The Old Red Petticoat jig

Also known as Old Red Petticoat.

The Old Red Petticoat has been added to 13 tunebooks.

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Three settings

X: 1
T: The Old Red Petticoat
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: A/B/c | d2 d dcB | A2 G F2 A | dcd dB/c/d | e2 c Ace |
f2 f fed | g2 g B2 g | fed ABc |[1 d3 D :|[2 d3 D2 ||
|: d | ecA ec/B/A | e2 c ABc | dcB A^GA |
[1 B2 ^G E2 d | ecA ecA | e2 c A2 c | dcB EF^G | A3 A2 :|
[2 B2 ^G E2 A | f2 f fed | g2 g B2 g | fed ABc | d3- D |]
X: 2
T: The Old Red Petticoat
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: A | d2 d dcB | A2 G F2 A | d2 d dcd | e3- e2 A |
f2 f fed | g2 g g2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 :|
|: d | ecA ecA | e2 c ABc | dcB A^GA | B2 ^G E3 |
ecA ecA | e2 c ABc | dcB EF^G | A3- A2 :|
X: 3
T: The Old Red Petticoat
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: c | d2 d dcB | A2 G FF/G/A | dcd dB/c/d | e2 c A2 e |
f2 f fed | g2 G B2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 :|
f | ecA ecA | e2 c AA/B/c | dcB A^GA | B2 ^G E3 |
ecA e2 A | e2 c ABc | dcB EF^G | A3- A2 c |
dFc dcB | A2 G F2 A | d2 d dcd | ecB Ace |
fa/e/f fed | g2 g B2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 |]

Three comments

“The Old Red Petticoat”

~ a jig from the manuscript collection of Dr. John Clague (1842-1908), in the keeping of the Manx Museum on the Isle of Mann. This also appears in the collection "Kiaull Vannin: A source book for Manx tunes, transcribed from the collections of Dr. J. Clague and others" ~ Colin Jerry, 1987

Further information on this tune ~
Collected by P. Leighton-Stowell from Mrs Watterson, Colby Level, The Isle of Mann.

To me this has the feel of a ‘country dance’, along the lines of Playford. I’ve given it with a second ending, but here is as it appears in the collection, without a the return to the A-part ~

X: 2
T: Old Red Petticoat, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: A |\
d2 d dcB | A2 G F2 A | d2 d dcd | e3- e2 A |
f2 f fed | g2 g g2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 :|
|: d |\
ecA ecA | e2 c ABc | dcB A^GA | B2 ^G E3 |
ecA ecA | e2 c ABc | dcB EF^G | A3- A2 :|

But I keep finding myself naturally drawn back to the A-part, and even playing it AABA, as so ~

X: 3
T: Old Red Petticoat, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
|: c |\
d2 d dcB | A2 G FF/G/A | dcd dB/c/d | e2 c A2 e |
f2 f fed | g2 G B2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 :|
|: f |\
ecA ecA | e2 c AA/B/c | dcB A^GA | B2 ^G E3 |
ecA e2 A | e2 c ABc | dcB EF^G | A3- A2 c |
dFc dcB | A2 G F2 A | d2 d dcd | ecB Ace |
fa/e/f fed | g2 g B2 g | fed ABc | d3- d2 |]

:-/ ~ ?!

This melody is very familiar to me, but, after a quick look through notes and a few collections I haven’t yet found another name or connection for it… If anyone does recognize this from elsewhere, then I’d love to reconnect…