Brendan & Avala’s Songs

These are four of the songs Brendan taught Ivala. In turn, Ivala taught them to Jack. You can find many examples of these songs recorded from Brendan’s era to ours on YouTube.

“Bicycle Built for Two”

There is a flower within my heart,
Daisy, Daisy!
Planted one day by a glancing dart,
Planted by Daisy Bell!
Whether she loves me or loves me not,
Sometimes it’s hard to tell.
Yet I am longing to share the lot
Of beautiful Daisy Bell!

(Chorus)

Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer, do!
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won’t be a stylish marriage.
I can’t afford a carriage.
But you’ll look sweet on the seat
Of a bicycle built for two!

We will go tandem as man and wife,
Daisy, Daisy!
Peddling away down the road of life,
I and my Daisy Bell!
When the road’s dark, we can both despise
Policeman and lamps as well.
There are bright lights in the dazzling eyes
Of beautiful Daisy Bell!

(Chorus)

I will stand by you in wheel or woe,
Daisy, Daisy!
You’ll be the bell(e) which I’ll ring you know!
Sweet little Daisy Bell!
You’ll take the lead in each trip we take.
Then if I don’t do well,
I will permit you to use the brake,
My beautiful Daisy Bell!

(Chorus)

“Frankie and Johnny”

Frankie and Johnny were lovers.
Lordy, how they could love.
They vowed to be true to each other,
As true as the stars above.
He was her man,
But he was doing her wrong.

Frankie went down to the barroom
To pick up a bucket of beer.
Frankie did ask the bartender,
“Has my lover, Johnny, been here?
He is my man.
I think he’s doing me wrong.”

Ain’t gonna tell you no stories,
Ain’t gonna tell you no lies.
I seen your lover, Johnny,
With a gal named Nelly Bly.
He is your man,
But he’s doing you wrong.

Frankie looked over the transom,
Found to her great surprise,
There on the bed lay Johnny,
Making love to Nellie Bly.
He was her man,
But he was doing her wrong.

Frankie drew back her kimono,
Took out a big forty-four.
Root toot toot that gal did shoot
Right through that hardwood door.
She shot her man,
‘Cause he was doing her wrong . . .

“In the Good Old Summer Time”

There’s a time in each year
That we always hold dear,
Good old summer time.
With the birds and the trees-es,
And sweet scented breezes,
Good old summer time,
When your day’s work is over
Then you are in clover,
And life is one beautiful rhyme,
No trouble annoying,
Each one is enjoying,
The good old summer time.

Chorus:

In the good old summer time,
in the good old summer time,
Strolling through the shady lanes
With your baby mine.
You hold her hand and she holds yours,
And that’s a very good sign
That she’s your tootsie wootsie woo
In the good old summer time.

To swim in the pool,
You’d play hooky from school,
Good old summer time.
You’d play ring-a-rosie
With Jim, Kate, and Josie,
Good old summer time,
Those days full of pleasure
We now fondly treasure,
When we never thought it a crime
To go stealing cherries,
With face brown as berries,
Good old summer time.

(Chorus)

“My Grandfather’s Clock”

My grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor.
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
And was always his treasure and pride.
But it stopped short—never to go again—
When the old man died.

Chorus:

Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
But it stopped short—never to go again—
When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy.
And in childhood and manhood, the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door
With a blooming and beautiful bride.
But it stopped short—never to go again—
When the old man died.

(Chorus)

My grandfather said that of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found.
For it wasted no time, and had but one desire—
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place—not a frown upon its face,
And its hands never hung by its side.
But it stopped short—never to go again—
When the old man died.

(Chorus)

It rang an alarm in the dead of the night—
An alarm that for years had been dumb.
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight—
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short—never to go again—
When the old man died.

(Chorus)

Available at AmazonRead a Sample

Available at AmazonRead a Sample