Jamaica polka

a popular 17th century dance tune; several broadside ballad songs are set to the tune, including the lewd Jolly Tradesman, from Pills To Purge Melancholy.

Popular where ?

This is an English country dance tune. There’s a nice recording of it somewhere by the Broadside Band. I believe it is played in G on that recording.

Does anybody have the lyrics?

Voice version is here: http://ushiki.lionhvost.ru/mus/KD/broadside_band_-_Jamaica_%28voice%29.mp3

http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiPRODIGAL.html

There’s a good version from Maddy Prior somewhere, the song is generally listed as the Prodigals Resolution.

Actually, for your song you want the second to last post in this thread:
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=92215#1759975

Or, for a more modern version (linked from above): http://www.englishcivilwar.com/songs/jollybrewman.htm

Third attempt after having yet another few listens:
http://home.uchicago.edu/~atterlep/Music/Songs/jovialbroomman.htm

And even that one isn’t exactly what you’re hearing. Anyways, you should be able to piece everything together from the above links…

thanx!

X:1
T:Jamaica
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:150
K:G
“G”G2 B2 B2 cd | “C”e2 d2 e4 | “G”d2 B2 B2 AG | “D”A4 “G”G4 :|
“G”g2 g2 “D”f2 ed |“C” e2 e2 “G”d2 B2 |“G” g2 g2 “D” fg a2 |“A” e4 “D”d4 |
“G”g2 g2 “D”f2 ed |“C” e2 e2“G“ d2 B2 | “C”cd e2“G“d2 cB |“D” A4 “G” G4 ||

Here an interesting version (with chords) in 4/4 probably more similar to the original version.

And here it is with tune, dance and sung lyrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYTfBty-AeE

play video

This tune was originally known as the “Slow Men of London”, but later became known as the “Jovial Broome Man” when a ballad with this title was written and set to the tune:

A facsimile of this ballad is held in the British Library. Online version here:

https://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ballad/30105/image

More recently, used as the signature tune of BBC TV’s Shakespearian comedy: “Upstart Crow”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0959g36

From a slow man to a jovial tradesman… what a transition.
I like the slow way in which Dave Swarbrick plays it.