'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream: The Image of Ireland and the Irish in American Popular Song Lyrics, 1800-1920
by William H. Williams
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Description
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 seven hundred pieces of sheet music - popular songs from the stage and for the parlor - to show how Americans' opinions of Ireland and the Irish went practically from one extreme to the other. Because sheet music was a show more commercial item it had to be acceptable to the broadest possible song-buying public. Negotiations about their image involved Irish songwriters, performers, and pressured 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. show lessTags
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Author Information
6+ Works 72 Members
William H. A. Williams is a professor in the Union Institute College of Undergraduate Studies in Cincinnati. The author of H. L. Mencken, he has published widely in American and Irish studies.
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream: The Image of Ireland and the Irish in American Popular Song Lyrics, 1800-1920
- Original publication date
- 1996
- People/Characters
- Dion Boucicault; John Brougham; Edward Harrigan; Samuel Lover; Thomas Moore; Chauncey Olcott
- Important places
- Ireland; New York, New York, USA; Tin Pan Alley
- Dedication
- To my children, Bill & Lavinia
- First words
- Preface
While exploring the Lilly Library on the campus of Indian University some years ago, I became intrigued by their Starr Collection of music.
Introduction
From 1800 to 1920, five million Irish men and women, most of them Roman Catholics, emigrate to the United States.
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- Members
- 15
- Popularity
- 1,598,606
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
