Dance to your Daddy

[Jim Baker]

Hi folks. I'm looking for music for the Sweeney's Men version of "Dance to your daddy". Any format would be much appreciated. abc or midi would be good. I'd particularly like to find the whistle harmonies. I can hear it, but can't reproduce it. Tin ear I guess.

Thanks

[Kyle Baker]

Found this on the session.org. This tune has been used in Dance to your daddy and is called Cucanandy.

This tune has been used for the 3/2 song Dance To Your Daddy. Here is a version from Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, learnt from Peggy Seeger and collected by Cecil Sharp in Berkshire:

X: 1
T: Dance To Your Daddy
M: 3/2
L: 1/8
R: three-two
K: Amin
E4 E2D2 C2E2|G4 G2F2 E2c2|E4 E2D2 C2B,2|A2,A2 A2G2 A4:|
A2B2 c2A2 B2G2|E2G2 G2^F2 G4|A2B2 c2A2 B2G2|E2AA- A2G2 A4|
A2B2 c2A2 B2G2|E2G2 G2^F2 G4|E4 E2D2 C2B,2|A2,A2 A2G2 A4||

Transposed into the standard key, that becomes:

X: 1
T: Dance To Your Daddy
M: 3/2
L: 1/8
R: three-two
K: Emin
B4 B2A2 G2B2|d4 d2c2 B2g2|B4 B2A2 G2F2|E2e2 e2d2 e4:|
e2f2 g2e2 f2d2|B2d2 d2^c2 d4|e2f2 g2e2 f2d2|B2ee- e2d2 e4|
e2f2 g2e2 f2d2|B2d2 d2^c2 d4|B4 B2A2 G2F2|E2e2 e2d2 e4||


http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1374

[Jim Baker]

Thanks Kyle. That's the one.

[Simon DS]

Ten years later.
Here’s another transcription of the Sweeney’s Men’s recording. The first line is the flute intro, it appears to be in 6/8 time though the later part missing -cant work it out.
The rest has more quavers to give a feeling of the rhythm.
I really like this version. I’m not sure if it’s ‘original’ but I seem to remember that trad music from Northumberland can have quite diverse rhythms. The rhythm here reminds me a bit of the Scotch Snap, any further corrections or info welcome.

mU3PSsnHzJs

X:1
T:Dance To Your Daddy (Am. Sweeney's Men version)
M:3/2
L:1/8
R:three-two
K:Amin
|c2d edc|d2B GBB|A2B2|Bcccc2 AG||
||E4 E2D2 C2E2|G4 G2F2 EA3|E4 E2D2 C2B,2|A,2AA3G2 A4:|
A2B c3A2 B2G2|E2G G3^F2 G4|A2B2 c2A2 B2G2|E2AA- A2G2 A4|
A2B2 c2A2 B2G2|E2G2 G2^F2 G4|E4 E2D2 C2B,2|A, A2 A2G2 A4||

And lyrics:
Dance Ti’ Thy Daddy

Although this can stand alone as a two-part instrumental, it is best known as the tune of a Tyneside song, the words of which follow:

Come here, maw little Jacky,
Now aw’ve smoked mi baccy,
Let’s have a bit o’ cracky
Till the boat comes in.

Dance ti’ thy daddy, sing ti’ thy mammy,
Dance ti’ thy daddy, ti’ thy mammy sing;
Thou shall hev a fishy on a little dishy,
Thou shall hev a fishy when the boat comes in.

Here’s thy mother hummin’
Like a canny woman,
Yonder comes thy father,
Drunk - he cannot stand.

Dance ti’ thy daddy, sing ti’ thy mammy,
Dance ti’ thy daddy, ti’ thy mammy sing;
Thou shall hev a fishy on a little dishy,
Thou shall hev a haddock when the boat comes in.

Our Tommy’s always fuddling,
He’s so fond of ale,
But he’s kind to me,
I hope he’ll never fail.

Dance ti’ thy daddy, sing ti’ thy mammy,
Dance ti’ thy daddy, ti’ thy mammy sing.
Thou shall hev a fishy on a little dishy,
Thou shall hev a bloater when the boat comes in.

I like a drop mysel’
If I can get it sly,
And thou, my bonny bairn,
Will lik’t as well as I

Dance ti’ thy daddy, sing ti’ thy mammy,
Dance ti’ thy daddy, ti’ thy mammy sing;
Thou shall hev a fishy on a little dishy,
Thou shall hev a mackerel when the boat comes in.

May we get a drop,
Oft as we stand in need;
And weel may the keel row
That brings the bairns their bread.

Dance ti’ thy daddy, sing ti’ thy mammy
Dance ti’ thy daddy, ti’ thy mammy sing;
You shall hev a fishy on a little dishy,
You shall hev a salmon when the boat comes in.


- Anyway, that’s how it goes on the South Shields Sand-Dancers’ website.