CORN RIGGS (ARE BONNY). Scottish (originally), Irish, English; Reel. Scotland, Lowland region. England; Northumberland, northwest England. Ireland, County Donegal. D Major (Hall & Stafford, Kerr, Lerwick, Kennedy, Miller & Perron, Raven, Sweet): G Major (Athole, Emmerson, Wade, Williamson). Standard. AAB (Athole, Emmerson): AABB (Hall & Stafford, Kennedy, Kerr, Lerwick, Miller & Perron, Raven, Sweet, Wade, Williamson): AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ (Hall & Stafford {includes variations). The 'riggs' referred to in the title specifically are furrows of a newly plowed field, though the title is taken to mean fields of grain.
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This tune, a Scottish Measure, dates from the 17th century and has had currency in both "old" and "new" sets. The new set has words written to it by the Scottish national poet Robert Burns, and is still popular, while an "old set" of the tune was printed in the Panmure 9454 MS, Seventy-Seven Dances, Songs and Scots Airs for the Violin (c. 1675). Munro wrote a variation sonata based on the tune published in 1732 (Collection of Scots Tunes) and it was his idea to combine the Scottish air-jig form with the Italian sonata da camera. The melody was ascribed to Robert McIntosh by Mr. John Glen who added it in hand in his copy soon after it was published (in the McLean Collection by James Johnson in Edinburgh in 1772).
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Chappell (1859) asserts that the melody was taken from an English tune called "Sawney was tall and of noble race," a song in Thomas D'Urfey's play The Virtuous Wife. Emmerson (1971) also suggests the prototype for "Corn Riggs" is the melody "Sawney," which he says can be found in John Playford's Appolo's Banquet (Fifth Ed., 1687), and he prints both tunes together. Similarly, it was the opinion of G. Farquhar Graham, writing in The Popular Songs and Melodies of Scotland (Glasgow 1893), that "...setting aside historical evidence, of which there is plenty, whoever will look at the air without prejudice, must see that it has no Scottish characteristics whatever, and that its flowing English style is apparent from the first bar to the last." John Glen in Early Scottish Melodies (1900, pg. 51), admits the tune is "somewhat of an English character." Along with the previously mentioned sources, other stage works incorporated the melody, and it was used, for example, by Allan Ramsay in his ballad opera The Gentle Shepherd (1725), which was published three years before Gay's Beggar's Opera made the genre famous. Also in England the piece was used as a vehicle for a polka step in the North-West Morris tradition (Wade), and the title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes, which he published c. 1800. It is one of the "missing tunes" from William Vickers' 1770 manuscript of Northumbrian melodies. Corn Rigs is also the name of a country dance frequently taught by country dance masters in Scotland in the 19th century. Caoimhin Mac Aoidh (1994) remarks that the tune and dance were well-known in County Donegal, and states "its popularity may be inferred by the existence of at least three versions of the tune which is widespread throughout the county including a very masterful one by (fiddler) Mickey Doherty."
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Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 22, pg. 126. Hall & Stafford (Charlton Memorial Tune Book), 1974; pg. 22. Jarman, Old Time Fiddlin' Tunes; No. or pg. 20. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), Vol. 1, 1951; No. 14, pg. 7. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; No. 1, pg. 24. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; pg. 9. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 92. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddler's Repertoire), 1983; No. 79. Northumbrian Pipers' Tune Book, Vol. 2; pg. 2. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 165. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 148. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1964/1981; pg. 63. Wade (Mally's North West Morris Book), 1988; pg. 19. Williamson (English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Fiddle Tunes), 1976; pg. 47. Topic 12TS382, New Victory Band - "One More Dance and Then" (1978, learned from Yorkshire melodeon player George Tremain).
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ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN [1] ("An Botar Sgreagmar Go Baile-Ata-Cliat" or "An Bothar Carrach go Baile Atha Cliath"). AKA and see "Black Burke," "Black Rock," "The Rocky Road." Irish, Slip Jig or Air (9/8). A Dorian (Breathnach, Kerr, Stanford/Petrie, Tubridy): A Mixolydian (O'Neill/1915 & 1001). Standard. One part (Stanford/Petrie): AAB (Allan, O'Neill/Krassen): AABB (Cole, Hardings, Kerr, Tubridy): AABB' (Brody, Roche): ABC (Breathnach): AABC (O'Neill/1850, 1001 & 1915). Breathnach (1985) identifies the rocky road of the title as a road in the neighborhood of Clonmel, and says that nurses in south Munster had a saying used "as a qualification for hiring: 'They can sing and dance the baby to the Rocky Road.' O'Neill (1913) states a special dance was performed to this melody. The title appears in a list of tunes in his repertoire brought by Philip Goodman, the last professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997). "Rocky Road to Dublin" was also made into a song and distributed in an anonymous broadside of the 19th century. It goes:
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In the merry month of May from my home I started
Left the girls of Tuam nearly broken-hearted
Saluted Father dear, kissed my darlin' Mother
Drank a pint of beer my grief and tears to smother
Then off to reap the corn, and leave where I was born
I cut a stout blackthorn to banish ghost and goblin,
In a bran'new pair of brogues I rattled o'er the bogs
And frightened all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin,
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Chorus:
One, two, three, four five, hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky roaad, and all the ways to Dublin
Whack fol-lol-de-ra.
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In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary,
Started by daylight next morning light and airy,
Took a drop of the pure, to keep my heart from sinking,
That's an frishman's cure, whene'er he's on for drinking,
To see the lasses smile, laughing all the while,
At my curious style, 'twould set your heart a-bubbling,
They ax'd if I was hired, the wages I required,
Till I was almost tired of the rocky road to Dublin.
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In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity,
To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city,
Then I took a stroll out among the quality,
My bundle it was stole in a neat locality;
Something crossed my mind, then I looked behind,
No bundle could I find upon me stick a-wobblin',
Enquiring for the rogue, they said my Connaught brogue
Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin.
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From there I got away my spirits never failing,
Landed on the quay as the ship was sailing,
Captain at me roared, said that no room had he,
When I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy
Down among the pigs, I played some funny jigs
Danced among the rigs, the water round me bubblin'
When off to Holyhead I wished myself was dead,
Or better far, instead, on the rocky road to Dublin.
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The boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed,
Called myself a fool, I could no longer stand it;
Blood began to boil, temper I was losin'
Poor old Erin's isle they began abusin'
"Hurrah my soul!" says I, my shillelagh I let fly,
Some Galway boys were by, saw I was a hobble in,
Then with a loud Hurrah, they joined in the affray,
We quickly cleared the way, for the rocky road to Dublin.
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Source for notated version: piper Seamus Ennis (Ireland) [Breathnach]. Allan's Irish Fiddler, No. 36, pg. 9. Breathnach (CRE III), 1985; No. 58, pg. 29. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 233. Cole (1001 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 64. Hardings All Round Collection, 1905; No. 180, pg. 57. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 221, pg. 25. Levey. (Dance Music of Ireland). O'Neill (1915 ed.), 1987; No. 219, pg. 117. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 79. O'Neill (1850), 1903/1979; No. 1116, pg. 211. O'Neill (1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 411, pg. 82. Roche Collection, 1982, Vol. 2; No. 257, pg. 25. Spandaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; pg. 26. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1905; No. 548, pg. 139 (appears as "The Rocky Road"). Tara Records TA 1002, Seamus Ennis - "The Pure Drop" (1973). Transatlantic 341, Dave Swarbrick- "Swarbrick 2."
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SAWNEY. AKA and see "Sandy." Scottish, Air (4/4 time). C Major. Standard. AAB. A prototype of the Scottish Measure "Corn Rigs (are Bonny)." The air appears in John Playford's Apollo's Banquet, 5th edition, 1687. Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 23, pg. 127.