Dennis Doody’s polka

I learned this rockin’ polka from the Donal Lunny live album where it is played in a set before The Tolka Polka:

https://thesession.org/tunes/1251

Unfortunately, I don’t have the track listing of that album any more so if somebody could post it to the recordings section, that would be much appreciated.

I’ve shown the tune here with a couple of ideas for variation. The first time that B note comes around, I’ve shown it being played low and the second time, high. Play around with this and find the one you prefer.

The second part is pretty weird. It has those long F#s that cross bars. You’ll probably need to hear the tune being played to really "get" how it works.

As with so many polkas and slides, it’s simply named after a person. It seems that half the polkas and slides I know are named after people or places in Cork and Kerry. Hence, all the Dennis Murphy’s, Leary’s, Egan’s, Ballydesmonds,Newmarkets, etc.

I guess all the imaginative names were handed out to the jigs and reels. 😉

I was hoping someone would post this.

Has anyone else experienced a really weird effect when listening to this tune as recorded on Lunny’s album? I find that I can hear it in 2 completely different ways because of the syncopated rhythm. The other way I can get myself to hear it (with a few seconds of concentration) is "shunted" on a beat, something like this:

F/G/|:EF/E/ DB,|EE z/GF/G/|(3AFD (3DEF|GA/c/ B/A/G|
EF/E/ DB,|EE z/F/G|AB/c/ B/AG|1 Fd FG:|2 Fd zB||
ee/f/ e/d/B|ee/f/ e/d/B|de f2|ge f2|
gf ge|Bc/B/ AB|zE E/F/G|1 AB zB:|2 AB/c/ B/A/||

I actually love the tune whichever way, and listen to it differently depending on my mood. Has anyone else ever had this effect before?

X: 1
T: Dennis Doody’s
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Emin
|:GE E/F/E/D/|GE EG|F/G/A/F/ D>E|FG A/B/A|
|GE E/F/E/D/|GE EF|GA BA|1 GF dF:|2 GF d2||
|:Be e/f/e/d/|Be e/f/e/d/|Be e(f|f)g e(f|
|f)g fg|eB BA|B2 E>F|GA B2:|

As far as I remember - there are two melodies, going in parallel, so that it is - two ways of listening =)

This tune is closely allied to St Patrick was a gentleman:
https://thesession.org/tunes/2116
It existed in many versions popular in the American, British, French Navies.

The Green Cottage: https://thesession.org/tunes/559

Here are the words of the French song, allegedly written by one armless Henry James, simple deck hand!

Dans mon sac de matelot,
J’ai mis tout ce que j’avais de plus beau
Souvenirs de tous pays,
Bouteille de rhum et de whisky
Une montre et elle ne marche pas,
Ma pipe et mon tabac
J’y ai mis l’harmonica,
Qu’j’avais acheté à Malaga.

Chorus:
Avec mon harmonica
Je souffle, la voilà
L’harmonica, l’harmonica
Pour la gigue et la polka
Ecoutez çà les gars
Faut faire de l’harmonica.

Il m’accompagne partout,
Une chanson prête à chaque trou
Il sait des tas de refrains,
Dont les plus beaux sont de marins
A bord pendant les quarts à bord,
Il fait rêver les gars
Il leur parle de la terre,
De la mer et de leurs amours.

Du temps où j’étais pas manchot,
Je faisais l’amour dans les pays chauds
A une sombre beauté,
Qui ne voulait pas se laisser tenter
Sa peau et son corps étaient noirs,
Mais elle ne voulait rien savoir
Je lui dit que j’étais matelot,
Elle a crié "je suis perdue!"

Celui qu’a composé la chanson,
C’est Henri Jacques matelot de pont
Si elle est à votre goût les gars,
Faut lui payer un coup
Avec sa gueule de trafiquant,
Faut lui rincer les dents
Offrez-lui un pot de tafia,
Je vous jure bien qu’il le boira.

sounds bites:
http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/french/harmonca.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Ud5H-u4UM

play video

Must be closely related to this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-fPx8UIsas

play video

Setting from Open House.

X:5 is clearly a slightly different setting of the same tune, which is one of several polkas and slides that I picked up from a box player called Nailus O’Connor in Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry, in the mid-’80s. I have it (unimaginatively) as ‘O’Connor’s Polka No. 3’ (a.k.a. ‘The Green Cottage’ - though this may not be correct). My outfit plays them in sets as listed in the tune library at www.rudemex.co.uk.

From the playing of North Cregg.

This has traditional roots, with the melody using strathspey timing and titled "Alister McAlister," printed in John McLachlan - Piper’s Assistant (1854, No. 22, pp. 12-13). In other words, no copyright worries.