Bluegrass Messengers

Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes

Welcome to the wild and wacky world of fiddle tunes! There are thousands and thousands of fiddle tunes. On the Left Column is a collection of tunes that have lyrics that can be included in the Bluegrass (Old-Time) genre. This is a long term project for me and you are welcome to contribute lyrics. Just e-mail them to me, I will give you credit for your contributions. Right now, I am just putting the available lyrics and info I have in my database without doing much research or careful analysis. Later, I will come back and add footnotes, details and other versions from my print collections.

Some of the tunes included are played as solos on other instruments. The "Wildwood Flower" is a famous guitar solo. There are clawhammer and three finger banjo tunes included here.

There are two main origins of bluegrass fiddle tunes:

1) Fiddle tunes based on American melodies and songs (including folk songs, popular ballads, minstrel songs and blues & jazz songs). The American bluegrass repertory consists to a lesser degree of the Irish and Scottish influenced Canadian (French Canadian- Cape Breton) tunes, tunes from the southeast (jazz influenced Texas Swing) and from the Delta region the Cajun or Zydeco tunes.

2) Fiddle tunes that have originated overseas. Irish, English and Scottish fiddle tunes were brought into the region (as well as traditional ballads) by the hardy immigrants when the Southern Appalachian Mountains were settled. The types of tunes were quadrilles, schottishes, highland flings, waltzes, quick-steps, jigs and hornpipes. Over the years most of the 4/4 time tunes (hornpipes) became reels and breakdowns (as they were played faster) and lost the original syncopated rhythms. The melodies changed and new names (floaters) were given to the same tunes.

There are sometimes ten different 'floater' names for the same tune and sometimes a popular tune name has different melodies. Confused…just try sorting a thousand fiddle tunes. "Goodbye Liza Jane" is a main branch of the "Liza Jane" tunes but isn't the same as "L'il Liza Jane". "Black Them Boots" and "Goin' Down To Cairo" are interchangable and also mixed in with "Goodbye Liza Jane" which contains elements of "Limber Jim" known also as "Buck-Eye Jim". "Buck-Eye Jim" is related to "Seven-Up" but also has some text from the "Kitty Alone" groups which relates to "Kemo Kimo" which originates as "Froggy Went a Courtin'" back in 1549. Get the picture?

What about "Sally Ann"? ("She's down in the garden sifting sand") Where else??? Just don't tell me she's with the "Hog-eye Man."

Another problem arises with 'floater' lyrics. The same lyrics to "Old Joe Clark" can be found in the "Cindy" tune and "Calico" lyrics are found in "Johnson Gals". Different floater lyrics can be found interchangeably throughout fiddle tune lyrics.

Granny will your dog bite? No chile, no.

Most fiddle tunes lyrics are added to the fiddle tunes after they have become popular instrumental tunes. A good example is the Jimmy Driftwood’s "Battle of New Orleans". The fiddle tune, "Eighth of January", a traditional tune named after the American victory over the British on January 8, 1815 was appropriately used to add the lyrics about the "Battle of New Orleans". Try playing (or singing) it with a slower syncopated rhythm- it really bounces!

Breakdowns (also called reels or hoedowns) are the fastest tunes. The speed and drive of traditional old-time tunes is one important characteristic of bluegrass music. Many of the breakdowns like "Soldier’s Joy" (listen to the Doc Watson and Bill Monroe duet version), "Whiskey Before Breakfast", "Sally Goodin" or "Old Joe Clark" are played fast so you’ve get your lips moving if you want to get the words out. Mike Cross does a great job singing "Whiskey Before Breakfast" but it isn’t easy. You’ve got to keep your skillet good and greasy!

I’ve lumped all the fiddle tunes with lyrics into one batch. Some of the tunes here may not seem to be fiddle tunes or instrumental (it doesn’t have to be played only on a fiddle) tunes. To be an established fiddle or instrumental tune the melody will need to appear in print or on a recording more than one time. There’s a lot of leeway here but bluegrass has been many different places.

In some of the fiddle tune lyrics, there are offensive racial slurs. I find no place for racial slurs here and I have edited most out and footnoted the changes. I would never perform a song with a racial slur- there's no reason to perpetuate demeaning language. To be historically accurate, some versions that have -original lyrics- may be offensive and contain racial slurs. That's just the way they were originally written.

There are also some lyrics with sexual references and occasionally expletives. In most cases I've left the original lyrics. If you are offended, sorry.

Some of the resources on the web I've used are the Traditional Ballad Index; Ceolas-The Fiddler's Companion; Folk Music Index (An Index of Recorded Music)and The Mudcat Cafe. I've liberally used available info and included it here. Thanks to all!

There are many fiddle tunes that have lyrics that I don’t know. If you an established set of lyrics to any tune please e-mail me and I’ll give you credit for it on the site. I need to know any background info that you have including who was singing, where they were singing and when you heard the lyrics. If the lyrics are on a recording please give me the recording info. I’ll be updating this list when I get time. Hope you can use it.

Richard Matteson