Johnny Cope polka

From Kerr’s Merry Melodies.

There’s an American tune called Johnny Cope that bears some faint genetic resemblence to this one. I’ve heard it played as a hornpipe and as a reel. I learned it from the fiddling of Grey Larsen, with Malcolm Dalglish on hammered dew climber. It’s also on an album by the Critten Hollow String Band with Joe Herrman on fiddle.

Maybe I’ll notate it after I do everything else on my “to (never) do” list.

I was given this 3 part version sometime ago. The ABC is as follows:
T: Johnny Cope
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Em
B,2E2 EFGA | B2E2 E2FE | D2D2 DEFG | A2D2 F2ED | B,2E2 EFGA | B2E2 E2FE | D2d2 BAGF | E6 E2 :||
G3A G2F2 | GFGA B2AG | F2D2 A2D2 | FGAB A2GF | GFGA B2e2 | dBAB d2FE | D2d2 BAGF | E6 E2 :||
E2e2 e2de | f2e2 e2Bc | dc^de fgfe | dBAB d2A2 | B2e2 e2de | f2e2 egfe | d2A2 BAGF | E6 E2 :||
Herewith the link to the most recent submission of Johnny Cope:
www.thesession.org/tunes/4953

can any one tell me how to get this link printed in red to be an auto matic link?

Just remember to include the aitch tee tee pee colon slash slash at the start:

https://thesession.org/tunes/4953

Thanks Jeremy, I thought of that after the event.

Whose idea was it to put in a harmonium on this track? It completely ruins the beauty of what Noel Hill is doing…

Ulf Habermas

Key signature: a minor
Submitted on February 19th 2008 by breqwas.
~ /tunes/8276

X: 3
T: Johnny Cope
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: a minor
|: E/G/ |\
"Am" AA AB/d/ | eA AB/A/ | "G" GG G/A/B/c/ | d/e/d/c/ BA/G/ |
"C" cB/c/ "G" dc/d/ | "Em" eg "G" BA/G/ | Eg "E7" e/d/c/B/ | "Am" A2 A :|
|: B |\
"C" cc c/G/E/G/ | c/d/e/f/ gc | "G" BG dG | B/c/d/e/ dc/B/ |
"C" cB/c/ "G" dc/d/ | "Em" eg "G" BA/G/ | "E7" Eg e/d/c/B/ | "Am" A2 A :|


This comes from some Scottish Country Dance CD, in a set with "Saltire Society Reel".

# Posted on February 19th 2008 by breqwas

X:1
T:Johnny Cope
L:1/8
K:F
|:G4G3/2A/2 B/2c3/2|d2G2A3/2G/2 F/2D3/2|
F4F3/2G/2 A/2B3/2|c2F2A3/2G/2 F/2D3/2|
G4G3/2A/2 B/2c3/2|d2G2B3/2A/2 G/2A3/2|
[1F2f3/2e/2 d/2c3/2 B3/2A/2|G4G,4:|
[2F2f3/2e/2 d/2c3/2 B3/2A/2|G4D2G3/2A/2
|:B3c B2B,2|B3/2c/2 d/2e3/2 f4|A2G3/2F/2 F2G3/2c/2|
A3/2B/2 c/2B3/2 A2F2|G2A3/2B/2 A2B3/2c/2|
B2c3/2d/2 A2G3/2F/2|D2f3/2e/2 d/2c3/2 B3/2A/2|
[1G4G2G3/2A/2:|[2G4G3/2c/2 =B/2A3/2
|:G2D2G3/2A/2 =B/2c3/2|d3/2c/2 B/2A3/2 c3/2B/2 A/2G3/2|
F4F3/2G/2 A/2B3/2|c3/2A/2 f/2c3/2 B3/2A/2 G/2F3/2|
G2F3/2E/2 D/2C3/2 =B,3/2A,/2|G,/2A,3/2 B,3/2C/2 D2C3/2=B,/2|
C2D/2G3/2 D3/2C/2 B,/2A,3/2|[1G,4G3/2c/2 =B/2A3/2:|
C2D/2G3/2 D3/2C/2 B,/2A,3/2[2|G,8|
|:g4g2f/2g3/2|a2g2a3/2g/2 f/2d3/2|f4f2f3/2g/2|a2f2f/2a3/2|
g4g2f/2g3/2|a2f2g2d2|f2c2d3/2c/2 B/2A3/2|G4G,4:|
|:G3/2^F/2 G/2A3/2 G3/2A/2 B/2c3/2|d3/2_e/2 d/2c3/2 B3/2A/2 B/2G3/2|
A/2F3/2 c/2F3/2 d/2F3/2 c/2F3/2|A3/2c/2 f/2c3/2 B3/2A/2 G/2F3/2|
B3/2c/2 B/2A3/2 G3/2^F/2 G/2D3/2|G3/2A/2 B/2c3/2 d3/2c/2 d/2B3/2|
c3/2d/2 f/2g3/2 f3/2d/2 c/2A3/2|G4G,4:|
|:d3/2B/2 G/2B3/2 d3/2B/2 G/2B3/2|G3/2B/2 d/2g3/2 b3/2g/2 d/2B3/2|
c3/2A/2 F/2A3/2 c3/2A/2 F/2A3/2|F3/2A/2 c/2f3/2 a3/2f/2 c/2A3/2|
d3/2B/2 d/2f3/2 c3/2A/2 c/2f3/2|B3/2G/2 B/2d3/2 A3/2F/2 A/2c3/2|
(3dcB (3cBA (3BAG (3AG^F|G4G,4:|

"Hey, Johnnie Cope" sung by Alastair McDonald: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcZ4uMmF0vw

play video

Now, someone has to write a song called "Hey, Sandy Salmond."

X:8168
T:Johnnie Cope
R:hornpipe
D:Seamus Ennis
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Ador
G3|:A2A3/B/A2Bd|efed B2AG|EGGE G3A|BAGB dBGA|BAAB A2Bd|efed B3d|(3efg fa gedB| BAAB A3G:|
|:cBcd c2G2|cdef gedB|cBA^c e2e2|cdec dBGB|cBcd c2G2|cdef gedg|eaag (3efg ed|BAAG A3B:|
|:cBcB ABAG|ABcd (3efg dc|BG~G2 dG~G2|cdec dBGB|cBcB ABAG|ABcd (3efg dg|eaag (3efg ed|BAAB A3B:|
|:e2a2a2 ga | b2a2g2ed|efgf gaba|gaba aged|e3/g/a2 a2(3fga|b2 a3/f/ g2ge|d2ef gedB| BAAG A2 ^cd:|
|:e2 e2(3gfe ed|e3 f (3gfe dB|d3^d=d dBAB|d2 fd edBd|^de e2 (3gfe =dB|eaae (3gfe dB| ABdg egdB| BAAB A3d:|
|:a2e2 efge|a2e efag|f2^d =d^cde|f2d^d =d2 eg|a2e2 efge|a2e2 efdB|ABdf efdB|BAAB A2 EG:|

is the hornpipe version, see https://thesession.org/tunes/4953. I like Cran’s playing of it on their album Music from the Edge of the World.

Check out this blog post with much research and analysis of the various historical settings of this tune: https://rushymountain.com/2017/10/06/johnny-cope/

Johnny Cope is also a song so here are the words and a little history:- (from contemplator.com)

According to Wikipedia, a tune to Johnnie Cope was written in 1745 by Adam Skirving (1719-1803), a tenant farmer in East Lothian. Robert Burns also wrote a set of lyrics to the tune. The song is an account of the Battle of Prestonpans (from the Jacobite perspective) at which Sir John Cope was defeated.


Cope sent a challenge frae Dunbar,
Sayin "Charlie meet me an’ ye daur;
An’ I’ll learn ye the airt o’ war,
If ye’ll meet me in the morning."
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

When Charlie looked the letter upon,
He drew his sword and scabbard from,
Come, follow me, my merry men,
And we’ll meet Johnnie Cope in the morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

Now Johnnie, be as good as your word,
Come, let us try baith fire and sword,
And dinna flee like a frichted bird,
That’s chased frae its nest i’ the morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

When Johnnie Cope he heard o’ this,
He thocht it wouldna be amiss,
Tae hae a horse in readiness,
Tae flee awa in the morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

Fye now, Johnnie, get up an’ rin,
The Highland bagpipes mak’ a din,
It’s better tae sleep in a hale skin,
For it will be a bluidie morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

When Johnnie Cope tae Dunbar cam,
They speired at him, "Where’s a’ your men"
"The de’il confound me gin I ken,
For I left them a’ in the morning."
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

Now Johnnie, troth ye werena blate,
Tae come wi’ news o’ your ain defeat,
And leave your men in sic a strait,
Sae early in the morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

In faith, quo Johnnie, I got sic flegs
Wi’ their claymores an’ philabegs,
Gin I face them again, de’il brak my legs,
So I wish you a’ good morning.
O Hey! Johnnie Cope are ye waukin’ yet?
Or are your drums a-beating yet?
If ye were waukin’ I wad wait,
Tae gang tae the coals in the morning. *

*Prestonpans had been the location of coal fields.

Put another way, the Jacobites won this one! (If not Culloden!)
The late lamented Davy Steele (who came from Prestonpans) sang it to a different tune, when he was in the band, Ceolbeg. The first half is maybe a variation on the usual tune, but the second half is quite different.
https://youtu.be/_-9XekiWHeY

play video

I think the first part is O’Keeffe’s first part and the second part follows O’Keeffe’s fourth part - it seems like Davy Steele was influenced by Planxty’s song version, to me.