Looking for a trad song about dancing

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: azfiddle
Date: 25 May 09 - 03:15 PM

Rory og McRory-

refers to the Kerry Boys dancing at the Killorgan Fair, and Rory dancing "The Blackbird" Kerry style.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 25 May 09 - 09:01 AM

Though if you don't mind an extremely silly Irish song about dancing with a known author . . .

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Midchuck
Date: 25 May 09 - 08:44 AM

Guy Clark: "Virginia's Real" (not a misspelling - a pun)

Gents to the middle said a young girl's fiddle
and you ain't got nothin' to lose
Allemande right she can play it all night
she can fiddle off the bottom of your shoes

Chorus:
Oh me, oh my, how she makes that bowhair fly
How she hangs that music (crystal) in the air

Promenade down to the lonesome sound
of a whippoorwill in the night
Sashay back look at old mad Jack
hugging everything in sight

Chorus

Banjo Bill he stopped stock still
as the notes came a'rolling by
It filled his ears and eased his fears
and a tear come to his eye

Chorus

The old string bass he lost his place
and his arms they felt like steel
The guitar man dropped both his hands
and he swore it was not real

Chorus

It's golden strings on eagle's wings
to the callin' of the squares
There's fiddle tunes and there's fiddle tunes
but Virginia's splittin' hairs

Chorus

She cast a spell no tongue can tell
no prophet can reveal
Quiet as death hold your breath
she played Virginia's Real

Chorus

Chording on the guitar is an excellent left hand workout.

Peter

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 25 May 09 - 08:43 AM

The OP requested trad songs about dancing, specifically Irish. I would have thought that instantly precluded compositions of known authorship, [like Dancing at Whitsun (Austin John Marshall, set in England) or Slip Jigs & Reels (Steve Tilston, set in the US)].

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 May 09 - 08:34 AM

Nathalie, as you see, you have pushed one or two of the hot buttons here - "what is folk music?" and "what is 'trad'?". We do like to get feedback, so tell us if these meet your needs, or if there is something more specific that could be more helpful.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mallee
Date: 25 May 09 - 08:11 AM

The pedants abound

Trad or not trad folk or not folk

"Jimin in the jim jam. Frimin in the frim fram.

Its all about the the Kings new cloths

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 22 May 09 - 04:02 AM

The song of Stanton Drew - the wedding dancers turned to stone by the Devil for dancing on a Sunday...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 22 May 09 - 04:01 AM

As already noted, >i>Slip Jigs & Reels is written by Steve Tilston.
Mr Fox Both are thus of known origin, in copyright and not trad.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 22 May 09 - 03:25 AM

The one Paul Burke remembers is called Come Lasses and Lads

Come lasses ans lads
Take leave of your dads
Away to the maypole high

For every he
has got a she
and the fiddler standing by

For johnie has got his Jill
And Jackie has got his Joan
And....(no, it's escaped. It was the sort of thing they played on the wireless 50 years ago)

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Pete
Date: 21 May 09 - 08:46 AM

Not trad and not really about dancing but how about "Slip Jigs and Reels"?

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mallee
Date: 21 May 09 - 12:45 AM

Oh and an Aussie one
Euabalong Ball
eaubalong ball is a wonderfull sight
where the lads and the lassies were dancing all night
and its many a lad who will blush to recall
the polkas he danced at the euabalong ball

Oh you new york girls cant you dance
the polka

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mallee
Date: 21 May 09 - 12:32 AM

Mr Fox
I learnt to dance when i was a boy
when dancing was my only joy
i will still be dancing when i grow old
till the seas run dry and rivers old

A great song the boy dances into manhood and old age

Oldham tinkers
There,s nowt wrong wid clogs C L O G S clogs

I would dance the buckles of me shoes for you me bonny lad

The stanza in the thread above is from The good ship Venus

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:11 PM

Step It Out Mary
The Tennessee Waltz

CupOfTea's ball was at Kirriemuir, but the only reference to dancing is the caller's instructions in the chorus:

   balls to your partner
   arse against the wall...

and you would also not be likely to hear any Irish music at a ball in Kirriemuir.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,CupOfTea, no cookies
Date: 20 May 09 - 06:10 PM

How far back/pedantic is your concept of "traditional?"

Go back 50 years to what might be music hall for "Mick McGilligan's Ball" A search under "ball" may give several other choices. There's an Irish one about spending six long months practicing for one, the name has flown from my memory

how um.. broadminded? (The ball at insert your place name for the bawdy song comes to mind...)

"New York Girls Can't you dance the polka" Only a throwaway line to a song on a totally different subject.

So many lovely songs "in the traditional style" that are contemporary, or nearly so as mentioned above. If the idea of song about dancing is more important than age and generations of tradition, I highly suggest "Didn't I Dance" & "Log Driver's Waltz" and whatEVER you pick:
never
NEVER
NEVER,
NEVER,

suggest "Waltzing With Bears", no matter HOW traditional it's become somewhere or other...

Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: peregrina
Date: 20 May 09 - 04:39 PM

None trad... but all include dancing, various types, various stories:

Paul Kennerley, Mary Danced with Soldiers (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Will The Circle be Unbroken II)

Bill Staines, Roseville Fair

Archie Fisher, Bonnie Border Lass (Windward Away)

David Ferrard, Take Me Out Waltzing Tonight (on his Broken Sky and on Roy Bailey's Below the Radar)

and then there are all those Waltz across Texas songs....

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Paul Burke
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:44 PM

My mother used to sing a song, of which I can only remember a fragment:

The fiddler then began
To play the tune again,
And all the girls did skip it, skip it,
Skip it to the men...

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: mg
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:15 PM

Kelligrew's Soiree..

And isn't there an old Irish immigrant tradition that I just read about that the last dance at the American wake was with only father and son...mg

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 20 May 09 - 02:51 PM

This poem by John Masefield goes beautfully to the tune of 'Sally Gardens' A last line refrain also fits well.Repeat first verse at the end.

Going (down) by Daly's shanty I heard the boys within
Dancing the Spanish hornpipe to Driscoll's violin,
I heard the sea-boots shaking the rough planks of the floor,
But I was going westward, I hadn't heart for more.

All down the windy village the noise rang in my ears,
Old sea boots stamping, shuffling, it brought the bitter tears.
The old tune piped and quavered, the lilts came clear and strong.
But I was going westward, I couldn't join the song.

There were the grey stone houses, the night wind blowing keen,
The hill-sides pale with moonlight, the young corn springing green,
The hearth nooks lit and kindly, with dear friends good to see.
But I was going westward, and the ship waited me.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Amy_Florence_Nthants
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:16 PM

The ladies go dancing at Whitsun, not trad but folk

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/song-midis/Dancing_at_Whitsun.htm

Woodfood may song from northamptonshire "I'll go dancing with my garland"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zChYw12ST2Y

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Songbob
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:15 PM

And the link to

Odd Fellows Hall

Bob

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Songbob
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:06 PM

Waltzes, polkas, lancers, gallops, glides,
Portland Fancies, quadrilles, reels and slides.
Hidos, didos, oh, we danced them all --
I'll never forget the night that we met at Oddfellows' Hall.

(This may even be in the DT, but I got it from Dick Swain's wonderful rendition).

Bob

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,ploppo
Date: 20 May 09 - 01:01 PM

Dance to thi daddy when the boat comes in ...........

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 09 - 12:54 PM

I really like O! the Days of the Kerry Dancing. It's late 19th century and the author is known, so it's not exactly traditional.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:58 AM

LOrd of the Dance - words by Sydney Carter, tume old Shaker Hymn.


Not trad, not Irish (nor is Michael Flatley), so 1/2 American 1/2 English but like so many songs and tunes - the force of world perception makes it trad, and how many would know the difference?

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:43 AM

.... We danced all night till the broad daylight
Way down to Lamorna.

Which I will, with a following wind, be doing on the 6th of June!

FC

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: DannyC
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:23 AM

There's this lovely quick couplet in Burns' "Mary Morrison":

... "Yestreen, when to the trembling string
the dance ga'ed thro the lichted hall..."

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Pete Sumner
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:19 AM

'Dancing Days' from John Conolly and Bill Meek is a great song with a wonderful tune..not traditional, but worth a look.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: nutty
Date: 20 May 09 - 09:45 AM

Come Lasses and lads --- maypole dancing

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 May 09 - 08:13 AM

Fintan Vallely's song Last Night's Fun can probably claim the most extensive references to (names of) dance tunes. I didn't find the words on-line in a quick search but they are in his 'Sing up' collection of songs

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:55 AM

"The Calico Printer's Clerk" - a broadside arranged by Nic Jones when a member of the Halliard.
References to Irish dancing in "The Rollicking Boys Around Tandragee"
The Joe Wilson song "Sally Wheatley"

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:43 AM

For seriously old trad material, Thomas d'Urfey's Pills To Purge Melancholy would be a good source. Even more old is the ancient carol Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:31 AM

Slip Jigs & Reels isn't trad but written by Steve Tilston, likewise Dancing At Whitsun is by Austin John Marshall.

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: squeezeboxhp
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:23 AM

the ladies go dancing at whitsun

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 20 May 09 - 07:15 AM

There's the one about the American outlaw. "Slip jigs and reels".

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Pat 'the Verse'
Date: 20 May 09 - 04:46 AM

I wrote a traditional style song a few years back about Set Dancing. It's comic in style to the air of 'Bould Thady Quill', if you email me I'll forward it on to you. It was published in Bill Kelly's 'Set Dancing News' a few years back, 2002 I think, as I wrote it at the Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel the year before, it's title is 'The Set Dancers' Complaint'.

Cheers, Pat

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 20 May 09 - 04:44 AM

Lannigan's Ball^^^

n the town of Athy one Jeremy Lannigan, Battered away 'til he hadn't a pound
His father he died and made him a man again, Left him a farm and ten acres of ground
He gave a grand party to friends and relations Who didn't forget him when come to the wall
And if you but listen I'll make your eyes glisten At rows and ructions at Lannigan's Ball

Myself to be sure, got free invitation For all the nice boys and girls that I ask
In less than a minute the friends and relations Were dancing as merry as bees round a cask
There were lashing of punch and wine for the ladies Potatoes and cake, bacon and tea
There were the Nolan, Dolans, O'Grady's Courting the girls and dancing away

They were doing all kinds of nonsensical polkas All around in a whirligig
Julia and I soon banished their nonsense Out on the floor for a reel and jig
How the girls all got mad at me Danced till they thought the ceilings would fall
I spent six months in Brooks Academy Learning to dance for Lannigan's Ball

Chorus:
Six long months I spent in Dublin, six long months doing nothing at all
Six long months I spent in Dublin learning to dance for Lannigan's Ball
She stepped out, I stepped in again, I stepped out and she stepped in again
She stepped out, I stepped in again to dance for Lannigan's Ball

The boys were merry the girls all hearty Dancin' around in couples and groups
An accident happened; Terence McCarthy Put his right boot through Miss Finnerty's hoops
The creature she fainted and cried, "Milia murder." Called for her brothers and gathered they all
Carmody swore he'd go no further Till he got revenge at Lannigan's Ball

Chorus:
Six long months I spent in Dublin, six long months doing nothing at all
Six long months I spent in Dublin learning to dance for Lannigan's Ball
She stepped out, I stepped in again, I stepped out and she stepped in again
She stepped out, I stepped in again to dance for Lannigan's Ball

Boys oh boys 'tis then there was ructions I got a kick from young Phelim McHugh
I soon replied to his fine introduction Kicked him a terrible hullabaloo
Casey the piper was near gettin' strangled The leapt on his pipes, bellows, chanter and all
Boys and girls all got entangled And the put an end to Lannigan's Ball

Chorus:
Six long months I spent in Dublin, six long months doing nothing at all
Six long months I spent in Dublin learning to dance for Lannigan's Ball
She stepped out, I stepped in again, I stepped out and she stepped in again
She stepped out, I stepped in again to dance for Lannigan's Ball^^^

---

See thread on Lannigan's Ball (click).

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: pavane
Date: 20 May 09 - 04:36 AM

Not a jig, I am afraid, but there is Staines Morris

Come ye young men, come along
With your music, dance and song
Bring your lasses in your hands
For tis that which love commands

   Then to the Maypole haste away
   For 'tis now our holiday

Or how about the Rocky Road to Dublin, which mentions jigs!:

From there I got away, My spirits never failin'
Landed on the quay As the ship was sailin';
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 rigs,
Danced some hearty jigs, The water round me bubblin',
When off Holyhead, I wished myself was dead,
Or better far instead, On the rocky road to Dublin.

Not actually a TRAD song, but old.

Or
Up to the Rigs:

Up London City I took my way
It was up Cheapside I chanced to stray
When a fair pretty girl there I did meet
And with kisses her then I did greet

cho: For I was up to the rigs,
Down to the jigs
Up to the rigs of London Town

Not sure if these jigs are dances, though.

The Bodleian Ballad library contains a number of songs, such as
The Donnybrook jig

Subject: RE: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:41 AM

Hi, Nathalie -
Try out Digital Tradition Keyword Search in our Quicklinks dropdown menu. It says we have 73 songs about dance, but I don't think we have quite so many.
-Joe-

Subject: Looking for a trad song about dancing
From: GUEST,Nathalie R.
Date: 20 May 09 - 03:25 AM

I am working on a project for my professor, and I need to reference a few songs, and I'm having trouble remembering what songs I was originally thinking of, so I am asking for your help.

I need a couple of songs that reference dancing, specifically irish dancing like a jig, or ceili etc.

Thanks