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Bobby Shaftoe
Traditional Polka, Reel or Sword Dance- English, New England; England, Northumberland.
ARTIST: From Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
Listen: Bobby Shaftoe
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1600’s
RECORDING INFO: Front Hall 003(1974), cut#A.08, Dudley Laufman- "Swinging on a Gate." Front Hall 010, Fennigs All Stars(1977), cut# 11a - "The Hammered Dulcimer Strikes Again.". Frodsham, Lance. Lance Frodsham, Dulcimer., Kicking Mule KM 227, LP (1983), cut#B.03a
OTHER NAMES: “Chickalaleo;” The 'B' part of the tune is the same as "Lady's Breast Knot," "Bonny Breast Knot," and, in America, "Jaybird," "Skip to My Lou," and "Daddy Shot a Bear."
SOURCES: Dudley Laufman (N.H.) [Brody]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 50. Bruce & Stokoe (Northumbrian Minstrelsy), 1882; pg. 115. Karpeles & Schofield (A Selection of 100 English Folk Dance Airs), 1951; pg. 32. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), Vol. 1, 1951; No. 52, pg. 26. Miller & Perron (101 Polkas), 1978; No. 100. Peacock (Peacock's Tunes), c. 1805/1980; No. 44, pg. 20. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 161, pg. 87. Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc.
NOTES: "C Major (Karpeles, Peacock): D Major (Brody, Raven): G Major (Miller & Perron {polka}, Raven {sword dance version}): B Flat Major (Stokoe). Standard. AB (Raven & Karpeles {sword dance versions}, Bruce & Stokoe): AAB (Brody): AABB (Miller & Perron): AABBCCDD (Raven): AABBCCDDEEFFGG (Peacock). "Bobby Shaftoe" is better known to recent generations as a nursery rhyme and jump-rope song. There is a morris dance {called "Castlering"} from Lichfield, England, which is performed to an altered version of this tune (tune and dance printed in Raven, pg. 87). The sword dance version is from the village of Askham Richard, England (Karpeles)." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
This is the US version from Mother Goose Nursery rhymes:
BOBBY SHAFTOE
Listen: Bobby Shaftoe
Bobby Shaftoe went to sea,
Silver buckles on his knee.
He'll come back and marry me,
Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.
Bobby Shaftoe's fine and fair,
Combing down his auburn hair.
He's my friend for evermore,
Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.
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