Piss Upon The Grass

jig

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on January 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian.

This tune has been added to 15 tunebooks.

Also known as Nancy Dawson.

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Piss Upon the Grass

No, this is not a tune of recent composition, as you might perhaps infer from the title!

Credit for fetching this tune from a dusty archive into the public domain must go to members of the former "Dr. Bowser's Brown Bowel Oil Band" (leader, Steve Bazire). This band operated in the Bristol (England) area, during the period 1976-1986, when Steve was living there. I understand that they extracted this tune from a manuscript tunebook at the British Library, London (England).

Well, it's maybe not the greatest tune in the world, but I thought it worthwhile posting it in view of its antiquity and "unusual" title.

(I trust that the latter won't be a victim of Jeremy's foul language moderation!) ... ;-)

# Posted on January 16th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

I think it's the best tune in a while here. The familiar play party like opening matures into some really nice music at the end of the A part and the B is really nice. I put some chords to it...

# Posted on January 16th 2009 by wichitafiddler

Nancy Dawson

Nancy Dawson is the 'common' title. The p*ss title is in Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances (published) and Joshua Jackson's manuscript. There's a lot more of this kind of information, for those who find it fascinating, in my new edition of William Vickers' Tune Book.

# Posted on January 16th 2009 by Matt Seattle

@wichitafiddler

Well, it's nice to have some positive feedback - but I don't think that this type of tune (I see it as an English single jig) will find much favour with many members of this site, who are looking for Irish, or at least Celtic music.

If you ever get to England, look out for an "English" session (much rarer than Irish sessions - even in England!).

You'll hear many tunes of this type played at such sessions. This kind of "stompy" jig is also very much the staple at English barn dances.

# Posted on January 17th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

@Matt Seattle

Thanks for posting the alt title - I didn't know that it had one. You say that "Nancy Dawson" is more common - but which is the earlier title - do you happen to know?

When I gave my source for this tune, I wasn't of course aware that it had ever been published in printed form.

To my ear, it sounded like a typical English single jig, but inclusion in Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances would seem to imply a Scottish association.

# Posted on January 17th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

In the Mix

There are quite a few folks who are members of this site who attend 'MIXed' session where a variety of tunes are woven together, including the officially sanctioned 'Irish' or polymorphic 'C****c' tunes, old and new, and even including those considered 'English' by history or association...

# Posted on January 17th 2009 by ceolachan

Mix and Match

Ceol - I know that's true.

Nonetheless, I have encountered hositlity in the past regarding non-Celtic material - on this site, and elsewhere.

Some while back I played the Coleraine Jig (at a pub session in England). They all put their instruments down, so I changed to another tune after only one time through.

Afterwards, when I expressed surprise that nobody knew it someone said: "Oh, we know it - but it's from Northern Ireland!"

That kind of attitude just makes my blood boil .... Grr

# Posted on January 18th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

Yes, me too...

# Posted on January 18th 2009 by ceolachan

Anti...

I think it comes from insecurity, and an unwilling awareness of the fact that the vitality of the Irish scene has been largely responsible for the revival of old English dance music in recent times. Most English fiddlers that I know started playing 'folk' because they fell in love with Kevin Burke's playing in the 70s and 80s, then switched to playing English. One of the most famous English fiddlers hates to admit that he was sent off to the Willie Clancy week years ago (to try and sort his dodgy Irish playing out), and was a complete nut for Irish music until he started getting noticed for his English stuff...

# Posted on January 18th 2009 by Robert Ryan

Piss Upon the Grass

The tune is included in; "Alawon John Thomas ~ A fiddler's tune-book from eighteenth-century Wales" Ed. Cass Meurig

"This tune became well known as 'Nancy Dawson', a ballad about a Covent Garden dancer who became famous when she stepped in for the man who danced the hornpipe in the 1759 revival of 'The Beggar's Opera'. It was subsequently included in RCD II * (c. 1764) and Bickerstaffe's ballad opera 'Love in a Village' (1763). John Thomas's title suggests that his version dates from before this period. The first strain of the tune is still sung in the nursery rhyme 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush'. "
* ' Rutherford's Compleat Collection of 200 country Dances, Vol.2'

see also;
'I Saw Three Ships'
December 11th 2006 by ceolachan
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/6494

# Posted on January 23rd 2009 by Random_notes