I Ne’er Shall Wean Her jig

Also known as I Never Did Wean Her, I Shall Ne’er Wean Her, Mrs Sullivan’s, Mrs. O’Sullivan’s.

There are 13 recordings of a tune by this name.

I Ne'er Shall Wean Her has been added to 131 tunebooks.

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Three settings

X: 1
T: I Ne'er Shall Wean Her
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:G|EGG GED|EGG c2B|AcA AGA|cde ecd|
cde g2a|ged c2d|eaa e2d|cAA A2 :|
|:d|egg ged|egg g2d|eaa aga|baa a2g|
cde g2a|ged c2d|eaa e2d|cAA A2 :|
X: 2
T: I Ne'er Shall Wean Her
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Ador
EGG GED | EGG c2 B | AcA AGA | cde e2 d |
cde g2 a | ged c2 d | e2 a edB | cAG A2 :|
e2 g ged | egg g2 d | e2 a aga | bag a2 g |
cc/d/e g2 a | ged c2 B | Aaa e2 d | cAG A2 :|
X: 3
T: I Ne'er Shall Wean Her
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amin
|:GF|EGG GED|EGG c2B|BAA AGA|cde egd|
cde g2a|ged c2d|eag ged|cAA A :|
|:cd|egg ged|egg ged|eaa aga|bag a2d|
cde g2a|ged c2d|eag ged|cAA A :|

Eleven comments

Two Keys and Two Titles

When played in A dorian, this tune is called "I Shall Ne’er Wean Her," and in B minor its title becomes "Mrs. O’Sullivan’s."

Jig and Reel

Reminds me of a tune the great Ulster singers Len Graham and the late Joe Holmes used to lilt in jig and reel versions. I think they called it "Wellington’s Medal".

Key question

I’m a bit confused about the key here - it seems to me that If I accompany this tune I play the chords for C major.

“I Ne’er Shall Wean Her” ~ K: A minor

~ and just a minor variant:

|: G |
EGG GED | EGG c2 B | AcA AGA | cde e2 d |
cde g2 a | ged c2 d | e2 a edB | cAG A2 :|
|: d |
e2 g ged | egg g2 d | e2 a aga | bag a2 g |
cc/d/e g2 a | ged c2 B | Aaa e2 d | cAG A2 :|

I’d call it C rather than A dorian

Stoneboy wrote, "I’m a bit confused about the key here - it seems to me that If I accompany this tune I play the chords for C major." I agree. A dorian has an F sharp in it; C major, of course, has F natural. There are several places in this tune where you could drop an F natural in and it would sound fine, e.g., in measure 5 in the run up to G. I don’t think there’s any place an F# would fit.

Yeah, it ends on an A, but so what? It just begs to resolve to a C chord.

The second tune of course.

It reminds me of a few vague tunes and, less vaguely, of an early Pogues song, which name I’ve forgotten.

The first part proceeds by steps, it creates an anxious suspense; is this imperious rise gointa stop?

Lunasa Version

I posted a setting which is very close to the Lúnasa version in their Maids In The Kitchen track. Of course they played it in Gm to be more cool :-), but Am is easier, at least on my banjo, or C whistle - lost my Bb whistle somewhere - should get another.

Maids In The Kitchen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LBNaadGvdI