'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream: The Image of Ireland and the Irish in American Popular Song Lyrics, 1800-1920 (Music in American Life) [Paperback]

William H. Williams (Author)

Book Description

Series: Music in American Life | Publication Date: September 1, 1996

The image of the Irish in the United States changed drastically over time, from that of hard-drinking, rioting Paddies to genial, patriotic working-class citizens. In 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream, William H. A. Williams traces the change in this image through more than 700 pieces of sheet music - popular songs from the stage and for the parlour - to show how Americans' opinions of Ireland and the Irish went practically from one extreme to the other. Because sheet music was a commercial item it had to be acceptable to the broadest possible song-buying public. "Negotiations" about their image involved Irish songwriters, performers, and pressure groups, on the one hand, and non-Irish writers, publishers, and audiences on the other. Williams ties the contents of song lyrics to the history of the Irish diaspora, suggesting how ethnic stereotypes are created and how they evolve within commercial popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This engaging social history underlines the role of popular music in the cultural negotiations of immigrant identity... Through its pages pass John McCormack, Ned Harrigan, George M. Cohan -- some of the greatest names in American popular music before the 1920s." Choice

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; First edition, first printing (full number line) edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252065514
• ISBN-13: 978-0252065514
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,905,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, meticulously researched, and deftly written., March 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream: The Image of Ireland and the Irish in American Popular Song Lyrics, 1800-1920 (Music in American Life) (Paperback)

Dr. Williams takes what may at first seem like a narrow subject---Irish-American song lyrics---and uses it to tell not only the story of the Irish in America, but of American popular culture as well. This book is full of revelations. Readers unfamiliar with the subject matter will be surprised to learn that not too long ago in our history, Irish-American music and popular culture were practically synonymous. Others with a more sophisticated knowledge of Irish American history will be delighted at all sorts of surprises---e.g., "The Cobbler" and "The Real Old Mountain Dew," two songs popularized by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Maken early in their career, were actually written by Ned Harrigan, a 3rd-generation Irish-American New Yorker. Through his fascinating account of the lives and careers of Harrigan and other stars of Irish-American culture, Williams re-creates a largely forgotten era in American life. His analysis of the history and meaning of the achievements of these artists helps define this remarkable period of creativity and transition in American cultural expression.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1997 Deems Taylor Award from ASCAP., December 22, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Cincinnati, Ohio.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream: The Image of Ireland and the Irish in American Popular Song Lyrics, 1800-1920 (Music in American Life) (Paperback)

This book won a 1997 Deems Taylor Award from ASCAP.