As I Roved Out polka

I know this one as a song. Recorded by Planxty as “As I Roved Out” and later re-recorded by Christy Moore as “The Night Visit”. The melody in this tune seems to be identical to the song.
The melody is obviously in the tune-tradition, being Dorian rather than Minor, but I’m not shure if the tune is older than the song. The fact that the title refers to the song makes me suspect that it has slipped into the tune-repertoire (rather recently) by people who have listened to the song and noticed its catchy tune-character. Anyway, the recording-links to Planxty and probably the other as well, refers to the song.
By the way, Planxty once recorded the song on the same album as they recorded another - totally different - song with the name “As I Roved Out”. Luckily they were sung by two different members of the group, so they were referred to as As I Roved Out (Christy)“ and ”As I Roved Out (Andy)“. Both songs are today ”classical".

one of my personal favourites. I already knew the song and tune but really got attached to it when I heard my friends from the dutch band Rapalje sing it…. good fun and well…. it remembers me of one of my friends 😀

Also redone on the Common Ground CD that came out a few years back…not a bad version.

Here’s the lyrics for anyone interested:


And who are you, me pretty fair maid, and who are you, me honey?
And who are you, me pretty fair maid, and who are you, me honey?
She answered me quite modestly, “I am me mother’s darling.”
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.


And will you come to me mother’s house, when the sun is shining clearly (repeat)
I’ll open the door and I’ll let you in, and divil ’o one would hear us.
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

So I went to her house in the middle of the night, when the moon was shining clearly (repeat)
She opened the door and she let me in and divil the one did hear us.
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

She took me horse by the bridle and the bit, and she led him to the stable ( repeat )
Saying “There’s plenty of oats for a soldier’s horse, to eat it if he’s able.”
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

Then she took me by the lily-white hand and she led me to the table ( repeat )
Saying “There’s plenty of wine for a soldier boy, to drink it if you’re able.”
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

Then I got up and made the bed, and I made it nice and aisy ( repeat )
Then I got up and laid her down, saying “Lassie, are you able?”
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

And there we lay till the break of day and divil a one did hear us ( repeat )
Then I arose and put on me clothes saying “Lassie, I must leave you.”
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

And when will you return again and when will we get married ( repeat )
When broken shells make Christmas bells we might well get married.
With me too-ry-ay, fol-de-diddle-day, di-re fol-de-diddle dai-rie oh.

Although there is a song on this album with similar lyrics (Sixteen Come Next Sunday) it is not the same song and definitely not the same tune

I learned this song from the Planxty recording, with the lyrics above. However, I have heard two different versions of the last verse which imply fundamentally different stories. In one version, after the “broken shells” verse, another verse is added about a “pint in the morning and lass in the evening,” which makes the soldier a pure rake. But another version I have heard is, “When can *I* come back again, and when can we get married…” That is, it is the soldier being refused. Either the lass is prostitute brushing him off, or she thinks he will die in a war.

A sign of a powerful song, when just slight changes in the lyrics can move the story into equally poignant directions, IMHO.

anyone got Andy’s I roved out sheet music

bob

the rhythm as i remember it sounds a little different from the dots, i did i few minor tweaks here and there..

X: 1
T: As I Roved Out
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: E dorian
|B B/B/ E>E|F/G/F/-E/ D>D|E E<G A|B A3|B B/B/ E>E|F/G/F/-E/ D>D| E E<G A|BA3|
Be ed/-e/|f>e d>B|d d d D|FA d>c|BB Ez|F/G/F/E/ Dz|dd F/G/F/E/|F E/D/ E2||

We had 6 musicians from Nepal drop in on 2 sessions in Aberdeen earlier this week. On the Tuesday night, they started playing this, and went off into improvisations around the melody. Great craic altogether. Planxty’s music has apparently travelled as far as Nepal !!!

The Sherburn Bartley & Scott version from their 1999 Album Live at the Wharf has a great arrangement of ‘As I Roved Out’ (Christy) version. A fast and fierce delivery with ‘herself’ firmly in the driving seat. Proof indeed of a powerful song.

This tune should not be listed under mazurkas. Both settings given here start with a 3/4 time signature then immediately launch into 2/4 time! And dancing a mazurka to march time is a little tricky!

Nick, you can update the time signature by using the “edit this tune” button.