"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story," is a saying I often heard when I was growing up in Ireland. I automatically assumed it to be an old Irish proverb, but since living in America I learned this quotation is widely attributed to none other than Mark Twain.
Have you ever heard this saying before??
Do you believe it to be an old Irish proverb??
Or perhaps you accept these witty and wise words were first uttered by the wittiest of all Americans, Mark Twain.
Table of Contents
The Case To Support The Irish Origins Of This Phrase
Irish storyteller, Mattie Lennon has called his new CD of Irish stories, 'Truth and Lies,' since the notion of including an odd embellishment or two for the sake of a good story is entrenched in Irish tradition.
The fact we're running a giveaway this week for Mattie's CD, got me thinking about this old Irish saying, and so arose this very blog post.
There’s another Irish or Gaelic expression that supports this idea and may even be the original expression from where this particular phrase found root. In the Irish oral storytelling tradition, the 'seanachaí,' or storyteller often says at the end of a tale:
Sin mo scéal díobh,
agus má tá bréag ann, fá é,
Mar ní mise a chum ná a cheap."
For pronunciation notes - click here.
"That’s my story,
and if there’s a lie there, so be it,
For it wasn't me that composed it.”
Gaelic Storm
Gaelic Storm, a Celtic rock band, performs a song bearing the name, "Don't Let The Truth Get In The Way." Here are the lines from the chorus ....
"Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story
No harm, no foul, no crime.
Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story
It'll get 'em everytime."
Gaelic Storm
Did the songwriter from Gaelic Storm quote Mark Twain in this song, or are these words borrowed from an old Irish proverb? I'm going to assume a Gaelic band is referring to an Irish saying.
Mark Twain
For anyone doing an internet search on this saying the inevitable answer found is that Mark Twain is the author of this quotation.
"Never Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story"
Were These Words Ever Uttered By Mark Twain?
Is this true???? Or have we reached a stage that the notion Twain said it is so utterly entrenched on the world wide web, that there is absolutely no point in arguing against the idea.
Has this internet 'fact' regarding Twain, come to be so totally accepted, that there is no changing the belief? True or false, has it become fact simply by repetition of this attribution on multiple websites.
This thought made me laugh, especially when I considered the context of the quote in question.
To complicate matters further, I found a website called the "Unquotable Mark Twain." Here this saying is included amongst those that should not be attributed to Twain.
But a big question remains ... Is uncyclopedia.wikia.com just as unreliable as wikipedia.com?
And so, we may never find the answers to our questions about the origins of this saying.
However, I do not doubt that Twain may have heard and even repeated this expression, especially during his time in Nevada territory when he worked as a miner on the Comstock Lode. Many of his fellow miners where probably Irish.
A Good Life Lesson
But let's face it, does it really matter if the attribution of this quotation to Mark Twain is true or not? I think our Irish forefathers, who definitely had their own versions of this saying couldn't have cared less if it was attributed to Twain, once we realize the saying itself can teach us a good life lesson.
A good life lesson???
How could lying be a good life lesson?
At its essence this saying tells us it's alright to lie, omit the facts, or twist the plot for the sake of a good story.
Now, don't worry! I won't quote this expression to teach my kiddos how to tell a few fibs.
What I believe is this saying's life lesson, is never to trust what you are being told. Many a story has been embellished or stripped down to its core, solely for the teller's purpose.
How valuable is that little nugget of knowledge in our world today.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
If you enjoyed this collection of blessings and sayings from Ireland, here are some more you may enjoy....
Irish Wisdom and Sayings About Horses
T.M. Johnson
"That book [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer] was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth." Opening paragraph of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." You might research the phrase "Pulling one's leg," as in "You're pulling my leg" to my grandson when he presents a tall tale. TMJ
Irish American Mom
Hi TMJ - My kids are good hands at "pulling my leg." That's a phrase I have not used in a long time. It's not used as much as when I was a little girl. We'd often say "stop pulling my leg" when we thought we were hearing a little bit of fabrication.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kay G.
Let's face it, all good writers carefully observe life around them and that includes listening to others.
I believe that Mark Twain must have been accused of using words that had been written before since he said this, "Adam had a good thing, when HE said something, he knew it had never been said before!"
That might be a paraphrase but you get the idea!
🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Kay - I love the quotation about Adam having a good thing. Mark Twain was a true wit and had such amazing insight into life. I read some Mark Twain books as a teenager, but I only started to really enjoy his work and words after I visited his grave in Elmira, New York. The people of Elmira are very proud of their connections to Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens.
Thanks for your wonderful input.
All the best,
Mairéad
Granny Sue
Lovely blog! I too have always heard this saying attributed to Twain, but perhaps he's just the one to make it famous.
I found you while looking for cabbage folklore, so I've linked to your Halloween blog about using cabbages to learn about your future mate. Great stuff!
Irish American Mom
Hi Granny Sue - I'm delighted you found my little corner of the world wide web, and enjoyed my ramblings. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Traci Rhodes
Isn't it interesting how the internet, while a wonderful resource for many things, has helped spread the fabrication of so many other things. I read things all the time and almost believe them until I look again and find out it was a "misspeak" of someone else. Sadly, not everyone researches the facts and think that if it's on the internet, it's true.
As far as the quote, I'm going to assume Mark Twain heard it from a wonderful Irishman who loved to chat with him. 😉
Irish American Mom
Hi Traci - The internet definitely doesn't let the truth get in the way of a good story. I'm with you in believing Mark Twain heard and adopted this saying from a nice Irishman he met on his journeys.
All the best,
Mairéad
Isadora Guidoni
I'm truly intrigued by this saying now... A teacher once said to me that we should only trust internet's information if 3 or more websites said the same thing, but you know, that was many years ago and I'm sure she was talking about history facts. Either way, it's a very nice saying (and each day I get even more interested in Ireland, what a wonderful place and culture!)
Irish American Mom
Hi Isadora - Thanks so much for checking out my post about this old Irish saying, and possible Mark Twain quotation. It truly contains some wise old words. It's lovely to hear you are interested in Ireland and its ancient culture. I may have been born in Ireland, but I continually learn more about Irish wisdom and traditions as time goes by. I love to share it here on my blog and really appreciate readers like you joining our conversation.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
irishnannie
Mark Twain must have had the influence of an Irish person! 😉
Thank you and God bless you Mairead!
Irish American Mom
Blessings to you too, Irishnannie.
All the best,
Mairéad
Chris
It's all about the context in which the story is told. If you are sitting in the witness stand in court, it's important for the story to be accurate. If you are sitting on a stool in a pub, it's important for the story to be entertaining.
Irish American Mom
Very true Chris. Thanks for clarifying that most important point.
All the best,
Mairéad
Anthony MOHN
Mairéad,
I believe Granny Sue is correct, in that she stated that Mark Twain is attributed as stating “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story” when commenting on his stories — one of the most famous of which is “Tom Sawyer”
This phrase is also trending a lot on twitter/X.
Irish American Mom
Thanks for stopping by with these insights.
All the best,
Mairéad