The Old Wheels Of The World

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on August 15th 2003 by Kurt Franke.

This tune has been added to 30 tunebooks.

Also known as The Mountain Lark, Rolling Down The Hill, The Wheels Of The World.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Celebration Of 50 Years by The Tulla Ceili Band
• ALive by Kúla
• All Things Considered by Danu
• An Ghaoth Anair (The West Wind) by Na Fili
• Another Feast Of Irish Folk by Various Artists
• Another Time by Gavin Whelan
• Best Of Finbarr Dwyer by Finbarr Dwyer
• Bridgetown by Johnny B. Connolly
• Casey In The Cowhouse by Bobby Casey
• Classics Of Irish Piping Volume 2 by William Andrews And Liam Walsh
• Coolfin by Donal Lunny
• Crossroads by Joe Ryan, Eddie Clark
• De Danann by De Danann
• Draw The Bow by Malachy Bourke
• Drops Of Brandy by Sean McAloon And John Rea
• Evening Comes Early by John Doyle
• Feadoga Stain by Mary Bergin
• Fierce Traditional by Frankie Gavin
• Finnegan's AWake by Finnegan's AWake
• First Hand by Mairi Rankin
• Gusty's Frolicks by Sean Keane
• If The Cap Fits by Kevin Burke
• In The Smoke by Various Artists
• Irish Traditional Music (on Uilleann Pipes, Hammered Dulcimer, Fiddle, Flute And Whistle) by Various Artists
• Leitrim's Hidden Treasure by McNamara Family
• Lifescapes Celtic Fiddle by Various Artists
• Live At Johnny Fox's by Dervish
• Live At Mona's by Various Artists
• Man Of Achievement by Sean Maguire
• Milestone At The Garden by Irish Fiddle Masters From The 78 RPM Era
• Mind The Pipes by Leonard Barry
• P.J. Hernon by P.J. And Marcus Hernon
• Past Masters Of Irish Dance Music by Various Artists
• Playing With Fire by Dervish
• Potsticks by Sean Moloney
• Show The Lady: Music For The Sets Volume 5 by Various Artists
• Sligo Fiddle (Disk 2) by John Vesey
• Steam by John Williams
• Sweeter As The Years Roll By by James Keane
• The Blue CD by Irish Session Tunes
• The Factory Turn by Damian O'Brien And Oliver Loughlin With Arty McGlynn And Kevin Brehony
• The Fire Aflame by Keane, Molloy, O'Flynn
• The High Part Of The Road by Tommy Peoples And Paul Brady
• The Irish Music Anthology (40 Classic Songs, Jigs And Reels) by Various Artists
• The Leg Of The Duck by Joe Burke, Michael Cooney And Noreen Donoghue
• The Little Country by Charles De Lint
• The Morning Mist by Joe Burke
• The Music Of What Happened by Nollaig Casey
• The Return From Fingal by Seamus Ennis
• The Road To Riley by Riley School Of Irish Music
• The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
• The Sligo Indians by Tony DeMarco
• The Star Of Munster Trio by The Star Of Munster Trio
• The Wheels Of The World, Early Irish American Music, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
• Touch Me If You Dare by Ronan Browne And Peter O'Loughlin
• Under The Diamond by Liz And Yvonne Kane
• Words And Music by Planxty

X: 1
T: Old Wheels Of The World, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
g2 gf|| eABA eABA| GFEF ~G3 E|A3 B cBcd|efge dg (3.f.g.f|
eABA eABA| GFEF ~G3 E|(3.A.c.A AB cBcd| efge dcBc||
dg ~g2 dg ~g2| ea ~a2 ea ~a2| efge defg| af (3.g.f.e .d.cBc|
dg ~g2 dgfg| ea ~a2 ea ~a2| efge defg | afge dg (3.f.g.f||

Source: the dance music of Willy Clancy

# Posted on August 15th 2003 by Kurt Franke

Duplicated

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/431

# Posted on March 6th 2006 by Dow

Planxty After the Break version

I first heard this tune on the bonus track Lord MacDonlad/The Chattering Magpie set on Planxty's 'After the Break' album. The tune was somehow omitted from the liner notes. Anyway, here is the way Liam O'Flynn plays it on this track (well, pretty close too):

X: 1
T: The Old Wheels of the World (Rolling Down the Hill)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmix
g2 gf||: eAAA eAcA | GE (3EEE ~G3E | A2AB cBcd | ef (3.g.f.e dg(3.f.g.f |
eAAA eAcA | GE (3EEE ~G3E | A2AB cBcd | egge d2 Bc :|
dggg dggg | eaaa eaag | efge defg | af (3.g.f.e .d.cBc|
dggg dgfg | eaaa eaag | efge defg | af (3.g.f.e dg (3.f.g.f :|

# Posted on April 22nd 2006 by rgriffiths

Single reel setting on "Undertones"?

I think the tune entitled "The Sporting Paddy" that appears on Adrian Barker and Ben Stephenson's "Undertones" is a version of this tune as a single reel, and not the Hunters Purse as stated in the liner notes of the CD. Their version was learnt from a recording of Sally Sloane (1894-1982) from Parkes, NSW, playing fiddle.

X: 1
T: Rolling Down The Hill
T: The Old Wheels Of The World
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
D: Adrian Barker & Ben Stephenson - "Undertones"
K: Ador
eAcA eAcA|~G3F EFGB|A3B cBcd|eaag egdg:|
|:eaag eaaf|efgf efge|afge dA (3Bcd|eaag egdg:|

The B-part seems a little different at first glance, but look again. If you take off the last bar and shift it to the beginning of the B-part you get this:

|:eaag egdg|eaag eaaf|efgf efge|afge dA (3Bcd:|

...which isn't that far removed from O'Neill's setting of Rolling Down The Hill which is as follows:

efgf efgf|eaa^g eaag|efge efgf|afge d2d2|...etc.

I don't know how closely the lads stuck to their source setting (I would guess they followed it as closely as they felt comfortable with playing in their own style) but I'm wondering whether this was a mishearing on the part of Sally Sloane, or a deliberate changing of the tune to suit her taste, or whether she got the tune from some written source.

# Posted on May 9th 2007 by Dow