Tune Req: Put Your Little Foot / Varsouvienne

Subject: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Cruiser
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 04:10 PM

I found the lyrics for this "varsovienne" tune on a thread but ask that they be posted in the DT Lyrics and add a MIDI of the melody.

BTW, this is a neat fiddle tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 08:44 PM

Lyrics posted at this thread: Lyr Req: Varsouvianna. For info, see The Fiddler's Companion - Result of search for "put your little foot".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 08:50 PM

Cruiser, please don't use the Tune Add unless you are actually ADDING a tune. This is a Tune Request--Req: Also, as MMario pointed out we can't actually ADD a tune until someone finds it. Shouldn't be hard in this case.

As for adding things to the DT, the whole site is volunteer. We all do what we can when we can, and things take time. It takes quite a while to update the DT. We are constantly adding new lyrics and tunes and the offial up-dater has a business to run.

Subject: Tune Add: PUT YOUR LITTLE FOOT
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 09:37 PM

The tune (with minor differences from the version I know, though) is:

X:1
T:Put Your Little Foot
M:3/4
L:1/8
C:Traditional
S:Oscar Brand, ed., Folk Songs for Fun (Hollis Music, 1961, p. 151)
K:F
"Moderately"FG|"F"AGA2FG|AGA2FG|
w:Put your lit-tle foot, put your lit-tle foot, Put your
AGA2 B2|"C7"G4EF|GFG2EF|
w:lit-tle foot right there. Put your lit-tle foot, put your
GFG2EF|GFG2 A2|"F"F4||
w:lit-tle foot, Put your lit-tle foot right there.
|:"CHORUS"FG|"F"AG FG AB|
w:Walk and walk and walk and walk and
"C7"G4EF|GF EF GA|"F"F4:|]
w:turn, Walk and walk and walk and walk and turn.

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 09:56 PM

And, Joe Offer posted a link to sheet music here.

Subject: Tune Add: PUT YOUR LITTLE FOOT
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 10:36 PM

Another version:

X:2
T:Put Your Little Foot
M:9/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=130
S:Glenn Ohrlin, The Hell-Bound Train (U of Illinois Pr., pp. 111-12)
K:G
D2GB2^AB3|D2BB2^AB2B|
w:Put your lit-tle foot, put your lit-tle foot, Your
D2GB3(c2B)|A6z2z|D2^GA2GA3|
w:lit-tle foot right_ there. Put your lit-tle foot,
D2^GA2GA2A|D2FA3(2(BA)|
w:put your lit-tle foot, Your lit-tle foot right_
G3z2zG2d|d3G3B3|A3z2zA2B|
w:there. Take a step to the right, take a
(2(cA)A3e3|d3z2zB2c|(dG2)G3(2(BA)|
w:step_ to the left, Take a step_ to the_
A3z2zA2B|(c2A)E3F3|G6z2z|]
w:rear, but for-ev - er stay near.
W:Put your little foot, put your little foot,
W:Your little foot right there.
W:Put your little foot, put your little foot,
W:Your little foot right there.
W:Take a step to the right, take a step to the left,
W:Take a step to the rear, but forever stay near.
W:
W:Put your arm around, put your arm around,
W:Your arm around my waist.
W:Hold your arm around, hold your arm around,
W:Your arm around my waist.
W:While the moon's shining bright, and the music's just right,
W:And you're holding me tight, we will dance through the night.
W:
W:Put your little foot, put your little foot,
W:Your little foot with mine.
W:With you little foot, with your little foot,
W:Your little foot keep time.
W:Charming tender melody, in my heart a memory
W:It is there you'll always be, varsouviana's part of me.

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 10:50 PM

The penutimate line should be:

W:Charming tender melody, in my heart and memory

Subject: Tune Add: VARSOVIENNE NO. 2
From: masato sakurai
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 11:30 PM

A third version (tune only):

X:3
T:VARSOVIENNE NO. 2
M:3/4
L:1/8
S:Ira W. Ford, Traditional Music of America (1940; Da Capo, 1978, p. 151)
K:D
A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2g2|e4A2|
{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2a2|f4A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|
{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2g2|e4A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|
{a/}g3/2f/g2a2|d4z2:||:(Ac) (ce) (eg)|g4c2|(Ad) (df) (fa)|
a4z2|(Ac) (ce) (eg)|g4c2|Ad df a3/2c/|d4z2:|
K:G
|:({c/}B3/2^A/)B2c2|({e/}d3/2^c/)d2^d2|({f/}e3/2^d/)e2f2|g4z2|
({c/}B3/2^A/)B2c2|({e/}d3/2^c/)d2^d2|e3/2^d/e2f2|g4z2:|
K:D
|:{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2A2|{g/}f3/2^e/f2g2|e4A2|
{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2A2|{a/}g3/2f/g2a2|d4z2:|]

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: Tune Add: PUT YOUR LITTLE FOOT
From: masato sakurai
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 12:18 AM

A fourth version (tune only). The title is also "Put Your Little Foot", but with a different melody. The note says: "In the old ballroom music, this was known as the 'Varsovienne.' This dance was popular at Las Cruces, New Mexico, dances in the late 1940s. Played by Forrest Delk."

X:4
T:Put Your Little Foot
M:3/4
L:1/8
S:R.P. Christeson, ed., The Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory, Volume 2 (U of Missouri Pr, 1984, no. 193)
K:G
DG|B2A2B2|c2B2c2|d2g3B|d6|d2f3A|c4c2|c2e2d2|B4DG|
B2A2B2|c2B2c2|d2g3B|d4g2|f2e2d2|c2B2A2|G2D2B2|G4||
g2|g3ece|a2g2e2|d3BGB|d4b2|b3afd|b3afd|a3fge|d4g2|
g3ece|a2g2e2|d3BGB|d4b2|b3afd|b3faf|g3fga|g4|]

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Cruiser
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:29 PM

Thanks for the advice and correction Sorcha. One of these days I'm agonna' learn to color within the lines (follow the rules!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Cruiser
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:32 PM

Thanks for the songs Masato.

Your detailed, informative posts are appreciated on this thread and others.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:47 PM

I hope you didn't take it personal--it just makes it easier for the all volunteer army to deal with later.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: dulcimer
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 07:39 PM

Doesn't varsaverna or varsovienne mean reverse of Vienne? And what does that mean?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 10:55 AM

Is there a preference between the accent being on the "Put" versus the "lit" of "little"? Thank you for input. Sheila

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 09:48 AM

G'day dulcimer,

I probably mentioned something along this line in a previous thread, but Varsovienne is French for (~) "woman from Warsaw". This was the title of a poem or song being sung in France ... As part of their revolutionary fervour for Poland. Unfortunately, it has little to do with the dance, which appears to be Swedish (they have the best, the earliest and the most complicated versions).

The dance had a worldwide craze ... roughly in the 1880s ... and the name is "adapted" (corrupted ...?) in most countires. In Australia the final "e" is sounded ... and the spelling generally follows to make if "Varsovienna". This probably also happened in America. The was mention of "Varsouviana" ... well I've struck Italian usage as "Vesuviana"! The most abstracted would be the German settlers in Queensland who sometimes called the dance Vater Weisskopf ... more or less "Father Christmas" (Father Whitehead)!

Incidentally, we have dozens of different Varso tunes here in Australia - from a wide variety of national origins. For some reason (like: it's a great dance!) the Varso survived for generations beyond the time of its international craze ... and is still popular in remote areas, like parts of Tasmania ... quite outside of "folk revival" circles.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Allan C.
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 10:31 AM

Sheila, I'm not sure what the prevailing preference might be as to where to put the accent. My only experience with this song was that my father used to sing it to me when I was a child, while he helped me to put on my socks and shoes. He always emphasized the "lit-".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 05:30 PM

OK Allan. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 09:22 AM

If you search for "Varsovienne" at The Library of Congress American Memory Collection you will find 10 items, but I think they're all piano music, without lyrics. There are some intriguing titles, like

Brookes on modern dancing, containing a full description of all dances, as practised in the ball room and at private parties, together with an essay on etiquette. By L. de G. Brookes, New York: 1867. It includes this comment: "The Varsovienne was originated by an Italian, in 1850, who called it La Versuvianna in honor of Mount Vesuvius."

Dick's quadrille call-book, and ball-room prompter ... To which is added a sensible guide to etiquette and proper deportment in the ball and assembly room, besides seventy pages of dance music for the piano.

The art of dancing, historically illustrated. To which is added a few hints on etiquette; also, the figures, music, and necessary instruction for the performance of the most modern and approved dances. By Edward Ferrero; New York, The author, 1859.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: MIDI Add: 'Put Your Little Foot'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 10:37 AM

There's a description of the Varsouvianna with 12 photos in Lloyd Shaw's Cowboy Dances: A Collection of Western Square Dances (Caxton Printers, 1939, pp. 78-90).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Put Your Little Foot / Varsouvienne
From: GUEST,Mike McCartney
Date: 16 May 09 - 01:11 PM

I'm looking for the score for the Varsouvienne in the Key of D. Suggestions.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Put Your Little Foot / Varsouvienne
From: Melissa
Date: 16 May 09 - 01:49 PM

Guest Mike:
Near the top of this thread, Sorcha put a link to a thread containing a link to sheet music. If that's still a working link, it would probably be a good place to check.

Good luck!