My Son in Amerikay

Divine Pitch Musings

After a short hiatus to do some renovations at Megan’s house, Divine Pitch have once again hit the road to find a nice location for a new video. This time we climbed up a small hill in Khandallah to get a view over Wellington Harbour.

As our song, My Son in Amerikay, is about a young man leaving Ireland for the shores of America the harbour view seemed appropriate. The song was written by Alf MacLochlainn, the former Director of the National Library of Ireland, likely at some point in the 1940s - 1960s.

Just like in the last video I’m wearing a cap. This is entirely for sun protection, and in no way a reflection on the recent home haircut that Megan gave me.

My Son in Amerikay - Alf MacLochlainn

Lyrics:

A long time ago in the county Mayo, my story it first began
Before emigration was finally cured by the First Economical Plan
A brave young man had to leave his home and he traveled far away
But he got well paid in the job so he stayed on the shores of Amerikay

He got on very well but he sent nothing home and his mother began to think
Maybe he’d run away with a blonde or was spending his money on drink
She wrote him a letter inquiring the news and she sent it straight away
And upon the cover she carefully wrote “To me Son in Amerikay!”

Well, American postmen, I needn’t relate, they are rather like me and you
When at last to that letter they came, they didn’t know what to do
They looked up all the official lists, but these had nothing to say
There was no directory could help them to find her son in Amerikay!

So it lay 'round the office for years and years and it gave all the boys a laugh
Until at length it found some use in the training of the staff
To every new postman who came on the job it was shown as Exhibit A Of insufficiently addressed to "Me Son in Amerikay"!

Oh, the son he got older and wiser too and at last to himself he said
“How are things going with me mother at home, and is she alive or dead?”
He walked ’round the block to the post depot where he stood with his cap in his hand “By any chance have you a letter for me from me mother in Ireland?”

“Oh yes good sir, and here it is, we’ve been waiting for you to call
We knew some day someone would come from Cork or Donegal
Of the two hundred million that are currently living in the whole of the USA
For a mother in Ireland at last we have found a son in Amerikay".