The Cuckoo's Nest
hornpipe
Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on January 15th 2004 by gian marco.
This tune has been added to 102 tunebooks.
Also known as Cuckoo's Nest, Jack Tar, The Jack Tar, Jacky Tar, The Jacky Tar, The Magpie's Nest.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
- Ace And Deuce by Ace And Deuce
- All Ireland Champion Musicians Singers And Dancers On Tour Of Australia by Na Ridiri
- Barachois by Barachois
- Brian Kelly by Brian Kelly
- Bruscar Bán by The Culchies
- Cape To Clare by Various Artists
- Celtic Mouth Music by Various Artists
- Ceol Cill Na Martra by Connie O'Connell
- Classic Recordings Of The Irish Fiddle Legend by Paddy Reynolds
- Classics Of Irish Piping Volume 2 by William Andrews And Liam Walsh
- Early Recordings Of Irish Traditional Dance Music by John Kimmel
- Gogarty's Music II: A Decade On by Various Artists
- Green Fields by Robin Bullock
- Irish Accordion Masters by Joe Derrane And Jerry O'Brien
- Journey To The Heartland by Ken Kolodner
- Killultagh by Killultagh
- Late... In The Night by Christy Barry, Conor McCarthy, Cyril O'Donoghue
- Live From The Katharine Cornell Theater Traditional Irish Music by Various Artists
- May Morning Dew by Mick O' Brien
- Morris On by Morris On
- Music For Peace by Gary Hastings And Frankie Gavin
- N Keen Affair by Paddy Keenan
- Over The Edge by Moher
- Purgatory Chasm by Skip Healy
- Rags, Reels And Airs by Dave Swarbrick
- Sean Potts by Sean Potts And Paddy Moloney
- Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume IV by Various Artists
- Shetland Springs Fae Da Bonnie Isle by Gibbie Hutchison
- Standing Room Only by Eliot Grasso
- The Banks Of The Shannon by Paddy O'Brien, Seamus Connolly And Charlie Lennon
- The Best Of Irish Piping by Seamus Ennis
- The Cat That Ate The Candle by John Carty And Brian McGrath
- The Ceilidh Album by Dave Swarbrick
- The Funny Reel by Joe Burke, Andy McGann And Felix Dolan
- The Gravel Walks: The Fiddle Music Of Mickey Doherty by Mickey Doherty
- The Green House by Grey Larsen And Paddy League
- The Greystone Ramblers by Greystone Ramblers
- The Minstrel From Clare by Willie Clancy
- The New Strung Harp by Maire Ni Chathasaigh
- The Road Out Of Town by The Itinerant Band
- The Star Spangled Molly by De Danann
- Top Of Coom by Conal Ó'Gráda
- Traditional Fiddle Music From The Glens Of Antrim by Dominic McNabb
- Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 1 by Sean Ryan
- Traditional Music Of Ireland, Vol. 2 by Sean Ryan And Peter Carberry
- Tunes by Spiers And Boden
- Undertones by Adrian Barker And Ben Stephenson
- Voyager: Ireland's Tin Whistle by Various Artists
- Walking Stones by Ken Kolodner, Laura Risk, Robin Bullock
X: 1
T: Cuckoo's Nest, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: hornpipe
K: Gmaj
dc|B2 BA GB dg|fd cB ce dc|B2 BG (3EFG AB|c2 A2 A2 dc|
B2 BA GB dg|fd cB ce dc|B2 BG (3EFG Ac|B2 G2 G2:|:Bc|
dB GB dB GB|dB cA G2 AB|cA FA cA FA|cB AG G2 BA|
G2 Bc dg ~g2|fd cB ce dc|B2 BG (3EFG Ac|B2 G2 G2:|:Bc|
dg gf ga bg|af d^c d2-de|=fe de ^fg af|gf dB ce dc|
B2 BA GB dg|bg dB ce dc|B2 DE FG Ac|B2 G2 G2:|
The Cuckoo's Nest (hornpipe)
Source: Conal O'Grada, with a bit of Paddy Kennan in the 3rd part
Transcription: g.m.p.
# Posted on January 15th 2004 by gian marco
Paddy Kennan?..Paddy Keenan!
# Posted on January 15th 2004 by gian marco
Cuckoo's Nest
This is not the same Cuckoo's Nest that is on "The Green House" CD by Grey Larsen and Paddy League. It is however a nice and slightly different arrangement then the one I originally learned. The one on Grey and Paddy's CD is quite different, and a "crooked tune", as Grey explained to me when I was having trouble learning it, as the beats per measure didn't resolve evenly.
Chris
# Posted on January 18th 2004 by unique
Words to "The Cuckoo's Nest" ?
Does anybody have the words to this tune?
# Posted on January 19th 2004 by compass@alcce.org
Words to "The Cuckoo's Nest"
I believe one version of the song goes like this:
The Cuckoo's Nest
There's a corner in the meadow where the lads and lasses meet
Oh they do here what they couldn't do in the open street
They play all kinds of games there, but the one I like the best
Is where every laddie rumples up the cuckoo's nest.
Chorus:
It's high the cuckoo, low the cuckoo, high the cuckoo's nest
It's high the cuckoo, low the cuckoo, high the cuckoo's nest
I'll give any maid a shilling and a bottle of the best
Just to rumple up the feathers of her cuckoo's nest
I wooed her in the morning and I had her in the night
She was my very first one so I tried to do it right
I searched around and wandered and I never would have guessed
If she hadn't showed me where to find her cuckoo's nest
Chorus
When she showed me where to find it I knew just where to go
Through the underbrush and brambles where the little cuckoos grow
From the moment that I found it, she would never let me rest
From rumpling up the feathers of her cuckoo's nest.
Chorus
It was bushy, it was prickled, it was feathered all around
It was tucked away so neatly and it wasn't easy found
She said young man you're blundering, but I knew it wasn't true
For I left her with the makings of a young cuckoo
Chorus x2
# Posted on March 19th 2004 by Merrypaws
Mick O'Brien (on May Morning Dew) plays this with the B and C parts switched with one another. I wonder how typical this alternate setting is... anyone else play it this way?
# Posted on June 12th 2004 by gadamson
Moher also plays is with the B anc C parts switched. I believe that stv culchie also plays it like this.
Who feels like making a complete transcription of Paddy Keenan's version?
# Posted on April 10th 2006 by Shrog
I think this is one of the best hornpipes in the Irish repertoire.
# Posted on May 8th 2007 by Dow
More Cuckoos ~
"The Cuckoo's Nest"
Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on March 2nd 2002 by Mad Baloney.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/573
“The Cuckoo’s Nest” / “Eamonn McGivney's”
Key signature: E Dorian
Submitted on September 29th 2003 by lazyhound.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2020
“Nyth Y Gwcw” / “Nyth Y Gôg” / “The Cuckoo’s Nest”
Key signature: D Dorian
Submitted on August 16th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6101
"Nyth Y Gôg" / “Nyth Y Gwcw” / “The Cuckoo’s Nest”
Key signature: e minor
Submitted on November 17th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6380
"The Cuckoo's Nest"
Key signature: Bdorian
Submitted on January 10th 2007 by Merry-Hielander.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6619
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by ceolachan