you soon!). We were initially swamped with ideas and really couldn’t decide where to start! In the end we went for probably the best known Irish song of all time: Molly Malone.
We chose this one partly because it is well known and so far we have done songs that many have never heard before. But also because it holds many childhood memories for us as well as we used to sing this song when we were children.
I try very hard to research each song that we do as one of the main things we love about folk music are the stories behind the songs. This one, however, proved surprisingly difficult to pin down. What was commonly agreed was that this song has no basis on a true person, rather just an old tale put to song. The most surprising thing I discovered was the possibility that this song was actually penned by a Scotsman! This is in no way fact as I haven’t found proof of this; the closest I can get is the suggestion that it was initially published in Edinburgh in the late 18th century.
Whether it is a Scottish composition or not, this is most definitely an Irish song, and one that we both thoroughly enjoyed making. We hope you enjoy it as well!
Hardcastle & Scott 