Key signature: Ddorian
Submitted on March 20th 2003 by tufbo.
This tune has been added to 46 tunebooks.
Also known as Dark Girl, The Dark Girl Dressed In Blue, The Dark Girl, The Dark Haired Girl, Dressed In Blue.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Dark Girl Dressed In Blue
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Ddor
|: FA Ad | B/c/d A>F | GB AF | BE G/F/E/D/ | FA Ad | B/c/d A>F | GB A/B/A/G/ | FD D2 :|
|: FA A/B/d/e/ | ~f>d ed | Bd AF | BE G/F/E/D/ | FA A/B/d/e/ | f>d ed | Bd A/B/A/G/ | FD D2 :|
Dark Girl Dressed in Blue.
I've always understood this to be Southern English.Does anyone have any more explicit details about it?
Noel Jackson
Angels of the North
# Posted on March 23rd 2003 by noelbats
Dark Girl Dressed in Blue
Noel, you might be thinking of the polka popularised by Rod Stradling and the Old Swan Band on their "No Reels" LP FRR011. Although that one is also played in D (to suit G/D melodeon players) it's quite different to the one posted here, having a C natural in the second strain and ending on an unresolved chord which makes a nice excuse for starting again from the top. Although it's Irish in origin, having been learned from a 1960s ? recording of Donegal fiddler John Doherty, nowadays it's usually regarded as an English tune and is consequently played in a rather heavy-footed style.
Colin Turner
# Posted on March 24th 2003 by colinturner
I'm sure I've heard this tune played by Sliabh Luachra musicians. They seem to be insatiable polkophiles - they'll take polkas from the four corners of the Earth (if four cornered it be) and make them their own.
This particular one reminds me of a certain Scots or Northumbrian tune, the name of which forget. But it responds well to the itchy-footed Kerry treatment.
# Posted on March 26th 2003 by ragaman
David, I reckon you're thinking of the 1st part of "Because He Was A Bonnie Lad" in G out of the Northumbrian minstrelsy, which goes something like: c|B>A Gg|e/f/g d>B|cedB cAA... I thought the same thing when I first saw this post but the 2nd part's a lot different.
# Posted on March 26th 2003 by Dow
Call me a bomber-jacket, but I maintain the stance this tune is a descendant of the said Northumbrian tune, or that the two have a common ancestor. I suspect that somebody heard the original tune and remembered the first part but forgot the 2nd part and made up another bit in its place... or perhaps they just didn't like the 2nd part and thought they could do better.
# Posted on March 30th 2003 by ragaman
Dark and Moody it ain't - D Major
K: Dmaj
|: FA Ad | Bd A>F | GB AF/A/ | BE G/F/E/D/ |
FA Ad | B/c/d/B/ A>F | GB A/B/A/G/ | FD D2 :|
|: FA A/B/d/e/ | f/e/f/d/ e>d | Bd/B/ A/D/F/A/ | BE G/F/E/D/ |
FA A/B/d/e/ | f>d e>d | Bd/B/ A/B/A/G/ | FD D2 :|
# Posted on May 13th 2005 by ceolachan
Nicely done Ceolachan--finally, a setting that makes sense under the fingers.
# Posted on May 13th 2005 by Will CPT
"The Girl With the Blue Dress On" ~ good friends
Submitted on May 12th 2006 by OsvaldoLaviosa.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5762
# Posted on May 15th 2006 by ceolachan
Dark Girl Dresed In Blue (in D maj)
You can see (as well as hear) this polka being played on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YIrzeY9iwo. It’s the second tune, and is played in D major.
The tunes played in the video are Farewell To Whiskey, The Dark Girl Dressed In Blue, and The Killavil Postman (a barndance).
The musicians (L-R) are Johnny Óg, Steve Simonds, Tomás Neachtain, Charlie Lennon and daughter Eilish, and Liam O'Hara.
There's a second guitar player whose face can't be seen, but he's believed to be the Dubliner Dave Flynn.
(Many thanks to various contributers to the comments on Discussion #14004 and Tune #7137 for the above information)
# Posted on June 8th 2007 by lazyhound
I recently learned this one from Siobhan Ni Cholarain following on after My Love is but a Lassie (i.e. 'Farewell to Whiskey' as listed above)
# Posted on July 18th 2007 by WhistlinLeeds