This song was composed for a smoking concert at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1877. The song was first published by the author and Archie West, a college friend, in Dublin in 1877 under the above title, but no trace of this edition has been found. The song was not copyrighted by French.
The earliest located edition was pirated and published by John Blockley, 3 Argyll Street, Regent Street, London W., on Feb. 18, 1886, under the title Abdul, the Bulbul Ameer, ”Composed and Arranged by Ah Baba,” with no reference to French.^ Another edition, perhaps earlier, without title, author, covers or imprint, and with slightly different music and words, spells the title Abdullah Bulbul Ameer; copy at Ethie Percy-French, Monks Eleigh, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
The song is at p. 162 of The Scottish Students’ Song Book (Glasgow and London [1892]), beginning with the engraved “new and revised edition,” “by special permission of Mr. John Blockley,” also without reference to French;* ML. In a later song by French, he is described as the author of Abdullah Bulbul Ameer.^ There are other variants of the title, including “Ivan Skivitsky Skivar.” “Biilbiil Amir” means in Turkish “nightingale chieftain.” Because of the lack of an authorized, copyrighted edition, the music and words have changed somewhat over the years. No evidence is at hand supporting the suggestion^ that the song dates back to the Crimean War (1854-56). French was born in Clooneyquin, Ireland, in 1854, was an artist and entertainer, and died in 1920 in Formby, near Liverpool.
