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Rakes of Mallow/ See also: Guiness on Saucer
Old-Time Fiddle: Irish (originally), English, American; Polka, Reel or March. England; North‑West, Northumberland. USA; Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York State, Massachusetts, Maine.
ARTIST: from Kuntz.
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: The earliest appearance of “Rakes of Mallow” is in Walsh’s London-published Caledonian Country Dances of 1733 (pg. 34).
RECORDING INFO: The Rakes of Mallow/Marlow [ON1814/Me IV-B14]
At -
Mf - Galway Piper ; Finnegan's Wake ; Guiness On a Saucer
Kennedy, Peter (ed.) / Fiddler's Tune Book, Hargail, poc (1951), # 54 [1950ca]
Polla, W. C. (ed.) / Pioneer Collection: Old Time Dances, Paull-Pioneer, fol (1932), p21b (Old Memories)
Visconti, Carl (ed.) / Paint Creek Folklore Society Song Tune Book, Paint Creek, Sof (1986), p57
Luboff, Norman; and Win Stracke (eds.) / Songs of Man, Prentice-Hall, Bk (1966), p240
Knorr, Frederick (arr.) / Cowboy Dance Tunes, Caxton, Sof (1941/1939), p11 (Romping Molly)
In Dublin's Fair City, Walton's, Sof (1968), p84
Beltaine. String Fling, Beltaine 02, CD (2005), 9
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Columbia CS 8448, LP (1960), trk# B.02b
Coleman, Michael. Classic Recordings of Michael Coleman, Shanachie 33006, LP (1979), trk# A.04a [1930ca] (Heights of Alma)
Conway, Pat. Conway, Pat / Soodlum's Irish Tin Whistle Tutor, Soodlum, Sof (1980), p20
Faier, Billy. Art of the Five String Banjo, Riverside RLP 12-813, LP (1957), trk# A.01
Galvin, Patrick. Irish Drinking Songs, Riverside RLP 12-604, LP (195?), trk# 5
Innisfail Irish Orchestra. Trad. Irish Recordings from the 1920's & 30s. Vol 1 U.S Recordin, Oldtime OTR 101, CD (2006), trk# 16b [1930/02]
Jillson, Lewis L.. Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (ed.) / Folk Songs of Old New England, Dover, Bk (1993/1939), p 99 [1920-30s]
Keefer, Jane. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1982/08,p15
Lincoln Minute Men Fife and Drums. Grand Musick, Old North Bridge ONB 1775, LP (1974), trk# A.04
Lough, Anne. Dulcimer Players News, DPN, Ser, 29/2, p25(2003)
Mole Hill Highlanders. Union Grove, The Hub of the Universe, Union Grove SS-4, LP (1970), trk# 20 [1970/04]
New Columbia Fiddlers. Fiddle Tunes of the Lewis and Clark Era, Voyager VRCD 358, CD (2002), trk# 12
Nicholson, Roger. Nonesuch for Dulcimer, Trailer Ler 3034, LP (1972), trk# A.03b
O'Neill, J.. O'Neill, Francis / O'Neill's Music of Ireland, Collins, Fol (1903/1964), #1814
Smith, Paul. Devil Eat the Groundhog, Rounder 0409, CD (1999), trk# 10 (Pretty Little Girl)
Thompson, Linda Lowe. Dulcimer Players News, DPN, Ser, 13/2, p25(1987)
Traum, Happy. Traum, Happy (ed.) / Bluegrass Guitar, Oak, Sof (1974), p 87
Village Green Musicians. Village Green - Dance Music of Old Sturbridge Village, North Star NS 0038, Cas (199?), trk# B.03b
Williamson, Robin. Williamson, Robin / Penny Whistle Book, Oak, Sof (1977), p30
OTHER NAMES: Marlow; Rakes of London; “Jolly Sailor,” “Rakes of London,” "Rigs o' Marlow," “Romping Molly.” AKA – “Rakes of Malta,” “Rakes of Mellow.”
SOURCES: Thede; Ceolas; Folk Index;
NOTES: A RAKES OF MALLOW, THE (Na Racairide Ua Mag-Ealla). AKA and see G Major. Standard tuning. AB (Bronner, O'Neill): AABB (Aird, Johnson/1983, Kerr, Linscott, Russell, Ruth, Sweet, Seattle/Vickers, Wade): AABBCC (Johnson, Karpeles, Kennedy, Raven). Bayard (1981) identifies the name as apparently stemming from the 18th century when the town of Mallow, County Cork (on the river Blackwater between Limerick and Cork City), was a well‑known spa. Russell (1989) calls it a “prosperous little town” today, and one which has attracted industry and population because of the good land nearby. Mallow is located at the western end of the ‘Golden Vale’ which stretches across Ireland into Meath and Dublin. ‘Rakes’ appears to be short for ‘rakehell’, which itself stems from the Old Icelandic word "reikall," meaning "wandering” or “unsettled." One of the early printings of the tune is in the collection of Burke Thumoth, 1745 (as “Rakes of Marlow”), and Paul Gifford has found it in a manuscript of Danish hakkebraet (dulcimer) tablature under the title "Rakes of London,” dated 1753. However, the earliest appearance of “Rakes of Mallow” is in Walsh’s London-published Caledonian Country Dances of 1733 (pg. 34). The melody is still heard in English sessions in modern times, although considered a ‘beginner’s tune’.
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In America an early version appears in the music manuscript copybook of Henry Livingston, Jr. Livingston purchased the estate of Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1771 at the age of 23. In 1775 he was a Major in the 3rd New York Regiment, which participated in Montgomery’s invasion of Canada in a failed attempt to wrest Montreal from British control. An important land-owner in the Hudson Valley, and a member of the powerful Livingston family, Henry was also a surveyor and real estate speculator, an illustrator and map-maker, and a Justice of the Peace for Dutchess County. He was also a poet and musician, and presumably a dancer, as he was elected a Manager for the New York Assembly’s dancing season of 1774-1775, along with his 3rd cousin, John Jay, later U.S. Chief Justice of Governor of New York. Livingston included the following verse, a drinking song attributed to Edward Lysaght, with the melody.
The tune has apparently sometimes been linked in New England with the dance "Morning Star," and can be used for either a polka or a single step dance in the North‑West (England) morris dance tradition. The title appears in a list of the repertoire of Maine fiddler Mellie Dunham. The elderly Dunham was Henry Ford's champion fiddler in the late 1920's. “Rakes of Mallow” was prominently featured in director John Ford’s film The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne (filmed in the village of Cong, Ireland), as the theme for the fight scene when the town comes alive. See also the tune under the name “Romping Molly” in Shaw’s Cowboy Dances (1943). Bruce Olson gives a good history of the song at the Digital Tradition Mirror. Sources for notated versions: Lewis Jilson (Bernardstown, Mass.) [Linscott]; Les Weir, 1976 (New York State) [Bronner]; seven southwestern Pa. fifers and fiddlers [Bayard]; Bob Fleck (Michigan) [Johnson]. Aird (Selections), vol. II, 1782; No. 21, pg. 8 (appears as “Rakes of Mall”). Arkie, pg. 46. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 190A‑G, pgs. 145‑148. Bronner (Old Time Music Makers of New York State), 1987; No. 29, pg. 118. Cazden, 1955; pg. 39. Cushing, No. 61. DeVille, 1905; No. 67. Jarman, 1951; pg. 73. S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 4: Collection of Fine Tunes), 1983 (revised 1991, 2001); pg. 13. S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's No. 7: Michigan Tunes), vol. 7, 1986‑87; pg. 10. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; pg. 33 (appears as "Rigs O' Marlow" in an strathspey setting). Keller (Giles Gibbs Jr. His Book For the Fife...1777), 1974; pg. 11. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 1, 1951; No. 54, pg. 27. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 3; No. 371, pg. 41. Linscott (Folk Songs of Old New England), 1939; pg. 99. Miller & Perron (New England Fiddlers Repertoire), 1983; No. pg. Moffat (Minstrelsy of Ireland), 1897; pg. 21. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 33, pg. 125. O'Malley, 1919; pg. 39. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1979; No. 1814, pg. 341. Ostling, 1939; No. 22. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 169. Robbins, 1933; No. 133. Russell (The Piper’s Chair), 1989; pg. 17. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 6, pg. 4. Seattle (William Vickers), 1987, Part 2; No. 204. Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965/1981; pg. 56. Sym, pg 25. Wade (Mally’s North West Morris Book), 1988; pg. 14. Wier, pg. 455. Folkways 8826, Per's Four‑‑"Jigs and Reels." North Star NS0038, "The Village Green: Dance Music of Old Sturbridge Village." Bob Smith’s Ideal Band – “Better than an Orchestra” (1977).
"The Rakes of Mallow" from Kuntz:
Beauxing, belling, dancing, drinking,
Breaking windows, damning, sinking,
Ever raking never Thinking
Lives the Rakes of Mallow.
Spending faster than it comes,
Beating Bawds, whores, and duns,
Bacchus’ true begotten sons,
Lives the Rakes of Mallow.
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