Going to Boston- Version 3 Lomax

Going to Boston- Version 3
 Lomax

Goodbye Girls We're Going to Boston/ Going to Boston/Kate Lay Sleeping/ What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?/

See Also: Goodbye Girls We're Going to Boston

American, Reel and Air (originally Irish)- USA, Southwestern Pa.

ARTIST: Lomax; American Ballads and Folk Songs

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1792-1800’s tune; 1800’s lyrics

RECORDING INFO-Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston

Rt - We're All Going to Boston
Rm - Going to Boston
Reid, Bruce. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p 68
Stamper, Art. Lost Fiddler, County 779, LP (1982), trk# 6
Stamper, Art. Titon, Jeff Todd / Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes, Kentucky, Bk/ (2001), p 82/# 51 [1982]
We're All Going to Boston

Rt - Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston
Durbin, Carl. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p315/#525A [1927/06/05]
Lattin, Rosie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume III, Humorous & Play-Party ..., Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p316/#525B [1932/09/14]

RECORDING INFO-Going to Boston [Sh 261]

Rt - What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor
Rm - Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston
Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p297
Lair, John (ed.) / 100 WLS Barn Dance Favorites, Cole, fol (1935), p94
Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p154 [1930s]
Clemmens, Ginni. Sing a Rainbow and Other Children Songs, Folkways FC 7637, LP (1967), trk# B.01b (Play Party Medley)
Common Ground. Traveller's Choice, Kicking Mule KM 229, LP (1984), trk# 2a
Gingerthistle. Live at the Univ. of Maryland, Kudzu KPP 009, CD (2005), trk# 2
Kretzner, Leo; and Jay Leibovitz. Dulcimer Fair, Traditional TR 018, LP (1981), trk# B.06a
Langstaff, John. Songs for Singing Children, Revels 8586, CD (1996), trk# 15 [1962]
Lapidus, Joellen. Lapidus, Joellen / Lapidus On Dulcimer, ALMO, sof (1978), p 29
McLain Family Band. Country Dance Album, Country Life CLR-16, LP (1986), trk# B.03
Meyer, Fred. Rockin' Chair, Midwest Coast MC-001, LP (1978), trk# A.03b
Ritchie, Jean. O Love Is Teasin', Elektra BLP 12051, LP (1985), trk# 2.19
Ritchie, Jean. Best of Jean Ritchie, Prestige International 13003, LP (196?), trk# 10
Ritchie, Jean. Traditional Music at Newport, 1964, Part 2, Vanguard VSD 79183, LP (1965), trk# B.05
Ritchie, Jean. Ritchie, Jean / Dulcimer Book, Oak, sof (1963), p28
Ritchie, Jean. Marching Across the Green Grass and other American Children Game, Asch AH 752, LP (1968), trk# A.08
Smith, Hillard. Sharp, Cecil & Maude Karpeles (eds.) / Eighty English Folk Songs from th, MIT Press, Sof (1968), p 87 [1917c]
Smith, Hillard. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p371/# 261 [1917/09/20]
Song Spinners. Johnson, Margaret & Travis (eds) / Early American Songs from ... the Spi, AMP, Fol (1943), #26

RECORDING INFO- Kate Lay Sleeping Tune: Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p 74c; Cronin, Paddy. Rakish Paddy, Fiddler FRLP 002, LP (1975), cut# 9; Monger, Eileen. Lilting Banshee, Saydisc SDL 348, LP (1985), cut#B.02; Killen, Lou and Sally. Bright Shining Morning, Front Hall FHR 006, LP (1975), cut#B.01

RECORDING INFO-What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor: Traditional Music in America, Folklore Associates, Bk (1940/1965), p389b (Drunken Sailor); Cox, Dennis & Lori. Tarbot Anthology. Cape Breton's Music Festival, Shag Rock SOTH 0001, LP (1978), cut#A.06; Crofters. Crofters, London SW 99535, LP (197?), cut#A.03 (Drunken Sailor); Kingston Trio. At Large, Capitol T 1199, LP (1959), B.04 (Early in the Morning); MacArthur, Margaret. How to Play the MacArthur Harp, Front Hall FHRBP 1005, Cas (1986), cut#p.36 (Drunken Sailor); Maitland, Richard. American Sea Songs and Shanties (I), Library of Congress AFS L26, LP (195?), cut#A.03 (Drunken Sailor); McGuire, Barry; and Barry Kane. Star Folk Volume 3, Surrey S-1022, LP (197?), cut#A.03 (Drunken Sailor); Seeger, Pete. American Favorite Ballads. Volume 4. Tunes and Songs, Folkways FA 2323, LP (1963), cut#B.06; The Group. 'The Group' Visits Puget Sound, Golden Crest CR 3056, LP (196?), cut#B.03 (Drunken Sailor); Twelve Buccaneers. Shanties, Boulevard 4071, LP (1972), cut#B.09 (Drunken Sailor); Unknown. Folk Music USA. Vol. 1, Folkways FE 4530, LP (1959), cut#B.03 (Drunken Sailor)

OTHER NAMES: AKA Columbus Cotillion: "The Drunken Sailor" is another title for this English country dance tune, published in America around 1792 and popular in the early 19th century. It has been used for numerous songs, play party tunes and ditties, including "Ten Little Indians" and "The Monkey's Wedding," and is also a well known French Canadian square dance tune. "Kate's Laid in the Hay," "Round and Round the Green Sugar Tree," "Whitewashed Kate."

SAME MELODY: "Going To Boston" “Drunken Sailor/What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor;” "Ten Little Indians;" "The Monkey's Wedding,"

RELATED MELODY: "Come Philander" “Charming Molly;” “Goin' to Boston;” “Old Brass Wagon”

SOURCES: Harry Wingrove (Westmoreland County, Pa., 1946), Charles Clark (Fayette County, Pa., 1946), Eben Patterson (Allegheny County, Pa., 1930's), Samuel Losch (Juniata County, Pa., 1930's) [Bayard]. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 251, pgs. 214-215.

SOURCES Breach Of Killicranky: Highland/ Reel (Am) Bayard DTF 1982 #231 p214 "Kate lay sleeping" - FELDMAN p88 2nd tune on page & p247 "The Lass of K" (Highland) - KENNEDY FTB 1951 1 p18/ 1994 #73 p20 alt: "Barrack Hill" - KERR MM 2 #23 p49 - Tunebook Ms #122 p310 & #134 p404 "Charming Molly" - O'NEILL (not in MOI) DMI #410 as Single Jig - MOYLAN 2 #320 p183 12/8 Slide from John O Leary (melodeon) "Barrack Hill" - ROCHE 2 #250 p23 6/8 "Barrack Hill" - see also THE HAUGHS OF CROMDALE - TRALEE GAOL -- Paddy BREEN (vert flute) of Co Clare rec by PK, London 1950: FOLKTRAX 078 - Johnny DOHERTY (fid) Untitled March: TOPIC 12-TS-398 1984

CHARMING MOLLY - "fair brisk and gay" "like nightingales in May - C M with the sparkling eye" - a dialogue between C M & C Johnny - ROUD#1213 & #1702 - DEAN-SMITH title: "Constant Johnny" - BARING GOULD 1889 SOW #80 "C Johnny" re-arranged by Fleetwood Sheppard - SBG-HITCHCOCK FSWC 1974 pp30-31 Roger Luxton, Halwell, Devon 1889 "C Johnny" - COPPER SESB 1971 p242 Family, Rottingdean, Sussex -- Jim COPPER, rec Rottingdean, Sussex 1951: RPL 16063 - Bob COPPER rec by PK: FOLKTRAX 239/ LEADER LEA-4046 (boxed) 1971 - Bob (solo unacc) Another version in 4x30 min progs Radio 2 Oct 1990/ CASS-60-1013-4

CHARMING MOLLY - Highland/ Short Reel - COLE p11 - Tunebook Ms 2/4 (Am) #134 pp404-5 - Cf BREACH OF KILLICRANKY Charming Molly

NOTES: Fiddler Art Stampler recorded "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston" which is perhaps best known as "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor." This English country dance tune was published in America around 1792 as "Columbus Cotillion."

In the US it's known "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going To Boston" or "Going to Boston" and is a play-party song. It was known by Jean Ritchie when she was a little girl under the title "Boston." Here are some notes by Andrwe Kuntz on the tune:

"Oro se do bheatha bhaile" Irish, A Dorian. Standard. AB. Best known as the melody for the sailor shanty- “Drunken Sailor/What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor,” there are more vocal than instrumental versions of this air which was often used for playparty and shanty ditties, according to Bayard (1981). One of the playparty songs collected in Pennsylvania goes:

Say, pretty Belle, has your beau come
Say, pretty Belle, has your beau come
Say, pretty Belle, has your beau come
To help us with our dancing?

Yes, he'll come if yous say so (etc.)

Go give him a kiss and bring him in (etc.)

And an Irish one:

You are my love in the hay all night 
You are my love in the hay all night 
You are my love in the hay all night 
Till six o'clock in the morning.


A version with the Drunken Sailor lyrics from 1900 was printed in the JOAFL in 1915. It noted a similar song "Come Philander," a very old song which starts: "Come Philander let's go Marching..."
Here are the lyrics to the Stamp-and-Go shanty:

What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?

Chorus: Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises 
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the morning

What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
Earl-eye in the morning!

GOODBYE GIRLS, WE'RE GOING TO BOSTON- With dance steps

Four couple longways sets. The chorus of the song is only sung for the right-and-left and elbow reel figures, which take more time.

(All join hands and circle left once around)

Goodbye girls, we're going to Boston (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

(All face up and take partner in promenade position. Top couple leads promenade to the left, down the outside of the set, and back up the middle of the set to place)

Saddle up girls, and lets go with them (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

(Top couple sashays down the center of the set for four bars, and sashays back to place for four bars)

Get out the way, you'll get run over (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

(Top couple starts a progressive right and left. The other couples start moving when the top couple gets to them. When the top couple gets back to their original place, they stop there. The figure continues until everyone is back to place.)

Rights and lefts will make it better (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

Won't we look pretty in the ballroom (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

(Top couple does an elbow reel down to the bottom of the set, and then backs out to their new place at the bottom of the set.)

Swing your partner all the way to Boston (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

Won't we look pretty in the ballroom (3x)
Ear-lie in the morning

Note: with groups of new dancers, I almost always leave out the progressive right-and-left figure.

Goodbye Girls I'm Going to Boston: Art Stampler 1982 on County 779

Goodbye girls I'm going to Boston
Goodbye girls I'm going to Boston
Goodbye girls I'm going to Boston
Early in the morning.

Won't you look pretty in the ballroom
Won't you look pretty in the ballroom
Won't you look pretty in the ballroom
Early in the morning.

Goin' to Boston- Lomax
American Ballads and Folk Songs  

Oh, la, Willie, I'll tell your mamma (three times)
How you've been a-sparking.

Fix up, girls, and let's go to Boston (three times)
To see this couple marry.

Saddle up, boys, and let's go with them (three times)
To see this couple marry.

Rocky road and we have to travel (three times)
To see this couple marry.

Court that girl an' then cain't git her (three times)
As we go up to Boston.

You'll swing your partner and then you'll git her(three times)
Needle in the haystack.