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Yah boo!

Yay Boo Playlist

“The heroes of epic stories – for adults - in days gone by often taunted their enemies after they had knocked them off their horses on to the ground. Taunts, threats and gibes can be expressed in very satisfying poetry. 

All the rhymes here show a certain feeling of superiority over someone: just as the song at the end of them does. 

They include rhymes which are meant to be shouted or chanted at (or sometimes just about) show-offs, liars, tell-tales, sissies, simpletons, teachers and policemen.”— Hugh Shields, 1971

Enjoy the 11 recordings in the Yay Boo Playlist and/or Return to the Songbook for more detailed information on each item. Please note the Songbook may contain extra songs and rhymes which Hugh and Lisa documented only in writing and no sound file exists. 

Yah boo! Songbook
Now playing: Johnny over the water, rhyme / Marion Cunning, speech in English
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  1. Johnny over the water, rhyme / Marion Cunning, speech in English

    Metadata

    Johnny over the water, rhyme / Marion Cunning, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55168
    Creator Cunning, Marion, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date November 1964
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Eddie Butcher’s house, Aughil, Magilligan, Co Derry
    Subject Ireland: Speech in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 10 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://www.itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55168
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  2. Ahem, ahem, ahem to the dirt, song / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    Metadata

    Ahem, ahem, ahem to the dirt, song / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55057
    Creator Keaney, Eileen, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 23 June 1968
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Eileen Keaney’s house, Belfast, Co. Antrim
    Subject Ireland: Speech in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 21 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number 19829
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55057
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  3. Betty you’re a-wanting, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    Metadata

    Betty you’re a-wanting, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55057
    Creator Keaney, Eileen, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 23 June 1968
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Eileen Keaney’s house, Belfast, Co Antrim
    Subject Ireland: Speech in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 7 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55057
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  4. Pounds, shillings and pence, rhyme / Michael Shields, speech in English

    Metadata

    Pounds, shillings and pence, rhyme / Michael Shields, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55165
    Creator Shields, Michael, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date July 1966
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Hugh Shields’s house, Dublin
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 10 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number Variant 22189
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://www.itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55165
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  5. Chase, chase, chase the hairy elephant, song / Deborah Crowley, Kitty Shields & Marie Smith, singing in English

    Metadata

    Chase, chase, chase the hairy elephant, song / Deborah Crowley, Kitty Shields & Marie Smith, singing in English

    ITMA Reference 55068
    Creator Crowley, Deborah, singing in English ; Shields, Kitty, singing in English ; Smith, Marie, singing in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date July 1968
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Hugh Shields’s house, Dublin
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 45 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55068
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  6. Shilly with the wee girls, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    Metadata

    Shilly with the wee girls, rhyme / Eileen Keaney, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55168
    Creator Keaney, Eileen, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date December 1964–January 1965
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Eileen Keaney’s house, Belfast, Co Antrim
    Subject Ireland: Speech in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 2 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://www.itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55168
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  7. My aunt Biddy, song / Eddie Butcher, singing in English

    Metadata

    My aunt Biddy, song / Eddie Butcher, singing in English

    ITMA Reference 55135
    Creator Butcher, Eddie, singing in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 17 September 1970
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Eddie Butcher’s house, Aughil, Magilligan, Co Derry
    Subject Ireland: Speech in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 9 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number 20442
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55135
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  8. Someone’s under the bed, rhyme / Ursula O’Hara, speech in English

    Metadata

    Someone’s under the bed, rhyme / Ursula O’Hara, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 55086
    Creator O’Hara, Ursula, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 17 July 1969
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Michael O’Hara’s house, Glack, Limavady, Co Derry
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 10 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number 19055
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55086
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  9. The walls of Jerusalem, song / Dermot Leahy, singing in English

    Metadata

    The walls of Jerusalem, song / Dermot Leahy, singing in English

    ITMA Reference 55060
    Creator Leahy, Dermot, singing in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 4 July 1968
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Hugh Shields’s house, Dublin
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 2 min., 21 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number 4571
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/55060
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  10. Happy birthday, song / Denis Shields, singing in English

    Metadata

    Happy birthday, song / Denis Shields, singing in English

    ITMA Reference 240360
    Creator Shields, Denis, singing in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 1975
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Hugh Shields’s house, Dublin
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 11 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/240360
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  11. Hey, handsome, jibe / Michael Shields & Philip Shields, speech in English

    Metadata

    Hey, handsome, jibe / Michael Shields & Philip Shields, speech in English

    ITMA Reference 240360
    Creator Shields, Michael, speech in English ; Shields, Philip, speech in English
    Contributor Shields, Hugh, collector
    Date 1975
    Publisher Irish Traditional Music Archive
    Location Hugh Shields’s house, Dublin
    Subject Ireland: Singing in English
    Language English
    Collection Hugh Shields Collection
    Type Sound
    Extent 1 computer file (MP3 file, 5 sec.) : digital, stereo
    Copyright Performers, Hugh Shields
    Roud Number Variant 20455
    View in ITMA catalogue: http://itmacatalogues.ie/Portal/Default/RecordView/Index/240360
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