Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig

Subject: Origins: Rig-A-Jig-Jig
From: black walnut
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 10:54 AM

There is a very popular children's game that has this chorus:

Rig-a-jig-jig and away we go
Away we go
Away we go
Rig-a-jig-jig and away we go
Away we go
Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho!

The most common verse is:
As I was walking down the street
Down the street, down the street
A little friend I chanced to meet
Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho!

The origins are apparently "Traditional English Folk Song". Could anyone help with a few more details? It seems to have been adapted from a traditional folk song...but which one?

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:12 AM

The chorus to the sea shanty "Roller Bowler" goes:

Hey rig-a-jig-a-jig-a ha ha
Good morning ladies all
Away you roller bowler
Hey rig-a-jig-a-jig-a ha ha
Good morning ladies all

Barry

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: radriano
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:23 AM

I understand that the Rig-a-jig-jig in choruses is an Irish influence. If so, there could be an Irish connection to the song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 11:46 AM

Hey rig a jig. kiss a little pig
Follow the band.......

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: black walnut
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 05:07 PM

Thanks...anyone else?

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 09:48 PM

From: HERE:

6. Riggity Jig Martha Drisdale, Sheffield, June 10, 1947

As I was walking down the street
Heigh-o, heigh-o, heigh-o, heigh-o,
I chanced a little friend to meet
Heigh-o, heigh-o, heigh-o.
A-riggity jig and away we go
Away we go, away we go
A-riggity jig and away we go
Heigh-o, heigh-o, heigh-o.

Directions: One child walks around the ring as the others sing. At the end of the fourth line, that child chooses someone from the ring. They joined crossed hands and skip around the ring with on the words "riggity jig.". When the song starts over those two walk around the ring in single file and then choose partners to skip around with. This continues until everyone as been chosen.

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This song has been a standard children's recreational song for well over a century and commonly appears in collections today. One early published version of the game appeared in the Wisconsin Journal of Education in 1856 (p17). In 1910 it appeared in the United States Children's Bureau Handbook of Recreation.

The song had a parallel life as a nineteenth century college glee club song. The Yale University Quarterly of 1860 reported, "Sometimes of a warm evening you can see half the class march two by two under the elms on the College green, singing at the top of their voices, and then, when too hoarse to sing more, ending up with "all hands round" to the tune of "Rig-a-jig-jig" (p185). In 1897 it appeared in Emil Schwab's collection The Best College Songs.

In the 1940s, the song achieved new life as a component of the square dance movement. It was featured in printed collections and appeared in the series of Folkraft recordings.

The song does appear to have had its own life in oral tradition—it was recorded by the Lomaxes in Mississippi in 1935 as "Hig a ma jig and away we go" (Archive of Folk Culture AFS 3099). Paul Brewster reported a North Carolina version from the Frank C. Brown collection contributed in 1928 (1952:128).

Halli (2004:177-78) prints the version by Mrs. Drisdale from the Arnold collection.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: black walnut
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 10:36 AM

WOW masato....I can't thank you enough!!!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 01:47 PM

In 1868, "Rig-A-Jig" was published as a song for Union College.

Lyr. RIG-A-JIG

1.
As I was walking down the street,
Heighho, heighho, heighho,
A pretty girl I chanced to meet,
Heighho, heighho, heighho.

Rig-a-jig-jig, and away we go, away we go, away we go,
Rig-a-jig-jig, and away we go, heighho, heighho, heighho,
heighho, heighho, heighho, heighho, heighho, heighho,
Rig-a-jig-jig, and away we go,
Heighho, heighho, heighho.

2.
Said I to her, "What is your trade,?"
Heighho, heighho, heighho,
Said she to me, "I'm a weaver's maid,"
heighho, heighho, heighho.

Rig-a-jig-jig, and away we go, away we go, etc.

p. 125, with musical score 2/4, H. R. Waite, Ed., 1868, "Carmina Collegensia: A Complete Collection of the Songs of the American Colleges, with Piano-Forte Accompaniment...," Oliver Ditson, Boston-NY.

Resemblance to the old sailor's song is obvious.

A third verse is added in Carmina Princetonia:

3.
The prettiest girl I ever saw,
Heighho, heighho, heighho, heighho,
Was sucking cider through a straw,
heighho, heighho, heighho.

Rig-a-jig-jig, etc.

P. 48 with score, Edit. Comm. M. Taylor Pyne et al., 1894, "Carmina Princetonia." The University Song Book, eighth ed., suppl., Martin R. Dennis & Co., Newark NJ.

(Not in the "Scottish Student's Songbook")

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: black walnut
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:05 PM

That's great, Q!! It goes right along with that masato's references said, but in more detail.

It's really quite stunning to find authorship after using this for 20 years and seeing it published so many places listed as Trad or Anon.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 03:31 PM

We still don't know who wrote it. Some of these songs in college songbooks were written by alumni or students anonymously, authorship has been determind for some.
Couldn't find in American Memory or Levy. Doesn't seem to be related to any of the "Rigs" songs, of which there are many.
Not found in W. W. Newell, 1883, 1903 and later reprints, "Games and Songs of American Children." His song collecting was confined to a few cities.
I haven't checked other game song books except to glance at Gomme and Opie. Not found, but could be under a variant title, or could be an American development. There are a couple of UK games, including "Spanish Ladies," which have the first line, "As I was walking down the street."

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: black walnut
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:45 AM

Thank you so much Q. (so much).

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: GUEST,Song
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 06:23 AM

It goes -

My dad's a glassblower, a glassblower a glassblower, a very fine glassblower is he....
All day he blow's glass, he blow's glass, he blows glass....
and when he comes home he blows meeeeeee....

Sing - hey jig a jig fuck a little pig, sideways, sideways, follow me down to the sea, sing hey jig jig a fuck a little pig sideways sideways

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: GUEST,Jackie Shep
Date: 02 Sep 17 - 11:18 PM

Y'all are an amazing font of knowledge! I am looking for the score for one of the children's versions of Rig-a-jig-jig. I was able to locate the Wisconsin Journal of Education volume from 1856, but the song was not on p. 17 or anywhere else in the journal. I was not able to track down the Children's Bureau Handbook of Recreation. I have the music from Carmina Princetonia but the key is for adults in glee clubs rather than for little kids.
Do any of you happen to have a copy of this?

Thanks so much!

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 03 Sep 17 - 10:26 AM

Though this is off the questioner's intention, but Rig-a-jig-a-jig appears in the chorus of another bawdy song, The One-Balled Riley, commonly bowdlerized as The One-Eyed Riley.

It seems to be used in bawdry for the onomatopoeic effect.

It would be interesting to list other songs that use it. I wouldn't be surprised if some were Mother Goose rhymes.

Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 03 Sep 17 - 02:57 PM

Is the tune a variant of any other? Text seems to have some similarities with Buffalo Gals. Also chanteys, Donkey Riding/Santiana/Plains of Mexico.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rig-a-jig-jig
From: GUEST,ripov
Date: 04 Sep 17 - 02:55 PM

re "one balled riley", my ex told me that a rig was a horse meant to be a gelding, that had had an undescended testicle at the time of castration, and so had one testicle remaining.