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Mussels In The Corner polka

Also known as An BhFaca Tú Mo Shéamaisin, Dirty Old Torbay Men.

There are 7 recordings of this tune.

Mussels In The Corner has been added to 3 tune sets.

Mussels In The Corner has been added to 33 tunebooks.

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Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GF ED|B,D E2|DB, G,A,|B,A, A,z|
GF ED|B,D E2|DB, A,B,|G,2 G,2|
B,B, A,G,|B,D E2|DB, G,A,|B,A, A,z|
B,B, A,G,|B,D E2|DB, A,B,|G,2 G,2|
2
X: 2
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
GF ED|B,D E2|dB GA|BA Az|
GF ED|B,D E2|dB AB|G2 G2||
BB AG|Bd e2|dB GA|BA Az|
BB AG|Bd e2|dB AB|G2 G2||
3
X: 3
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:dc BA|FA B2|AF DE|FE E2|
dc BA|FA B2|AF EF|D2 D2:|
|:FE DE|FA B2|AF DE|FE E2|
FE DE|FA B2|AF EF|D2 D2:|
4
X: 4
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:dc BA|FA B2|AF ED/E/|FE E2|
dc BA|FA B2|AF EF/E/|D2 D2:|
|:FE DE|FA B2|AF ED/E/|FE E2|
FE DE|FA B2|AF EF/E/|D2 D2:|
5
X: 5
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:GD GA|Bd eg/e/|dB AG/A/|BA A2|
GD GA|Bd eg/e/|dB AB/A/|G2 G2:|
|:gf ed|Bd eg/e/|dB AG/A/|BA A2|
gf ed|Bd eg/e/|dB AB/A/|G2 G2:|
6
X: 6
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:gf ed|Bd e2|dB GA|BA A2|
gf ed|Bd e2|dB AB|1 G2 G2:|2 G2 GB/c/||
|:dB GA|Bd e2|dB GA|BA AB/c/|
dB GA|Bd e2|dB AB|1 G2 GB/c/:|2 G2 G2||
7
X: 7
T: Mussels In The Corner
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:g>f ed|B/c/d e2|dB GA|BA A2|
g>f ed|B/c/d e2|dB GA|1 BG G2:|2 BG GB/c/||
|:dB GA|Bd e2|dB GA|BA AB/c/|
dB GA|Bd e2|dB GA|1 BG GB/c/:|2 BG G2||

Twelve comments

Mussels In The Corner/Dirty Old Torbay Men

THE quintessential Newfoundland tune. Well, maybe after I’se The Bye.
I don’t know how this tune relates to the Maggie In The Woods/Mussels In The Corner trad. tune as far as origins go.
There are more verses as well.

This is the basic version of our Newfoundland dance tune.
A.K.A. Dirty Old Torbay Men

Verse Lyrics

Chorus:
Deed I am in love with you
Out all night in the foggy dew
Deed I am in love with you
Mussels in the corner

Ask a bayman for a smoke
He will say his pipe is broke
Ask a bayman for a chew
He will bite it off for you

(chorus)

Here they are as thick as flies
Dirty shirts and dirty ties
Dirty rings around their eyes
Dirty old Torbay men

(chorus)

..transpose to higher keys as you wish
…nice to vary up into next octave after a few runs through e.g.
GFED|B,DE2|dBGA|BAAz|
GFED|B,DE2|dBAB|G2G2|
BBAG|Bde2|dBGA|BAAz|
BBAG| Bde2|dBAB|G2G2
…and back to first run again

… the choice of polka gives the 2/4 meter but this tune is probably better labeled a jig…😉

This tune, though arranged differently, is An BhFaca Tú Mo Shéamaisin or Maggie In The Woods.

Re: Mussels In The Corner

Note that https://thesession.org/tunes/12457#setting20810 is another (very incompatible!!!) setting of Mussels. (And to my surprise, another common crooked setting, the “Fogo Island Mussels”, is not up at the Session. If I get some time this week I will try again to figure out how to notate that one and post it -- the pattern of the crookedness is kind of tricky to set down in standard notation.)

Re: Mussels In The Corner

Neat!

Mussels In The Corner, X:6

How I prefer to play it.

N: Transposed down to the more typical key, simplified a bit.
K:Dmaj
|:dc BA|FA B2|AF DE|FE E2|
dc BA|FA B2|AF EF| D2 D2:|
|: AF DE|FA B2|AF DE|FE E2|
AF DE|FA B2|AF EF| D2 D2:|

Re: Mussels In The Corner

Thanks NfldWhistler, I like that version very much.
On the topic of Nfld music, I’m surprised nobody has submitted Wilf Doyles’s first tune, the Wiggletoe Hornpipe which others later called the Twiggletoe Hornpipe. Some good videos of it online, both accordion and fiddle.

Re: Mussels In The Corner

@Chellam,
My pleasure.

And I don’t think I’m aware of The Twiggletoe Hornpipe, I’ll check it out.