The Session >> Tunes >> The Green Fields Of America (reel)

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Green Fields Of America

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on May 22nd 2002 by Mad Baloney.

This tune has been added to 231 tunebooks.

Also known as Green Fields Of America, The Greenfields Of America, Mollie Brannigan, Molly Brannigan, Molly Brannugan, Pretty Molly Brannigan.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Green Fields Of America, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
c2ec B2dB | AGAB AGEF| ~G3E DEGB | AGAB AGEG |
c2ec B2dB | AGAB AGEF | ~G3E DEGA|BGAF G3z :||
GABc d2ef | gage dBGB | c2ec B2dB | AGAB AGE2 |
~g3d efge | dcBG AGEF | ~G3E DEGA | BGAF G3z :||

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Green Fields Of America sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Green Fields of America

I first heard this on a Michael Coleman 78 where he paired this with the "Swallowtail Reel". While some sets Coleman recorded have become standards this set is not as common.
To my ear this tune sounds similar to “Over The Moore to Maggie” it’s a good tune & those long notes in the beginning are open to all sorts of ornaments.

# Posted on May 22nd 2002 by Mad Baloney

ABAB?

I don't see any repeats. Is this a single reel (ABAB) instead of the more common AABB?

# Posted on May 23rd 2002 by x

It's usually played AABB but I was lazy with the repeat symbols.

# Posted on May 23rd 2002 by Mad Baloney

Words

I often heard singers Len Graham and the late Joe Holmes sing these words to the first part and then lilt the tune:

There's a hole in me heart you could aisy roll a turnip
As big as any pavin' stone from Dublin to the Divil's Den

The left side of me carcass is as weak as water gruel, man,
There's not a pick upon me bones since Molly proved the cruel wan

# Posted on May 23rd 2002 by LongNote

Glad you've kept the pause/rest at the end of each part. Very effective with a good bodhran player.

# Posted on May 24th 2002 by lukegarry

The Green Fields

I love this tune! I know they're similar, but I like to play this tune with "The Flax in Bloom".

# Posted on May 27th 2002 by willy

there's a jig version of this tune too - "The Maid On The Meadow" or something similar.

# Posted on May 31st 2002 by Kenny

Green Fields of America

Also known as "There's a hole in my heart big enoughto stuff a
turnip in"

# Posted on November 26th 2002 by Chalky

Green Fields of America (jig version)

Recently I learned the jig version of this tune here in Leeds. I forgot where my tutor picked it up. Anyway, here is the simple setting of it.

X: 1
T: The Green Fields of America
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
cec BdB|AGA BGE|DEG AGA|BdB AGE|
cec BdB|AGA BGE|DEG AGA|1 BGF G2z:|2 BGF G2D||
GBd gfg|ede gdB|GBd gdB|AGA BGE|
GBd gfg|ede gdB|GAB AGA|1 BGF G2D:|2 BGF G2z||

You can find a similar version on Davy Spillane and Kevin Glackin's "Forgotten Days."

# Posted on November 17th 2003 by slainte

Green Fields

In the highlands of SW PA and Western MD the tune goes by the name of Green Fields of Virginia(America/Ireland) and is very close to the versions posted here. However I do know a (crooked) version with a nice change of modes in the B part. This tune has been documented in the USA from fiddlers in SW PA born before the turn of the century.

Maryland Highlander

# Posted on January 31st 2004 by The Merry Highlander

I would take issue with the transcription of the second part of this tune. It seems to me that the part where you go up to the high G only happens the second time round, the first time its a bit lower, so just be careful to compare it to a recording if youre learning from the dots.

There's a nice version of the jig form of this on Patrique Ourceau and Gearoid's duet cd. For the reel its hard to beat the lilted version on 'Celtic Mouth Music' by Colm O'Donnell...

# Posted on July 19th 2005 by Johnnie with the Queer Thing

Jig Setting: http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/942

# Posted on July 19th 2005 by slainte

I grew up listening to a wind up gramaphone playing John McCormack singing Molly Brannigan -it is still on most of his cds

# Posted on February 2nd 2006 by black

The Green Fields of America

It may sound unusual, but I prefer it as a (very) slow reel, played at a speed of about 72 (crotchets). I also know a version in which the dotted crotchet G in bar 3 is GAG (all quavers), and in other bars respectively.

# Posted on December 29th 2006 by Reelin´ man

Song: Molly Brannigan

I've the same song on a great album called Celtic Mouth Music sung by Colm O'Donnell. He sings:

Mam did you ever hear of purty Molly Brannigan
She stole away me heart and I'll never be a man again
There's not a spot on me hide will another summer tan again
Since Molly's gone and left me all alone for to die.

Oh! There's a hole in me heart you could easy roll a turnip in
As big as any paving stone from Dublin to The Devil's Glen
If she had to take another sure
She might have left mine back again
And not to leave me here all alone for to die.

Mam dear I remember when the
Milking time was passed and gone
We went into the meadows
Where she swore I was the only one
That ever she could love but Oh!
She proved to be the cruel one
And left me here lamenting all alone for to die.

The verse is sung to the A part and he lilts the B part between each verse. He then lilts the whole tune a couple of times at the end.

# Posted on November 14th 2009 by patchsong

I learnt this tune - First part twice, second part twice and go up to the high G at the end of the repeat.

# Posted on April 20th 2010 by Free Reed

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