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The Long Voyage Home

1917

The play specifies only one song, "We Are the Boys of Wexford," sung by Driscoll. Boisterous music has been heard offstage as the sailors from the S.S. Glencairn approach the bar. The same song will suffice. Later in the action, an accordion offstage plays an unnamed tune accompanied by the heavy stamping of feet and a loud whoop from Driscoll. Probably one of the chanties like "Blow the Man Down" would serve, or a polka. "Yosephine," from "Anna Christie, " has a polka rhythm. Another possibility is "Oh, You Beautiful Doll," which the ship's accordion player offers in The Moon of the Caribbees.
 


Driscoll — (...roaring into song) We ar-re the byes av We-e-exford who fought wid hearrt an' han! (speaking) To hell wid Ulster! (He drinks and the others follow his example.) An' I'll strip to any man in the city av London won't dhrink to that toast. [I, 514; cf. The Personal Equation, I, 352]

The Boys of Wexford - words and music by Robert Dwyer Joyce, ca. 1860

 

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