Life Is All Chequered jig

From Robin Williamson’s collection.

Played in the key of G in Cape Breton under the title Come Under My Pladie.

In O’Neill’s 1001 as “The Black Rogue” if I remember correctly. But obviously this is far cry from the sean-nós jig/air An Rógaire Dubh. It also bears many similarities to this jig, Get up Old Woman and Shake Yourself:

https://thesession.org/tunes/1937

Not the same tune as “The Black Rogue” already posted on session.org.

I first heard this tune in the late 1960s. It was being played by a fiddler as part of a tuneset for rapper sword dancing (Monkseaton Morris Men).

I’ve encoded the key as G Major as it begins in tha that key. However, it modulates into E minor in the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th bars of the “A” part and also in the 7th and 8th bars of the “B” part.

My ABC transcription includes my own setting of backing chords.

http://www.tunearch.org/wiki/Black_Rogue_(1) I learned this from Ryan’s years ago, where’s it’s titled “Come Under My Plaidie.” Surprised it isn’t here already in some form.

This one? https://thesession.org/tunes/7458

“Life Is All Chequered” ~ Dmajor

Submitted on July 6th 2007 by dafydd.
https://thesession.org/tunes/7458

The first six bars of the A part are virtually identical to Scattery Island https://thesession.org/tunes/9969

The B part is pretty much the middle part of the Battering Ram

Fans of Robert Burns will know this as the tune to his song “Tibbie Dunbar”. The tune is said to be written by Johnny McGill, a fiddler from Girvan in Ayrshire.

In the words of Robert Riddell of Glenriddell (from an interleaved copy of “The Scots Musical Museum”, where “Tibbie Dunbar” appears as no. 207) :

"This tune is said to be the composition of John MGill,
fiddler in Girvan; who called it after his own name."

X:2
T:Tibbie Dunbar (Johnny McGill)
C:att. Robert Burns / John McGill.
S:Scots Musical Museum Vol 3 No 207.
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Dmin
f\
|cAA A>GF|cAA A2 f|cAA AGA|FDD D2 f/d/|
c>BA A>GF|cAA A2 G/F/|G>AB AGA|FDD D2||
c\
|f>ef gfg|a>fd cAF|f>ef gfg|afd dfg|
a>fa geg|fde f2 e/d/|cAF G>BA/G/|FDD D2||

O wilt thou go wi’ me, sweet Tibbie Dunbar;
O wilt thou go wi’ me, sweet Tibbie Dunbar;
Wilt thou ride on a horse, or be drawn in a car,
Or walk by my side, O sweet Tibbie Dunbar.

I care na thy daddie, his lands and his money,
I care na thy kin, sae high and sae lordly:
But say thou wilt hae me for better for waur,
And come in thy coatie sweet Tibbie Dunbar.

Perhaps that should be attr (attributed).

http://www.burnsscotland.com/items/v/volume-iii,-song-207,-page-216-tibbie-dunbar.aspx

Clocking an amazingly ‘full’ 58 seconds, this song must be Ewan MacColl’s sweetest, shortest ever offering … one of his most moving as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7ceUnH4E3Q

play video