When Sick Is It Tea That You Want? jig

Also known as Go To The D**** And Shake Yourself, Go To The Devil And Shake Yourself, If Sick Is It Tae You Want?, If Sick, Is It Tea You Want?, The Penniless Traveller, Tae Ab’ Ea A Theastaíonn Is Tú Tinn?, When Sick Is It Tae You Want?, When Sick Is It Tea You Want, When Sick Is It Tea You Want ?, When Sick Is It Tea You Want?, When Sick, Is It Tea You Want?, When You’re Drunk Is It Tea That You Want?.

There are 46 recordings of this tune.
This tune has been recorded together with

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want? appears in 4 other tune collections.

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want? has been added to 68 tune sets.

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want? has been added to 338 tunebooks.

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Fifteen settings

1
X: 1
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A2 d dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|fdB ~B3|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1 fdc d2 B:|2 fdc dfg||
|:afd dcd|BGF G2 g|bge efd|cAA ABG|
FAd fdB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1 fdc dfg:|2 fdc d2 B||
Added .
2
X: 2
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
|:G|Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|Ecc dcd|ecA A2G|
Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|cec dgf|ecc c2:|
|:e/f/|gec cBc|AFF F2f/g/|afd ded|BGG G2G|
Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|cec dgf|ecc c2:|
3
X: 3
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A|Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
|:f/g/|add d2 =c|BGG G2 g/a/|bee e2 d|cAA A2 B|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
4
X: 4
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B|:Add dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|fdB ~B3|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1 fdc d2B:|2 fdc dfg||
|:afd dcd|BGF G2 a|bge e2d|cAA A2 G|
FAd fdB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1 fdc dfg:|2 fdc d2B||
5
X: 5
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
F/G/|:Add dcB|{c}A^GB {c}AF=G|AdB cde|fdB {c}BAF|
Add fdB|{c}A^GB {c}AF=G|AdB cde|1 fdc d3:|2 fdc (4d>efg||
|:{b}afd dcd|{c}BGF (4G>fga|bge e^de|cAA {c}AFG|
Add {a}fdB|{c}AFB {AB}AFG|A3 cde|1 fdc (4d>efg:|2 fdc d3||
6
X: 6
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B|:Add dcB|ABA AFA|dcd d2 e|fdB BdB|
~A3 dcB|~A3 AFA|dfd ege|1 edc d2 B:|2 edc d2 f/g/||
|:afd dcd|BGG G2 g/a/|bge e^de|cAA A2G|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|dfd ege|1 edc d2 f/g/:|2 edc d2||
7
X: 7
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
Add dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdc d3|
Add dcB|AFB AFG|A/c/A/ cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AFB AFG|A/c/A/ cde|fdc d e/f/g/|
afd dcd|BGF G2 g|bge edd|cAA AFG|
Add fdB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdc d3|
afd dcd|BGF G2 g|bge edd|cAA AFG|
Add fdB|AFB AFG|A/c/A/ A cde|fdc d3:|
8
X: 8
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:A2d dcB|ABA AFA|Add cde|fdB B2A|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|Add cde|1 fdc d2 B:|2 fdc dfg||
afd dcd|BGF G2 g|bge ede|cAA ABG|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|Add cde|fdc dfg|
afd dcd|BGF G2 F|EGB e2d|cAA ABG|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|Add cde|fdc d2 B||
9
X: 9
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
|:G2 c cBA|GAG GEF|Gcc c2 d|ecA AcA|
Gcc cBA|GAG GEF|Gcc Bcd|1 ecB cBA:|2 ecB c2||
|:e/f/|gec cBc|AFF F2 a|afd d/e/dc|BGG GEF|
Gcc cBA|GAG GEF|Gcc Bcd|1 ecB c2:|2 ecB cBA||
10
X: 10
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
d3 B3|:A2 d dcB|ABA AFG|Add d2 e|fdB BdB|
Add dcB|ABA AFG|Add cde|1 fdc dcB:|2 fdc d2||
|:f/g/|
afd dcd|BGG G2 b|bge e/f/ed|cAA AFG|
Add fdB|ABA AFG|Add cde|1 fdc d2:|2 fdc dcB||
11
X: 11
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B|:Add dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdB {c}BAF|
Add dcB|AFB AFG|(3A/d/A/d cde|1 fdc dcB:|2 fdc dfg||
|:afd dcd|BGF G ga|bge {a}efd|cAA AFG|
Afg fdB|AFB AFG|(3A/d/A/d cde|1 fdc dfg:|2 fdc d2||
12
X: 12
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2B|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|f3 edB|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc dfg||
afd d2=c|BGF Gga|bge e2d|cdB ABG|
FAd fdB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc dfg|
afd dc=c|BGF Gga|bge e_ed|cdB ABG|
FAd fed|Bgf edB|Add cde|fdc d3||
13
X: 13
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:F/G/|A2d dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
A2d dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
|:f/g/|afd dcd|BGF Gga|bge ege|cAA ABA|
FAd fdB|AFB AFG|A2d cde|fdc d2:|
14
X: 14
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:F/G/|A2d dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
A2d dcB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
|:f/g/|afd dB/c/d|BGF Gga|bge ege|cAA ABA|
FAd fdB|AFB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
15
X: 15
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|1 fdc d2B:|2 fdc dfg||
|:afd dcd|BGF G2e|bge e2d|cAA AFG|
Add dcB|AdB AGF|Add cde|1 fdc dfg:|2 fdc dcB||

Twenty-one comments

When Sick is it Tea That You Want?

Anyone whose Grandma gave them whiskey to douse a fever or sooth a sore throat knows that this is a rhetorical question, and on the cd Bridgetown Burke and Connolly give this simple jig enough swing to get the point across. I transcribed this directly from the cd, and came out with a much more playable, lively version of the tune than any of the written forms I’ve seen. Burke freely slurs across the bars to keep the tune swinging, but otherwise there’s nothing particularly tricky about his approach.

Posted .

Composed by Abraham Mackintosh

This appears in his early 19th century manuscript (published on Tyneside) under the title “Go To The D**** And Shake Yourself”. Maybe in those days it would have been considered a bad omen to read the word “devil” on the page! The abc for that C major setting is below:

K:C
|:G|Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|Ecc dcd|ecA A2G|
Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|cec dgf|ecc c2:|
|:e/f/|gec cBc|AFF F2f/g/|afd ded|BGG G2G|
Gcc cBA|G>AG GEG|cec dgf|ecc c2:|

Another variant

I learned this version from the Boys of the Lough’s recording of it:

|:A|Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdB BAF|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|
|:f/g/|add d2 =c|BGG G2 g/a/|bee e2 d|cAA A2 B|
Add dcB|AdB AFG|Add cde|fdc d2:|

I must have first heard this from Packie Byrne many years ago, with a long intro concerning a piper at a party offered a cup of tea by the lady of the house first thing in the morning. When he plays this tune she asks its name, whereupon he says “When you’re drunk, is it tea that you want ?” she gets the message and a whiskey for him..

Go to the Devil

I learned an almost identical tune to this by the name of Go To the Devil and Shake yourself, and had forgotten most of it, and found this…either way an interestingly titled tune…

I’m sick of this tune and I don’t think tea can fix it

Bridgetown

Here’s Johnny’s setting.

X: 1
T: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?
S:Johnny B. Connolly
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Dmaj
B|:Add dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|fdB ~B3|
Add dcB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1fdc d2B:|2fdc dfg||
|:afd dcd|BGF G2 a|bge e2d|cAA A2 G|
FAd fdB|ABA AFA|ABd ede|1fdc dfg:|2fdc d2B||

Composed by Abraham Mackintosh

Not so sure that is correct, in Mackintosh’s 1801 collection ‘A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Jigs & Co’ it isn’t claimed as one of his while many other tunes are.

Posted .

Ok mea culpa! Great tune, whatever the origin

I posted Johnny’s setting not realizing Will transcribed the same source… for some reason I thought it was different. It came at the end of a long string of transcriptions that day… oh well.

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?, X:5

Here is an interesting version published by Breandan Breathnach in Ceol Rince na hÉireann, vol. 3, 1985, p. 13, no 27 as Tae ab’ ea a Theastaíonn is Tú Tinn?

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want? / The Penniless Traveller

According to Breandan Breathnach and tunearch.org , this tune is also known as The Penniless Traveller.
Here is a setting in G which appears in O’Neill’s Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, 1922, no. 156.

K:G
B/2c/2|dgg gfe|ded dBc|dgg g2 a|bag Te2 d|
dgg gfe|ded dBd|gbg a/2b/2c’a|bgg g2:|
|:B/2c/2|dBG GFG|ecc c2 d|eAA ABG|Edd d2 B|
|1dgg gfe|ded dBd|gbg a/2b/2c’a|bgg g2:|
|2dgg faa|gbb abc‘|d’bg a/2b/2c’a|bgg g2|]

X: 9 & 10 “If Sick Is It Tae You Want?”

|: G2 c cBA | GAG GEF | Gcc c2 d | ecA AcA |
Gcc cBA | GAG GEF | Gcc Bcd |[1 ecB cBA :|[2 ecB c2 ||
|: e/f/ |\
gec cBc | AFF F2 a | afd d/e/dc | BGG GEF |
Gcc cBA | GAG GEF | Gcc Bcd |[1 ecB c2 :|[2 ecB cBA |]

When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?, X:11

From the version performed by Sean Potts on The Drones and the Chanters - Irish Pipering, Vol. Two. I tried to get at some of the main backstitching involved. He plays it very quickly, around 143bpm so it’s hard to catch it all.

Re: When Sick Is It Tea That You Want?

Heard a piano version of this tune by John Field on RTE Lyric the other day and put it into google. It is also available on You Tube.

More interesting info : https://petermedhurst.com/recordings/go-to-the-devil-and-shake-yourself-john-field/

“Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself – a favorite [sic] Irish Dance, arranged as a Rondo for the Piano Forte by John Field. This delightful rondo is among the earliest of John Field’s compositions for the piano and found its way into print in 1797 through the London publishers Longman and Broderip.” etc.