Harrigan (song) - Lyrics

Lyrics

Who is the man who will spend or will even lend?

Harrigan, that's me!

Who is your friend when you find that you need a friend?

Harrigan, that's me!

For I'm just as proud of my name, you see

As an emperor, czar or a king could be

Who is the man helps a man ev'ry time he can?

Harrigan, that's me!

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N spells Harrigan

Proud of all the Irish blood that's in me

Divvil a man can say a word agin me

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N you see

Is a name that a shame never has been connected with

Harrigan, that's me!

Who is the man never stood for a gadabout?

Harrigan, that's me!

Who is the man that the town's simply mad about?

Harrigan that's me!

The ladies and babies are fond of me

I'm fond of them, too, in return, you see

Who is the gent that's deserving a monument?

Harrigan, that's me!

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N spells Harrigan

Proud of all the Irish blood that's in me

Divvil a man can say a word agin me

H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N you see

Is a name that a shame never has been connected with

Harrigan, that's me!

The song was used decades later for a 1960-1961 ABC television series, Harrigan and Son, about a father-and-son law firm. Its lead players, Pat O'Brien and Roger Perry, would sing the song, silhouetted behind the closing credits of the show.

In his New York gubernatorial campaigns in 1954 and 1958, as well as his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1956, Averell Harriman used a variation of the song, which sang of "H, A, double-R, I, M, A, N". And in 1960, John F. Kennedy's campaign released a recording of Frank Sinatra singing a version of the song, but with lyrics written specifically for "K, E, double-N, E, D and Y".

The song was adapted - replacing "H, A, double-R, I, G, A, N" with ""G, I, double-L, I, G, A, N" - in the Gilligan's Island episode "President Gilligan", when Gilligan ran against Mr Howell for leader of the island.

The term "divil" is an Irish expression that often found its way into Irish songs of that era. It essentially means "nary" or "hardly".

Allan Sherman's short medley of Cohan song parodies included this tune, reworked to sing about pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

The George M. Cohan song "Harrigan" (featured in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" starring James Cagney) was a vague tribute to songwriter Ed Harrigan of Harrigan and Brahm, popular musical theater writers/performers who preceded and influenced Cohan.