Tune Req: The German Girls

Subject: The German Girls
From: richardw
Date: 13 Feb 00 - 08:37 PM

Looking for the tune or a midi of The German Girls, an Australian song from the gold rush

Richard

Click for lyrics and MIDI, posted in a separate thread
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: GUEST,Bob Bolton('s other computer)
Date: 14 Feb 00 - 06:58 AM

G'day Richard,

The German Girls is from Coxon's Comic Songster, circa 1858. The tune he gives is Samuel Lover's The Low-Backed Car. I have the dots in Ron Edwards' Big Book of Australian Folk, Rigby, 1976, p 146.

I you can't find a versio of the original tune, I will beat the the dots into MIDI/ABC and post them ... when I get time!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Feb 00 - 09:55 PM

G'day again, Richard,

(Hmm... I don't think I dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts in that patch of HTML!)

I see nobody else has bought into this one, so I had better get the tune transcibed into MIDI format. The song appears in a number of Australian collections that I have so it should just need me to get stuck into the job.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Crowhugger
Date: 14 Feb 00 - 10:10 PM

Bob,

I was just browsing, and take a big drift here, I was so glad it's not just me-newbie who puts a squiggle where there oughta be a jiggle!

shameless drift on: Do Australians do the Valentine thing? shameless drift off.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 14 Feb 00 - 10:28 PM

G'day Crowhugger,

I noticed your 'handle' in the thread on Alistair Hulett's Swaggies ... song. You'll get a reputation for hanging about with Australians and such questionable characters!

St Valentine's Day: Those who make a profit take a punt on anything that makes a dolar for them. However, it does ave significance to some people. My parents were married on St Valentine's Day, during World War II and my older brother also married on St Valentine's Day.

If we had given in to Mum's persuasion, my wife and I would have celebrated our 30th anniversary yesterday, but we though it was about time to break the cycle!

My wife is Tasmanian, and she complains about the way we t'othersiders (mainlanders) now celebrate the American Mother's Day instead of the English Mothering Sunday she grew up with ... simnel cakes and all!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: richardw
Date: 14 Feb 00 - 10:32 PM

thanks bob

A midi would be great! I'm researching Aussie gold rush songs that might have been sung here. We had lots of German hurdy dancing girls so the song seems to fit.

thanks Richard

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 12:46 AM

G'day Richard,

I will get the dots down into my music program (MusicTime) tonight and do a conversion to MIDI, then to ABC for posting to MudCat.

I presume you have the necessary application to read this - it was written by Alan Foster and there is a link attached to the file to get a free copy of his MIDIText and TextMIDI apps. this seems to work for most people - although I find some glitches going back to create sheet music.

If you would prefer, I can email a B/W GIF of the published page in The Overlander Songbook or Great Australian Folksongs to you non-MudCat email address. I don't think I can post with attachments to your Personal Pages. I haven't done the song for many years but it was part of the Bush Music Club's Great Goldrush Show in the 1980s.

BTW: Where, to you, is "here"? I'm in Sydney and I take it from your query that you are not in Australia. I'm intrigued by your reference to "German hurdy dancing girls "! This song is interesting in studying Australian music, because it is one of only two 19th century folk songs that mentions the guitar.

Back then, guitars were quiet civilised instruments for young ladies to play in chamber music - west of the Great Divide, they disintegrated in the harsh, dry weather ... and collapsed under the strain of tight tunings and hard play to be heard in over a rowdy, frontier society. Both songs have the guitar played by a female, and both talk of the guitar concerned as being "cracked".

If you are pursuing songs of the Australian Gold Rushes, I have a few specialised books on the subject, particularly those by Hugh Anderson, dealing with the Victorian Gold Fields and their attendant Music Hall performers such as Charles Thatcher. Some of these books are still available from the Bush Music Club, from a bulk purchase of Red Rooster Press books we bought when hugh retired and moved house - he just couldn't move a garage full of folk music books!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: The German Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 01:00 AM

Bob, I can't find the lyrics for "German Girls" in either the database or the forum, and I'd sure like to see both the tune and the lyrics. Please post 'em when you have time. Thanks. I'll bookmark this thread, and nag you if you don't respond....
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THE GERMAN GIRLS ^^
From: GUEST,Bob Bolton('s home computer)
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 06:21 AM

G'day all (and that slave-driver, Joe Offer),

This song was requested in another thread and I start this thread to make sure it is aimed at the Holy Grail ... sorry, I mean the DT!

Here are the words, as I have them: THE GERMAN GIRLS

from Coxon's Comic Songster (~1858)
Tune: Samuel lover's The Low-Backed Car

I once fell in love, sir, in a true colonial way,
With a German girl who played and sang in the 'Union' Bar all day;
I'd just arrived, was green as grass, not badly off for tin,
So this German girl first drew me out, and afterwards took me in,
As she sat in the Union Bar, and played on an old crack'd guitar,
I soon, 'pon my soul made a very large hole
In my cash at the Union Bar.

And with her in that Bar, sir, with an old guitar apiece,
Were two younger girls (her sisters) the 'fast young men' to fleece;
And when a song was finished, they'd not a minute wait,
But make those spoons 'fork out' their tin, by sending round the plate,
And my fair one who played the guitar (the best of the whole three by far)
Smiled quite fondly on me as I'd shout for the three
In that confounded flash Yankee Bar.

I shepherded that girl, sir, and soon got in such a flame,
That I fancied every young fellow there was going to jump my claim;
The prospect too I liked so well that it made my heart quite flutter,
And think I was on, not in a line, and dead upon the gutter;
And I sat in that Union Bar, and watched my love play her guitar;
I considered it great to go round with the plate,
For the lady who played the guitar.

One day I sought that Bar, sir, to have my usual chat,
But no German girls were there, sir, they'd gone to Ballarat –
I shouted for the barman, got tipsy, pain to quell,
Asked him if he knew where they'd stop, he said he couldn't tell,
But thought if it wasn't too far to go up myself by Cobb's car,
I should be bound to see the whole of the three
Of them playing in some Yankee bar.

Though cash was getting low, sir, I went straight and paid my fair,
Off started the next morning and arrived in safety here.
Commenced my search, spent all my tin, got very drunk as well,
But late at night I bowl'd them out, in the Bar of Bath's Hotel.
And when once more I heard that guitar, by sheer joy I was carried so far
That my cash being run out, I stuck up a shout
For the whole crowd in the front of the bar.

Young men 'list to the sequel, and warning take in time,
Don't get sweet on German girls like those who are in my rhyme,
For when I'd no more cash to spend, and drop into the plate,
She said I was a shicer, and got another mate;
And now when we meet in a bar, (she still sings and plays the guitar)
She'll wink at her mate, who'll come round with the plate
For the lady who plays the guitar.

Dead on the gutter: Mining term = sure to find (gold) Shicer: Mining term = useless / dead loss (German = scheisse)

^^

This is the MIDIText file of the tune, once through, in the key of 'F':

MIDI file: german-g.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 180 (333333 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0600 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 70 080 0288 0 70 064 0072 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0552 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0552 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0552 0 72 064 0048 1 65 080 0048 0 65 064 0012 1 65 080 0048 0 65 064 0012 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 77 080 0192 0 77 064 0048 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0192 0 74 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0552 0 72 064 0048 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0552 0 65 064 0048 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0552 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 70 080 0048 0 70 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0552 0 65 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=180
K:C
F6|F2AA2c|^A3G2E/2E/2|F2Ac2c|c5A/2A/2|^A2^AG2G|
A2AF2A/2A/2|^A2GF2E|F5F|F2^A^A2d|d2cc2F|F2^A^A2d|
c5F/2F/2|F2ff2d|d2cc^AA|GGFG2A|c5A/2G/2|FDCF2F|
F5A|GFDGGG|G5A/2^A/2|c^AAc^AA|fedcAG|FDCF2F|
F37/8||

Regards,

Bob Bolton

---

Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer, October 2002-

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: GUEST, Bob Bolton (at his home computer)
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 06:30 AM

G'day again,

You're a hard man, Joe Offer. There's a bloody lot of words in those old 'patter'-type songs ... and not a few notes of music as well!

I have posted the words to a separate "Add Lyric" thread so they don't submerge with the thread.

Now can I get back to designing the flyer for the Heritage Gold Medal Ball 2000? (OK, I don't name these things, only publicise them and, in my spare time, organise thirty folkie musicians into an ensemble to play for five hours of organised and arranged(!) dance music for the most finnickity bunch of dancers in the state.)

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: richardw
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 11:26 AM

Bob; I'm in Williams Lake, BC, the Cariboo region. e-mail is [e-mail]

The hurdy-gurdys were dancing girls here in BC during the goldrush. danced in sets of 4. most came from germany. the name was attached in California when presumably they brought the instrument over.

I have collected lots of performance music of the day; found a letter that mentions specific hurdy dance and found a few refs to "campfire' music during the epic 1862 overland trek. need more of the latter, but it's hard to find. lots of men and a few women came here from Aust. --hence my interest.

tell me more about the Great Golrush Show.

Excuse the terse note and missing caps--I have to type with my left hand as a horse kick broke my right arm and the cast is above the elbow.

If you need more I can send it snail mail or cut and paste into an e-mail.

Cheers Richard

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 01:40 PM

Click for the lyrics Bob posted, although I think it would have been better if he had posted the lyrics in this thread to keep it together with the discussion. Changing just the Subject box to "add lyrics" would have worked nicely. But thank you very much for posting the lyrics, Bob.
-Joe Offer-

---

Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 10:29 PM

G'day again all,

Joe: Sorry, I didn't know I could fiddle with the Subject Box. I will keep posts together in future, if that is the best mode of management.

Richard: As you may have seen by now, I posted lyrics and tune in a separate thread. Joe Offer, no respect for my aching fingers (typing in all the lyrics and setting the music)has beaten me across the knuckles for thread-splitting!

I guess I can't really complain of the RSI, when you are winging this left-handed. I can emphasise - I broke my left wrist late 1998 (much more mundane: I tripped over the trailer tow bar while dumping rubbish at Lithgow tip, clearing up for a Bush Music Club camp in the Blue Mts. However, I plugged on with a sore wrist, not knowing it was broken, and the next sheet of old corrugated iron unloaded revealed a distictly corrugated Copperhead - an Australian cousin of the Cobra, but rather more poisonous!) I got away with a short cast, because the break was to the rotating part of the wrist. I was still able to drive (although the RTA may not have agreed!) and I had driven 150 kilometres home before going to the doctor's. Anyway, a few aches still persist, but I attack them with a good session of Button Accordion playing.

The German Hurdy Girls sound fascinating. If you have any compact articles on them, I would appreciate a text file, or a B/W GIF of pictures, sent to my email address: [e-mail] - if you can manage it left-handed.

get better - and keep an eye out for

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The German Girls
From: GUEST, Bob Bolton (home)
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 01:45 AM

G'day again,

Hmmm... seems I don't need the excuse of a one-handed typing effort to get the words wrong! I rellay should have empathised with Richard. (And I can't een remember what I was warning him to keep his eye out for ... probably just mean-hoofed horses.)