The Girl I Left Behind Me polka

Source: Music Of Sligo by Peter Horan And Fred Finn
Transcription: gian marco pietrasanta

I’m sure this was a signature tune for a radio program in Ireland many years ago - it is more than somewhat familiar. Nice tune anyway.

Really the shirt? LOL

More commonly known as tune/ song “The Girl I Left Behind Me”. However, I once saw the lyrics to a comic song to this tune about the misadventures of a farm labourer and the shirt. I am afraid I can only remember the last two lines

And I was fined 10 quid for braining that kid
In the shirt I left behind me

Anyone got the rest of the words?

A polka version of “My Mind Will Never Be Easy”?

Also Known As “The Waxies Dargle”.

Also known as “Brighten Camp.”

Most famously played by Buggs Bunny on fife and Porky Pig on snare drum. 🙂

–James

There’s an old IWW song to this tune, called “The Mysteries of A Hobo’s Life”, findable under that title at mudcat. The little that’s known about the author, “T-Bone Slim”, is a good story for those interested in American history. For that matter, the song itself is a good introduction to the American labor movement of the early twentieth century. And you thought this stuff was just folk music!
-Jon

Many names seem to exist for this tune - Brighton Camp, The Girl I Left Behind Me, and the original Upton-Upon-Severn Stick dance tune (before it was replaced by the eponymous tune).
Interestingly it is also mentioned in Haggard’s ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ (written in 1885) - one of the main characters whistles the tune ‘The Girl I left behind me’.

One set of lyrics:
The Black cat piddled in the white cat’s eye,
the white cat said ‘Corr Bli-mey’,
The black cat said it serves you right,
You shouldn’t have stood behind me!

Here’s a nice version……
K:G
gf|\ e2dc B2A2|B2G2 E2D2|G2G2 GABc|d4 B2gf|\
e2dc B2A2|B2G2 E2G2|FGA2 D2EF|G4 G2:| \
|dc|B2 Bcd2ef |g2dcBAG2|Bc d2e2f2|g4 f2gf|\
e2dc B2A2|B2G2 E2G2|FGA2 D2EF|G4 G2 :|

Says my aul wan to your aul wan
Will ye come to the waxies dargle?
Says your aul wan to my aul wan,
Sure I havent got a farthing.
Ive just been down to monto town
To see uncle mcardle
But he didnt have half a crown
For to go to the waxies dargle.

What are ye having, will ye have a pint?
Yes, Ill have a pint with you, sir,
And if one of us doesnt order soon
Well be thrown out of the boozer.

Says my aul wan to your aul wan
Will ye come to the galway races?
Says your aul wan to my aul wan,
With the price of my aul lads braces.
I went down to capel street
To the jew man moneylenders
But they wouldnt give me a couple of bob on
My aul lads suspenders.

Chorus

Says my aul wan to your aul wan
We have no beef or mutton
But if we go down to monto town
We might get a drink for nuttin
Heres a piece of good advice
I got from an aul fishmonger:
When food is scarce and you see the hearse
Youll know you have died of hunger.

(As sung by Sweeney’s Men back in the 1960s and later on by the Pogues)

I’ve always thought that ‘Brighton Camp’ is a corruption of ‘The Bride in Camp’ hence ‘The Girl I left Behind Me’

surely songs about the American organised labour movement in the 1920s, or songs like “Sixteen Tons” - about the practice of payment in company scrip against controlled debt - are just as much “folk music” as ballads about hard-done-by 17th century ploughboys or Irish banshees?

I’ve never heard “Going’ up Camborne Hill coming down” or “Away down to Lamorna” at a “trad” session outside Cornwall but they are still sung by rugby players and mining students who have never been to a folk club in their lives.

“Wild Rover” and “Black Velvet Band” tend to be scorned as the next worst thing to morris dancing, Duelling Banjos or When I’m Cleaning Windows ( for the ukulele people ) but they are undoubtedly “folk music” in the sense that folk know them..

“All music is folk music. I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

No, neigh, never.

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/GIB_GIV.htm#GIRL_I_LEFT_BEHIND_ME_[1]

X: 1
T: Girl I Left Behind Me, The
S: “Hime’s Pocket Book for the German Flute or Violin, vol. III”, 1810
N: [from Fleischmann, no. 5244]
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: GMaj
|: g/f/ |\
ec BA | BG EF | G>A G/A/B/c/ | d>B gf/g/ |
ec BA | BE E/F/G/A/ | B/A/G/F/ EF | G2 G :|
|: e |\
ef gf/e/ | fB Bd|ef g/f/e/d/ | e>f gf/g/ |
ec BA | BE E/F/G/>A/ | B/A/G/F/ EF | G2 G ||
|: B/c/ |\
dB gf/g/ | dB ba/g/ | f/e/d/c/ B/A/G/F/ | E/G/F/A/ G :|

X: 2
T: Girl I Left Behind Me, The
S: Rice-Walsh manuscript
Z: Paul Kinder
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
R: march
K: G
|: gf |\
edB^c dBA=c | BAGF EDEF | GFGA GABc | dedc B2 gf |
(3efg de (3Bcd Ac | BAGF EDEF | GFED EGFA | G4 G2 :|
|: BA |\
Bdef gfgb | agfe d2 Bd | edef gfed | (3efg af g2 fg |
(3efg de (3Bcd Ac | BAGF EDEF | GFED EGFA | G4 G2 :|
|: gf |\
(3efg dB (3cde cA | (3Bcd BG FDEF | GBdB cdec | (3efg (3fga gfed |
(3efg dB (3cde cA | (3Bcd BG FDEF | GFED EGFA | G4 G2 :|
|: GF |\
DGBd dcAB | cBGB BAFA | DGBd dcAg | (3fga gf gdBG |
DGBd dcAB | cBGB BAFA | BAGA (3Bcd FA | G4 G2 :|
|: dc |\
BA (3Bcd ed (3efg | (3fga gf gdBG | BA (3Bcd ed (3efg | (3fga gf g2 fg |
(3efg dB (3cde cA | (3Bcd BG FDEc | (3BdB GB (3AcA FA | G4 G2 :|

X: 3
T: Girl I Left Behind Me, The
S: John Carroll manuscript c. 1804-1812
B: 55.2
Z: Paul Tyler
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
K: GMaj
|: g2 |\
edcB cBAG | GABG E3 F | G2 G2 GABc | d3 c B3 g |
edcB cBAG | GABG E2 BA | GFED EGFA |G4 G2 :|
|: c2 |\
B2 d2 e2 f2 | g2 ed B3 A | B2 d2 egfg | e4 g3 e |
edcB cBAG | GABG E2 BA | GFED EGFA | G4 G2 :|

X: 4
T: Girl I Left Behind Me, The
B: “Cowboy Dances”, Lloyd Shaw
L: 1/8
M: 2/4
K: GMaj
g/f/ |\
ed c/B/A/G/ | AG E>F | GG G/A/B/c/ | d2 B(g/f/) |
ed c/B/A/G/ | AG E>G | FA DE/F/ | G2 G2 ||
GB de/f/ | gd B>G | Bd ef | g2 f(g/f/) |
ed c/B/A/G/ | AG E>G | FA DE/F/ | G2 G2 |]

X: 2
T: Girl I Left Behind Me, The
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: GMaj
g/f/ |\
ed/c/ BA | BG ED | GG G/A/B/c/ | d2 Bg/f/ |
ed/c/ BA | BG EG | F/G/A DE/F/ | G2 G :|
| dc |\
BB/c/ de/f/ | gd/c/ B/A/G | B/c/d ef | g2 fg/f/ |
ed/c/ BA | BG EG | F/G/A DE/F/ | G2 G :|

X: 7
T: Rambling Laborer, The
B: “O’Neill’s Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies”, 1903, page 52, tune #299
B: Section: Airs, Songs
N: Moderate
S: F. O’Neill
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: air, song
K: GMaj
e |\
dB c/B/A/G/ | AG E(E/F/) | GG G/A/B/c/ | d2 Be |
dB c/B/A/G/ | AG E(F/G/) | FA D(E/F/) | G2 G ||
d |\
Bd ef | gd BG | Bd ef | g2 fg |
ed BG | B/A/G/F/ E(F/G/) | FA D(E/F/) | G2 G |]

X: 8
T: Spalpeen Fanach, The
B: “O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems”, 1907, page 167, tune #972
B: section - “Long Dances, Set Dances, Etc.”
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: GMaj
|: (gf) |\
e(fed) B2 A2 | GABG E2 (EF) | G2 (GF) GABc | d(edc) B2 (gf) |
efed B2 A2 | GABG E2 G2 | FGA(F DE)F(A | G4) G2 :|
|: (GA) |\
Bde(f g2) fg | a(gfe) d2 (Bd) | ede(f af)ed | e2 f2 g2 (fg) |
efe(d .Bc)BA | GABG E(DEG) | FGA(F DE)F(A | G4) G2 :|

X: 9
T: Buy Me A Banana
T: Mamma Will You Buy Me a Banana
S: Denis McMahon, Timmy O’Connor & Paudy Scully
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: GMaj
|: B/d/ |\
ed BG | B/A/G EF | G>F GB | d2 dB/d/ |
ed BG | AG EG | F/G/A EF | G2- G :|
|: A |\
B/c/d ef | gd BG | B/c/d ef | g2 fg/f/ |
ed BG | B/A/G EG | F/G/A EF | G2 G :|

S: “Hime’s Pocket Book for the German Flute or Violin, vol. III”, 1810
N: [from Fleischmann, no. 5244]

R: march
S: Rice-Walsh manuscript
Z: Paul Kinder

Originally notated as M: 2/4 & L: 1/16, here changed to M: 4/4 & the standard L: 1/8

S: John Carroll manuscript c. 1804-1812
B: 55.2
Z: Paul Tyler

Originally notated as M: 2/4 & L: 1/16, here changed to the site standard of L: 1/8

B: “Cowboy Dances”, Lloyd Shaw

B: “O’Neill’s Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies”, 1903, page 52, tune #299
B: Section: Airs, Songs
N: Moderate
S: F. O’Neill
R: air, song

B: “O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems”, 1907, page 167, tune #972
B: section - “Long Dances, Set Dances, Etc.”

S: Denis McMahon, Timmy O’Connor & Paudy Scully

& - “Set Dances of Ireland, Volume II” - track 9
https://thesession.org/recordings/2924
http://www.irishtune.info/album/SDI+2/

B: “Dances of Donegal”, collected by Grace Orpen, D.M. Wilkie, London, 1931
The first few pages of this book, and its first tune & dance:
“The Fairy Dance” - https://thesession.org/tunes/424

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
(page 28 - music notation & dance description)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Highland (Couple Dance)
Tune: “The Girl I Left Behind Me” (2/4)

Steps - - - - - - - - - Description - - - - - - - - - Bars

Partners stand as for “Shoe the Donkey”.
Two slipping steps in line of direction. (LOD = ACW) - - - 1
Two slipping steps back to place. - - - 1
Four slipping steps in line of direction. - - - 2 ~ [A 1-4]
Repeat going the other way first. - - - 4 ~ [A 5-8]
Turn partner as in “Military Two-Step”. - - - 4 ~ [B 1-4]
Partners swing. - - - 4 ~ [B 5-8]

<[ NOTES: I have known this one too, but, again, without the parts of the tune repeating. I’ve given those parts and bars for the dance in brackets on the right, at the end of the movement. Also, it was never called a ‘highland’, but was recognized as a polka/polky dance… I think there has obviously been some confusion in titling of this dance. ]>

ITMA: Irish Traditional Music Archive/Taisce Cheol DÚchais Éireann
http://www.itma.ie/
Grace Orpen’s Local Donegal Dances, 1931
http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/print-collection/donegal-dances-1931
“Dances of Donegal” collected and edited by Grace Orpen, 1931
Click on ‘32 Pages’ to view them, with Grace Orpen’s ‘Figures’/illustrations…
http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/book/dances-of-donegal

The tune was used also by the American vaudeville star Frank Crumit for his song “Donald the Dub”, recorded in 1930. An album of his owned by my father was one of the first pieces of musics I remember listening to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPnuar6tkrM

play video

Setting as played at the Golden Guinea pub session, Bristol (UK).

“Elizabeth Custer’s final glimpse of her husband came as the Seventh Cavalry marched out of Fort Lincoln onto the Dakota plains in May 1876. The regimental band played “The Girl I Left Behind Me” as General George Armstrong Custer led his command toward Montana and death on the Little Bighorn River.”

Custer’s favorite marching tune was “Garry Owen,” but “The Girl I Left Behind” is what they heard playing when they left the fort for the last time.

Just read the “Grant” biography by Ron Chernow. He quotes a letter of a union soldier as he remembers the union band playing “Girl I Left Behind” on flutes and drums as the troops marched toward Vicksburg for the epic battle. The tune sounds so Irish. I play a mandolin set that starts with South Wind >into> Off to California> ending with Girl I left Behind. I like to point out the title of the tune is redundant. The smart aleck in me.

Played in the States in old time jams. Used to be widely heard in cartoons, commercials, films, etc.

From the playing of Buddy Wasisname And The Other Fellers.

Transposed down from Bbmaj. Crooked variant.

Straight version of X14.

The Irish Traditional Music Archive has some lyrics for this tune, from the singing of Newfoundlander Patsy Judge.

Verses:
Oh I’ll go to dice, I’ll kill the sile,
And I’ll get the crew to join me,
I’ll make the bale and fetch it home,
To the girl I left behind me.

Oh I’ll go to dice, I’ll kill the sile,
And I’ll get the crew to join me,
I’ll make the bale and fetch it home,
To the girl I left behind me.

Chorus:
Diddle-le-die … (2 times, “non-sense” syllables)

The lyrics are here, and you can hear Patsy singing it, around 4 mins in of the audio clip:
https://www.itma.ie/newfoundland/discover-explore/songbook/gob-music

15 versions!! But the tune and song are popular and for good reasons.

“Jack or Donald marches away to glory with his knapsack on his shoulder, stepping out briskly to the tune of The Girl I left behind me. It is she who remains and suffers, -and has the leisure to think, and brood, and remember.”

in; Vanity Fair (a novel without a hero)
- chapter XXX ; ‘The Girl I Left Behind Me’
by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)
Published in instalments 1847-48
to great critical acclaim and public success.
The great satirical novelist’s story takes place before and after Waterloo. The tune was already an old chestnut to his readers in the mid-19th century.

You can read this entertaining chapter here;
http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/grol/thackeray/vanity30.htm

Thackeray drew his own illustrations to the novel.
The caption to the caricature for chapter XXX reads VENUS PREPARING THE ARMOUR OF MARS
(You can “google it up” to see what it looks like)
Googling for images with the title “The girl I left behind me” reveals the extent to which the tune / lyrics have been published, printed and reprinted over the last 200 years…

I learned this tune on fife and though I played Irish music then, I had no idea until this week that it was an Irish tune. But of course, how could I have not heard the resemblance!

The version I’m most familiar with is #13 posted here.