Drawn from the Hammond and Gardiner collection of songs from England collected between 1906 and 1908. The notes say this song used to be popular with Kentish Hop Pickers. There is a theory it is a disguised political song directed against Oliver Cromwell and his wife.
The ryhthm is seldom found in English traditional music being in the nature of an Irish Slip-jig or Hop-jig. The tune is probably much older than the words.


X:0
T:John Appleby
L:1/8
M:9/8
K:F
A3 FDD |\
DDC D2 D CDE |\
FFE FFA FDD |\
DDC D2 D CDE |\
F2 E FF z/2 FFFF |\
GA c2 FG ABA |\
G A2 FFF GGG |\
AAA FDD DEF |\
E2 ||\
%CHORUS
A FDD D |\
DC D2 DC DE F2 |\
EFF AFD DDD |\
C D2 DCD E F2 |\
EFF ||



John Appleby

John Appleby was a man's name
He lived at the sign of the Fiddle
His wife was called Joan Quiet
Because she did scold but little
John to the alehouse did go
Joan to the tavern did run
John would get drunk with the women
And Joan would get drunk with the men

CHORUS
Fi diddly diddly di
Fi diddly diddly dee
Fi diddly diddley di
Fi diddly diddly dee

Now John was no great eater
Joan she was no glutton
And for to tickle their jaws
She brought a shoulder of mutton
John being in angry mood
Took up the muttton in hand
And out of the window he flung it
While Joan was left to stand

CHORUS

So Joan was standing by
Sho thought it didn't matter
She never said a word
But after it throwed the platter
A woman was coming by
Seeing the mutton their lay
Took up the mutton and platter
And with it ran away

CHORUS

Neighbours were coming in
Thinking to end the quarrel
Good Lord when they had done
There wasn't a drop in the barrel
They banged the old barrel about
Pulled out the spigot too
We'll all get drunk tonight
For what else have we to do

CHORUS


Hope the ABC work for y'all.I think I got it right but if it sound like some Stockhausen would have been proud of - he probably was.

Line breaks <br> added - Joe Offer-