The Red Haired Boy

reel

Key signature: Amixolydian

Submitted on February 25th 2002 by Dave McGrath.

This tune has been added to 655 tunebooks.

Also known as An Carrowath, An Giolla Ruadh, The Auld Rigadoo, The Beggarman, Danny Pearl's Favorite, Danny Pearl's Favourite, Gilderoy, Guilderoy, Injun Ate A Woodchuck, The Jolly Beggar, The Jolly Beggarman, The Jolly Beggerman, The Journeyman, The Little Beggar Man, The Little Beggarman, The Little Beggerman, The Old Rigadoo, Red Haired Boy, The Red Haired Lad, The Red Headed Irishman , The Red-Haired Boy, The Redhaired Boy, The Rigadoo, Thy Redhaired Lad.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Cathal McConnell Teaches Irish Pennywhistle by Cathal McConnell
D Is For Dulcimer by Glenn Morgan
Days Of Doolin by Dulsert
Drink The Night Away by Blackbeers
Easy And Slow by Various Artists
En El Bosque Sin Retorno by Tocando El Aire
Farewell To Ireland CD 1 (of A Box Set Of 4) by Various Artists
Father And Son Of Scotland by Jimmy Shand Jnr
Green Roses by Orthodox Celts
Happy Days by Caladh Nua
Hit The Bricks... by Waking Maggie
Homeward Way by Bards Of A Feather
Irish Accordion Masters by Joe Derrane And Jerry O'Brien
Irish Folk Night by Various Artists
Irish Pennywhistle Taught By Cathal McConnell by Cathal McConnell
Keepin' It Lit by Cameron Mather
Keltish by Keltish
Kennedy's Kitchen by Kennedy's Kitchen
Legacy by Tommy O Sullivan
Mungrel Stuff by Concerto Caledonia
Musiques Traditionnelles D'Irlande by The Crickard Brothers
New Irish Harmonica by Brendan Power
Past Masters Of Irish Dance Music by Various Artists
Planxty by Planxty
Rakish Paddies by Rapalje
Set Dances Of Ireland, Volume IV by Various Artists
Straight From The Bottle by Jameson's Revenge
Take The Bull By The Horns by Tom Doherty
The Bear River Band by Bear River Band
The Blackberry Blossom by Mary MacNamara
The Coolin': Classic Slow Airs And Laments by Various Artists
The Girls Won't Leave The Boys Alone by Cherish The Ladies
The Michael Sexton Ceili Band by The Michael Sexton Ceili Band
The Music Makers: Celebrating 35 Years Of Comhaltas In Leeds by Leeds CCE
The Planxty Collection by Planxty
The Quays Of Galway Town by Wild Geese
The Sinful, Wise And Insane by Warblefly
The Star Of Munster Trio by The Star Of Munster Trio
The Tunes We Like To Play On Paddy's Day by Flanagan Brothers
Traditional Dance Music Of Ireland by Various Artists
Traditional Irish Dance Music by All Star Ceilidhe Band
Traditional Irish Dance Music: All Star Ceili Band by Joe Derrane
Tree by Gaelic Storm
Wayward Son by John Doyle

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Red-Haired Boy

In memory of Danny Pearl

# Posted on February 25th 2002 by Dave McGrath

Firstly, sorry for duplicating the alternative name - I didn't notice somebody had already posted it.

This tune can played as a hornpipe, in G mixolydian, with a simple B2G2G2 in the last bar of each strain. I've also heard it played (as a hornpipe in Gmix) with the first F in the 4th bar of each strain played as an F#, whilst the second F is natural.

# Posted on February 27th 2002 by CreadurMawnOrganig

Here in Rhode Island (At Patricks Pub, actually), we play it a little slower than the sound sample. We then go into, at a slightly quicker pace, the Merry Blacksmith. It sounds pretty neat, me thinks.

# Posted on February 27th 2002 by Josh Kane

Red Haired Boy

# Posted on October 8th 2002 by lazyhound

True Story

This one should actually be attributed to muddflat, Andy (Mcbear), Carl Conn and Manfred (Bloomfield), I guess, as at http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/371 -- but I had a bit of a kicker to it about a month ago, which I forgot about until Emily posted her story.

When journalist Daniel Pearl was savagely killed by terrorists who had taken him hostage in Pakistan, the papers and other news organizations discovered that Danny Pearl was also a fiddler -- bluegrass and oldtime, mainly, but he loved playing all kinds of music. His favorite tune was said to have been "The Red-Haired Boy." Quite a few players got the idea all at the same time: what if we started spreading another name for the tune? Danny Pearl's Favorite. Many tunes, of course, have more than one name, and many of those tune names are ****'s Favorite.

So I suggested it to The Session, and many players wrote to say that they'd start spreading the usage of the new tune name to honor Danny Pearl. And then I more or less forgot about it, because you really don't hear Red-Haired Boy at Irish sessions, at least around here, very often.

But I was at an unfamiliar session recently, one where they played some old time as well, and someone started playing Red-Haired Boy. "Oh, yes, Red-Haired Boy," I said, picking up my bow.

"Danny Pearl's Favorite," corrected the young fiddler across from me, picking up the tune.

I had to do some blinking for a bit to get the tune out.

Zina

# Posted on March 19th 2003 by Zina Lee

Red Haired Boy. . .mines going grey

Just a miniscual thing Iv'e spotted . . . you may think haven't I got anything better to do? Anyway . . . i,ve been playing red haired boy for a while . . the version I've learned came out of "The Fiddlers Fakebook", but i downloaded the Sessions copy today, and I actually prefer it to the fakebook. Its got 2 sharps but its actually in A. In the last measure. . the 8th bar of each section it shows a G# in the left hand piano part, but a G natural in the right melody part . . . is this mistake? I told you I lead a sad life didn't I ! !

# Posted on June 11th 2004 by Justintime

Re: Red Haired Boy. . .mines going grey

I don't see any G#'s??? I don't see any piano part????

# Posted on June 11th 2004 by Tusong200

Re: Red Haired Boy. . .mines going grey

The version in the Fiddler's Fakebook has melody and guitar chords, not a piano part. Even though the tune is in A, there happens to be no Gs (which would have to be played as G#) in the melody.

# Posted on June 11th 2004 by Ailin

Red haired boy G#

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/566
this is the version I'm talking about Tusong.

# Posted on June 11th 2004 by Justintime

Lyrics and Mp3 version

Cantaria has the lyrics and a mp3 version of the song sung by Jolly Roger:
http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/beggarman.htm

# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by JesseW

Paddy Doran's Roving Journeyman

I believe Paddy Doran does this one on "Celtic Mouth Music" as "Roving Journeyman"
He sings and lilts it. I like his setting a bunch.

# Posted on May 1st 2005 by ByronL

...and as a barndance....

Tom Doherty recorded this ( on Take the Bull By the Horns) as a barndance called "The Auld Rigadoo". Still sounds like a reel, though.

# Posted on June 28th 2005 by Jon Kiparsky

Chicken or song?

“The (me) auld rigadoo” is a phrase from the Little Beggarman song. Is there any historical evidence to suggest which came first – the tune or the egg?

# Posted on July 6th 2005 by Bob himself

This tune comes up a lot in oldgrass/bluetime sessions I've been in, usually from a guitar player who learned it from Doc Watson. I learned it from a movie, I think it was The Canterbury Tales (Pasolini), where a woman sang The Little Beggarman.

# Posted on July 6th 2005 by Bob himself

The Beggarman played by the Flanagan Brothers

I found this tune in the The Root Music Listening Room as
M33013 The Flanagan Brothers THE BEGGARMAN SONG
http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/ListenToIrishDance.htm
Have fun,
Miki

# Posted on December 31st 2005 by nemethmik

This is the version played by my favorite band http://thesession.org/recordings/display.php/1808

Miki

# Posted on January 1st 2006 by nemethmik

Gilderoy

The alternative title of Gilderoy which you give is (Scots) Gaelic for "red-haired boy" - said to be Rob Roy McGregor. The Scottish original (?) which is often published as a reel (but sometimes played, and more effectively to my mind, as a slow hornpipe) is different and attractive enough to warrant inclusion here somewhere.
The "Red-haired boy" is still quite popular among traditional Irish fiddlers in Ireland and England.

# Posted on March 12th 2006 by pipheath

Gilderoy versions

There are 17th century song versions of Gilderoy -- Scottish and English -- that pre-date Rob Roy McGregor, as well as later versions. Rather than being rollicking drinking songs, they are laments, from the woman's point of view, and are in different modes than the usual Red Haired Boy/Little Beggarman versions.

# Posted on April 13th 2006 by Tracie

Red Haired versions?

Tracie and pipheath, do you have pointers to, or ABC’s for any of those versions? The Red Haired Boy is the only tune I’ve ever learned form an X-rated movie (Pasolini’s “The Canterbury Tales”). Before that, I had heard mostly bluegrass versions, but in the movie, one of the characters sang a more modal version of the tune, which is pretty much the way I play it today.

# Posted on April 13th 2006 by Bob himself

"Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine" ~ another melody used for the songs

Key signature: A Dorian or Mixolydian
Submitted on May 17th 2001 by Jeremy.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7

# Posted on July 1st 2006 by ceolachan

"The Red-Haired Boy" ~ hornpipe

This is also played as a hornpipe, swung ~ >...

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

Me, I like it as a reel. I've also heard it in Dmix. So c'mon 'c', are you gonna give us a hornpipe setting just so you can taunt Jack with yer arrow signs again? :-)

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by Dow

> ""The Red Haired Boy" / "An Giolla Ruadh" <

Alright, go ahead, play those last c's as c#'s. I don't know why I want to play them as natural, it just happens... :-/

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

Also played in K: G Mixolydian
|: E | D>GG>^F G>A_B>c | (3ded (3dcB c>AB>c | ~

So, where's your D Mixolydian version 'D'?

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

No, you can play the B as =B, it doesn't have to be flat... That's just there as a teaser...

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

The Dmix version is, surprise surprise, pretty much the same as the Amix version, but it's in Dmix :-) I heard it at a session last Sunday and decided I quite liked it in that key.

X: 1
T: Red Haired Boy, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
A,DDC DEFG|ABAF G2FG|ADDC DEED|ECA,B, C2B,G,|
A,DDC DEFG|ABAF G2FG|Addc dcAG|1 FDEF D3C:|2 FEDF D3z||
|:c3B c2AB|cBAF G2FG|ADDC DEED|ECA,B, C2B,G|
A,DDC DEFG|ABAF G2FG|Addc dcAG|1 FDEF D3z:|2 FEDF D3C||

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by Dow

It don't mean a thing...

Hey Dow... don't tell me you play that reel flat-out now. Where's the swing? You're disappointing all of your fellow swingers in cyberspace.

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by Phantom Button

Yeah, nice one, I like it down low...

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

Careful, "c"... this is a family website.

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by Phantom Button

So the picnic is still on... Yeah, you caught Dow fair and square. He plays it and prefers it without any swing in it, as a reel... But that might mean he plays it the way you do, who knows for sure? I'd love to hear it from both of you, but for comparison it would be a kick to hear it both ways on a the concertinas. Which instrument do you prefer it on ~ flute or tina?

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

I don't.

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by Phantom Button

Equal opportunity then...

# Posted on July 13th 2006 by ceolachan

Gilderoy

Gilderoy was one of the titles still being used in the Allegheny region of the US up until the 1950's and maybe even 1960's for this tune... the other title was "Injun Ate A Woodchuck."

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by The Merry Highlander

You got me there, Buttonman. I do swing this as a reel. But then, unlike 'c', I notate my hornpipes without arrow signs even though I do swing them. Which goes to prove that it's not that I disagree with you as such - it's that I'm arguing for 'c''s "right" to notate it as he sees fit. Note for 'c' - have you noticed that Jack swings more on his 'tina than on his flute? Strange, that.

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by Dow

The joy of the anglo... ;-)

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

He's pretty damned good too don't you think?

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

"Injun Ate A Woodchuck"

Sorry to put you on hold MH, I like the title and had to stop laughing first... Do you know any lyrics for it?

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

I have eaten possum and squirrel, but not woodchuck as yet. I expect the type of wood it chucks affects the flavour, in which case I'd rather a hardwoods woodchuck than one that has the hint of retsina about it... :-/

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

Woodchuck? That’s “groundhog” to us Suthenahs. I don't *think* I've eaten any, but I know some things were passed off as "chicken" when i was growing up.

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by Bob himself

Damn, universal ~ everything is 'chicken'... The best sweet and sour dish I ever had turned out to be dog... So watch your puppies folks if I'm around...mmm, mmm, good... ;-) Rat ain't half bad either...served with the right sauce of course...

So Bob, any red spruce in North Georgia?

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

You know Dow and Button, and I kind of expect you won't be back, but, come to think of it, maybe it's my criminal past that has me all affectionate toward them arrows? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > :-(

# Posted on July 14th 2006 by ceolachan

Words

Injun ate a woodchuck and ate it in a minute
Injun ate a woodchuck darned if he didnt in the woods....ate wood chuck
Injun ate a woodchuck darned if he didnt.

I call woodchucks groundhogs also...
Squirrels are very tasty... where you from anyway Ceolachan? You have good taste in food.

# Posted on July 19th 2006 by The Merry Highlander

We play this one after Mason's. It is crowd favorite at our session-- it is one of those tunes kinetic in intensity and it seems to drive itself.

# Posted on November 21st 2006 by chris stolz

Boswell

James Boswell, Dr Johnson's biographer, was held hostage by Corsican bandits in 1765. He played An Giolla Ruadh to the bandit chief on his german flute. The bandit was so enchated that he released Boswell.
This is an old tune,

# Posted on December 3rd 2006 by jeandegingins

Wrong link

Why does "The Jolly Beggar" from Planxty's self-titled album redirect here? It's a completely different tune.

# Posted on October 29th 2008 by WickedSaint

RHB/Gilderoy=Maj/Min

I'm from the Allegheny region of the USA, and I've always heard the song referred to as Red Haired Boy when played in a major key and as Gilderoy when played in a minor key.

# Posted on July 4th 2009 by talltorpedo

Swaggie

I'm from Australia, and there's a great recording I have by a now-sadly-defunct group that sings words to this and calls it "Jolly Swaggie"

# Posted on August 25th 2009 by wayland

Swaggie

I didn't say, but they have words with it and all.

# Posted on September 26th 2009 by wayland

Gilderoy in PA - Minor Key

This is the tune that I know as Gilderoy (it sounds quite different):

http://abcnotation.com/tunePage?a=roaringjelly.org/music/sets/RJ_Reels_1_47/0084

# Posted on October 11th 2009 by talltorpedo