Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral
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"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)" is a classic
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/ChaunceyOlcott-pre1897.jpg/220px-ChaunceyOlcott-pre1897.jpg)
The song's eponymous hook ("toora-loora-loo") is attested to at least as far back as 1837 in humorist doggerel in The New Monthly Magazine[1] and elsewhere during the 19th century.[2] It likely has roots in the same nonsense word "turelurelu" as that used to indicate the sound of a flute in the French-language Christmas song "Patapan" recorded in 1720.
The 1913 song was written by lyricist and actor Shannon for the play Shameen Dhu ("Black-Haired Jimmy" or "Dark Jimmy").[3][4][5][6][7] Prior to the play's debut, singer Chauncey Olcott took it into the studio to record it on July 30, 1913.[8] Popular, his single peaked at #1 on the music charts in December 1913.[8][9][10]
In 1944, Bing Crosby released a version of the song which brought it to public attention again.[11] First performed in the film Going My Way, it was subsequently released as a single that sold over a million copies and peaked at #4 on Billboard music charts.[3] His first recording was made on July 7, 1944,[12] but mechanical difficulties with the matrix led to it being recorded again on July 17, 1945. It is this version which appears on subsequent LPs and CDs.[13] In 1945, the Crosby version of the song was also featured in the film Nob Hill.[10] In 2019 it featured in Ray Donovan, season 7, episode 5; "An Irish Lullaby".[14]
Other versions
In 1976,
Others who have recorded the song include
Original lyrics
These are the original lyrics of the song as published in 1913 by Shannon through M. Witmark & Sons.[16][6]
[Verse 1]
Over in Killarney, many years ago
Me Mother sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low,
Just a simple little ditty, in her good ould Irish way,
And I'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.
[Refrain]
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That's an Irish lullaby.
[Verse 2]
Oft, in dreams I wander To that cot again,
I feel her arms a huggin' me As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a hummin' To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep Outside the cabin door.
[Repeat refrain]
References
- ^ Crowquill (pseud. Alfred Henry Forrester), Alfred (1837). "The Beau of Byblos". In Hook, Thomas (ed.). The New Monthly Magazine (1837, vol. II). Henry Colburn. p. 123. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Littell, Eliakim, ed. (1864). "Let It Pass". Littell's Living Age. Eliakim Littell. p. 105. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-940134-47-8.
- ^ "March, 2007 Searching for the Irish in Irish American Music". parlorsongs.com.
- ^ The Broadway League. "Shameen Dhu - IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information".
- ^ a b Shannon, Royce. "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullabye)", 1913. M. Witmark & Sons.
- ^ "SHAMEEN DHU [musical show]:Bibliographic Record Description". Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-135-94719-4.
- ISBN 978-0-87586-227-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-2946-2.
- ^ Gilliland, John (January 15, 1972). "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #10". UNT Digital Library.
- ^ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ Reynolds, Fred. The Crosby Collection 1926-1977 (Part Three: 1942-1950 ed.). John Joyce. pp. 73–74.
- ^ "S7, E5 AN IRISH LULLABY". Showtime. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "Manager Coach" – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra that's an Irish lullaby". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-02-08.