The Navvie On The Line hornpipe

Also known as The Clog, Dillon’s, Ewan’s, The London, The Navigator, The Navvie, The Navvy On The Line.

There are 13 recordings of this tune.

The Navvie On The Line has been added to 8 tune sets.

The Navvie On The Line has been added to 106 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Three settings

1
X: 1
T: The Navvie On The Line
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
Bc|"G"dgfe dcBA|"G"GBDG B2(3BAG|"D7"FADF A2(3AGF|"G"GBDG "D7"B2Bc|
"G"dgfe (3ded(3cBA|"G"GBDG B2AG|"D7"FGAB cdef|"G"g2G2 G2:|
AG|"D7"FADF A2(3AGF|"G"GBDG B2(3BAG|"D7"FADF A2(3AGF|"G"GDEF "D7"GABc|
"G"dgfe (3ded(3cBA|"G"GBDG B2AG|"D7"FGAB cdef|"G"g2G2 G2:|
2
X: 2
T: The Navvie On The Line
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:B>c|d>gf>e (3ded (3cBA|G>BD>G (3BcB A>G|F>AD>F (3ABA G>F|G>DE>F G>AB>c|
d>gf>e (3ded (3cBA|G>BD>G (3BcB A>G|F>GA>B c>de>f|g2 G2 G2:|
|:A>G|F>AD>F (3ABA G>F|G>BD>G (3BcB A>G|F>AD>F (3ABA G>F|G>DE>F G>AB>c|
d>gf>e (3ded (3cBA|G>BD>G (3BcB A>G|F>GA>B c>de>f|g2 G2 G2:|
3
X: 3
T: The Navvie On The Line
R: hornpipe
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
(3cd^d|:ea (3ga/g/f edcB|(3ABc EA cc (3Bc/B/A|(3GAB EG (3BEd cB|(3ABc EA cE (3cd^d|
ea (3ga/g/f edcB|(3ABc EA cc (3Bc/B/A|GBgf edcB|1 Aaec A2 (3cd^d:|2 Aaec AA (3Bc/B/A||
|:(3GAB E{F}G BdcB|(3ABc EA [ce][ce] (3Bc/B/A|(3{F}GAB E{F}G BdcB|(3ABc EA cE (3{A}cd^d|
ea (3ga/g/f edcB|(3ABc EA cc (3Bc/B/A|GBgf edcB|1 Aaec AA (3Bc/B/A:|2 Aaec A2 (3 (3cd^d||
# Added by jmeme .

Eleven comments

This one’s attributed to James Hill

Navvy On the Shore

There’s a reel version with the above title already here. It’s the one most commonly associated with the Bothy Band Recording.

Different tunes?

I don’t see what this has to do with the reel the Bothy Band recorded, apart from the name, and them both being in “G”.

Posted by .

London Hornpipe

I know this as “London Hornpipe”, again an American fife and drum crossover tune.

Different Tunes?

I know this tune has nothing to do with the Bothy Band recording. It’s just that this hornpipe shows up as the tune listed on the Bothy Band page. If you were looking for the tune by the Bothy Band, you would be disappointed. No big deal - that’s just the way the software works.

Canadian Reel

We play this in New England under the name of Reel de Montreal. Dr. Dow-- is it on one of Hill’s tune books?

This is definitely a James Hill composition from the 19th century. It cannot be claimed as a Canadian tune - sorry. I have commented on Reel de Montreal before here https://thesession.org/tunes/1346. It seems to have been cobbled together for square dancing as a 20th century composite of other tunes from the English/Scottish traditions.

Re: The Navvie On The Line

In Middleton’s Selection (Keith, 1870), edited by Peter Milne, this tune is given the title “Ewan’s Hornpipe”.

Re: The Navvie On The Line

… and in the Athole Collection (1884) it’s called “Evans”.