Farewell To Whisky

polka

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on March 18th 2003 by Davetnova.

This tune has been added to 132 tunebooks.

Also known as Farewell To Whiskey, Farewell To Whisky, John McKenna's, My Love Is But A Lassie.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• 20th Feakle Festival: Reeling Through The Years by Various Artists
• A Breath Of Fresh Air by Kevin Crawford
• Always Wecome by Marc Bernier
• An Gaoth Aduaidh - The North Wind by Various Artists
• As I Carelessly Did Stray... by Harry Bradley
• Croch Suas E by Frankie Gavin
• Easter Snow by Seamus Tansey
• Even Now (The Music Of Niel Gow) by Pete Clark
• Folk Dance Music Of Ireland by Johnny Powell And His Band
• From Ballymote To Brooklyn by Paddy Killoran and James Morrison
• His Original Recordings by John McKenna
• Irish Dancer by Larry McKee And The Shandonairs
• Irish Dances by Various Artists
• Killultagh by Killultagh
• Meiteal by Seamus Begley And Stephen Cooney
• Pierre Schryer, Dermot Byrne And Friends by Pierre Schryer, Dermot Byrne And Friends
• Pride Of The West by John Wynne And John McEvoy
• Reelin'in Tradition by The Mulcahy Family
• Sea Changes Of The Toucan Pirates by Toucan Pirates
• St. Kilda Wedding by Ossian
• Tasty Touches CD 2 by Martin Donohoe
• The Final Fling Part One by NE66
• The Leitrim Equation by Various Artists
• The Shroud Of Erin by Orealis
• The Star Above The Garter by Denis Murphy And Julia Clifford
• The Three Sisters by Barry Kerr
• The Wyndy Turn by Dan Healy And Ciaran O'Raghallaigh
• Traditional Music From Ireland, England, And Scotland by The Flying Cloud
• Trasna Ceilidh Band by Trasna Ceilidh Band
• Tribute by Dougie MacLean
• Tunes For Practice by Seamus Creagh
• Where Old Ghosts Meet by Aidan Crossey
• Whirlwind by Brian Hughes

X: 1
T: Farewell To Whisky
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
|:EGG/2B/2A/2G/2|BEEG/2E/2|DGB/2A/2G/2A/2|d2Bd|
e/2f/2g/2e/2dB|c/2B/2A/2G/2AB|DGB/2A/2G/2A/2|BGG2:|
|:dB/2d/2gf/2g/2|e/2f/2g/2e/2dB|dB/2d/2gf/2g/2|efg2|
e/2f/2g/2e/2dB|c/2B/2A/2G/2AB|DGB/2A/2G/2A/2|BGG2:||

Farewell to Whisky

This tune is played regularly at sessions in SW Scotland. It is usually referenced as a polka, but as has been pointed out by older players it is Neil Gow's lament for the closing of the Whisky distilleries and is in fact a slow air. I've played it both ways and I must admit to siding with the old ones.

# Posted on March 18th 2003 by Davetnova

Farewell to Whisky

The story does have a happy ending. I seem to remember that the forbidding of distilling whisky was due to a national grain shortage at the time, but the ban was subsequently lifted. (How much it was adhered to in the first place is debatable). I'm sure Gow also wrote another tune called "Whisky, Welcome Back Again". Does anyone know how so many Scottish tunes like this one ended up in Co. Kerry, being played as slides and polkas ? I've often wondered, but have found no explanation yet.

# Posted on March 18th 2003 by Kenny

Gow's Farewell to Whisky

I always understood that Gow'sFarewell to Whisky was a personal response to Doctor's Orders and thet his Welcome Back to Whisky was a response to a change in his Doctor's prescriptions!

Gow (Older & Younger) tunes were played extensively through the North of England and they turn upin all the contemporary manuscript collections. They werrew obviously appreciated and distributed by fiddlers.I'm not surprised if they have been found lurking in Ireland or America.
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North

# Posted on March 23rd 2003 by noelbats

Noelbats, I think that may be Carolan's Lament for Whiskey you're thinking of. Carolan a desperate drunk, and if I remeber correctly, sought a second opinion when his doctor ordered him to stop drinking. The second opinion he received was a prescription for a glass of whiskey a day.

# Posted on March 26th 2003 by OrganicPeatCreature

USA Versions

This tune was collected in the 1930's from fiddlers born before the turn of the century in SW Pennsylvania... a wealth of Scottish tunes come from this region.

# Posted on April 27th 2004 by The Merry Highlander

Different version

I know an entirely, entirely different song named "Farewell to Whiskey" of this which is a waltz played in 4/4. It is an Air attributed to Neil Gow in my book, but it sounds NOTHING like the version here.

# Posted on August 17th 2004 by sifudave54

There is a reference by Francis McPeake in his "Pocket Tin Whistle Book" to this being the third tune in "Henry Kane's Set". The First two are "The Spanish Lady" and "The Grand Old Dame Britannia". His version of this is phrased a little differently.

# Posted on March 29th 2005 by Innocent Bystander

One of my favourite tunes

I was listening to this tune on the Harry Bradley cd and was trying to work out the guitar chords. But i can't seem to get them right. Can anyone help me out on this one?

# Posted on January 21st 2007 by bonaparte

# Posted on January 21st 2007 by slainte:

"He uses a marching band flute, which is probably tuned in C."
~ slainte (~ good direction deserves repetition...)

# Posted on January 21st 2007 by ceolachan

Chords

Thanks for the reply but I have the flute part worked out. It is played on a flute in the key of Bb. It's just the chords I need now! And also to the second tune Bonaparte crossing the Rhine. Thanks again.

# Posted on January 21st 2007 by bonaparte

Hello Bonaparte, re: Farewell to Whiskey

In the Tunes section, for the tune Farewell To Whiskey, bonaparte wrote:
"I was listening to this tune on the Harry Bradley cd and was trying to work out the guitar chords. But i can't seem to get them right. Can anyone help me out on this one?
# Posted on January 21st 2007 by bonaparte"

Did you ever get help on those chords? I could use some help, too.

Please email me in reply?

Thanks,

stv

http://cdbaby.com/Culchies

# Posted on February 14th 2007 by stv culchie

Chords, Again!!

Hi Stv Culchie,
No haven't managed to get the chords yet to these tunes. I can usually work out straight forward keys but these two tunes have me scratchin the brainbox! If I can get the chords I hope to give these two tunes a blast at a session some night! Even Bouzouki parts as I have just aquired one and still trying to figure out what its all about! Thanks

# Posted on February 19th 2007 by bonaparte

You can listen to Harry Bradley play this tune: http://www.frankiekennedy.com/07harrybradley_polkas.mp3

# Posted on February 20th 2007 by slainte

Farewell to Whiskey

You can see (as well as hear) this polka being played on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YIrzeY9iwo.
The tunes played in the video are Farewell To Whiskey, The Dark Girl Dressed In Blue, and The Killavil Postman (a barndance).
The musicians (L-R) are Johnny Óg, Steve Simonds, Tomás Neachtain, Charlie Lennon and daughter Eilish, and Liam O'Hara.
There's a second guitar player whose face can't be seen, but he's believed to be the Dubliner Dave Flynn.
(Many thanks to various contributers to the comments on Discussion #14004 and Tune #7137 for the above information)

# Posted on June 8th 2007 by lazyhound

I prefer playing this as a march:

M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|: D2 G2 BAGA | B2 E2 EGFE | D2 G2 BAGA | d2 B2 B2 d2 |
efge d2 B2 | cBAG A2 B2 | D2 G2 BAGA | B2 G2 G4 :|
|: d2 Bd g2 d2 | efge d2 B2 | d2 Bd g2 d2 | e2 f2 g4 |
efge d2 B2 | cBAG A2 B2 | D2 G2 BAGA | B2 G2 G4 :|

# Posted on September 6th 2008 by bdh

Version from "O'Neill's Music of Ireland"

X: 1
T: Farewell to Whiskey (O'Neill's Music of Ireland)
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: Polka
K: G
(G/F/)|DG BG|AE EG|DG B/A/G/A/|Bd.ee/|
e/f/g/e/ dg|c/B/A/G/ AB|DG B/A/G/A/|BG G/:|
|:(B/c/)|dB g(B/c/)|d/c/B/A/ G(B/c/)|dB g(f/g/)|a/g/f/e/ .dd/|
e/f/g/f/ dg|c/B/A/G/ AB|DG B/A/G/A/|BG G/:|

# Posted on October 22nd 2008 by flipe