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Whiskey Before Breakfast
Canadian (originally), Fiddle Breakdown
ARTIST: Mike Cross From the album 'Live and Kickin'
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1957 by Andy de Jarlis
RECORDING INFO: Arkansas Sheiks. Whiskey Before Breakfast, Bay 204, LP (1975), trk# 2; Austen, Seth; and Madeline MacNeil. Ye Banks and Braes, Roots and Branches RBR 002, LP (1981), trk# B.03b; Austen, Seth. Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Finger Style Guitar, Kicking Mule KM 174, LP (1982), trk# 7; Barnett, Dick. More Fiddle Jam Sessions, Voyager VRLP 304, LP (1971), trk# 14; Barrett, Dick (Texas). National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest & Folk Music Festival. 1971, NOTFC, CD (1971), trk# 1; Best, Carroll; Band with Tommy Hunter. Carroll Best Band with Tommy Hunter, Ivy Creek ICR 250, Cas (1993), trk# 10; Blake, Norman. Whiskey Before Breakfast, Rounder 0063, LP (1987), trk# 16; Brody, David. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p290; Carawan, Guy. Jubilee, June Appal JA 0029, LP (1979), trk# B.03; Danielson, Don. Live at Polson. Montana State Fiddlers Contest, Music City MC-GB-902, LP (197?), trk# A.08; Dobbs Brothers and Mary Faith Rhoads. Dobbs Brothers amd Mary Faith Rhoads, Fret'n Fiddle JRC 860, LP (1978), trk# A.02c; Fleck, Bela. Trischka, Tony / Banjo Songbook, Oak, Sof (1978), p 93; Flower, Robin. More Than Friends, Spaniel 1916114, LP (1979), trk# A.01; Gallimaufry. Dig Me a Ditch, Galmfry --, CD (1999), trk# 15b; Hancock, Elliot. Potpourri, Dancing Doll DLP 612, LP (1985), trk# A.11; Hascall, Carol. Now That's a Good Tune. Masters of Missouri Traditional Fiddling, Grey Eagle 101, LP (1989), trk# 4 [1987/12/11]; High Strung. High Strung, Loose Noose ASM-489, LP (1981), trk# A.02b; Hildebrand, David & Ginger. Out on a Limb, Hildebrand H101, LP (198?), trk# 1b; Hill, Dudley. From A Northern Family, Voyager VLRP 317-S, LP (197?), trk# 10; Johnson, Harry. Johnson, Harry / North Dakota Old Time Fiddling, WOTFA, CD (2006), trk# 1.03 [1980s]; Johnson, Vesta Wilson. Down Home Rag, Marimac 9017, Cas (1988), trk# 21; Jones, Ramona. Lady's Fancy, County 783, LP (1984), trk# 3 Knopf, Bill. Bill Knopf on Banjo, American Heritage AH-401-524, LP (197?), trk# B.06; Kretzner, Leo; and Jay Leibovitz. Dulcimer Fair, Traditional TR 018, LP (1981), trk# B.01; Lee, Troy; & Rex and Ray Offutt. I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough, MFFA 1001, LP (1977), trk# 16; Lowman, Jim; and Elaine Reichenbacher. Jim & Elaine - A Celebration, Lowman & Reichenbach, CD (1998), trk# 18a ; Lunceford, Ron (R. D.). Old Blue Tick, Lunceford, Cas (1997), trk# A.09b; McCutcheon, John. How Can I Keep from Singing?, June Appal JA 0003, LP (1975), trk# 11b; McCullough, L. E. (Larry). Late Bloomer, Kicking Mule KM 326, LP (1984), trk# 8; Meyer, Fred. Rockin' Chair, Midwest Coast MC-001, LP (1978), trk# B.01a; Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Sweet Songs from Yesterday, Mill Run MRDB 103, LP (1984), trk# B.02; Myers, Clem. Clem Myers. Northeast Regional Oldtime Fiddle Champion 1967..., Fretless FR 103, LP (1974), trk# B.08; Old Hat. Old Hat, Old Hat, Cas (199?), trk# A.01B; Old Scratch Band. Old Scratch Band, California Condor CCLP-2, LP (197?), trk# A.05; Perlman, Ken. Perlman, Ken / Fingerpicking Fiddle Tunes for Finger Style Guitar, Chappell, Sof (1978), p33; Perlman, Ken. Perlman, Ken / Melodic Clawhammer Banjo, Oak, Sof (1979), p51; Phipps, Bonnie. Autoharpin', Kicking Mule KM 228, LP (1982), trk# 12b; Pleasant Family. Old Time String Band, Pleasant --, CD (2005), trk# 2; Sapoznik, Hank (Henry). Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p177; Severin, Heidi. Mandolin Magazine, Mandolin Magazine, Ser, 1/2, p49(1999); Silberberg, Gene. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p210; Sisco, Carthy. Carthy Sisco, Sisco, Cas (199?), trk# B.05 Snoderly, Mack. Fiddler's Grove. Old Time Fiddler's & Bluegrass ... 1975. Vol. 6, Galaxie, LP (1975), trk# 2 Sundall, Jon. Eagle and the Sparrow, June Appal JA 0008, LP (1976), trk# 3c; Swamp Root String Band. 38th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention, 1973, Gazette 38, LP (1973), trk# 24; Tate, Tater; and the Bluegrass Cutups. Fiddling Favorites of the USA and Canada, Rural Rhythm RR 193, LP (197?), trk# 17; Thompson, Linda Lowe. Dulcimer Player News, Dulcimer Player News, Ser, 24/1, p41(1998); Trapezoid. Trapazoid. Hammered Dulcimer String Band, Traditional TR-001, LP (1975), trk# A.04 [1975]; Tuttle, Jack. Fiddler Magazine, Fiddler Mag., Ser, 4/1, p36(1997); Weeks, Pam. Dulcimer Player News, Dulcimer Player News, Ser, 22/3, p45(1996) West Orrtana String Band. West Orrtana String Band, Revonah RS-924, LP (1976), trk# B.01a
RELATED TO: Speed the Plow; Coming Thru the Rye (tune); West Virginia Hornpipe; Silver Spire; Plantation Medley; Tiddle Took Todfish; Dubuque; Scotch Reel
OTHER NAMES: "Spirits of the Morning"
SOURCES: Frank Lowery (Prince Georges, British Columbia) [Gibbon]; Clem Myers [Phillips]; Dick Barrett [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 290. Frets Magazine, April 1989; pg. 64. Gibbons (As It Comes: Folk Fiddling From Prince George, British Columbia), 1982; No. 3, pgs. 14-15 (includes variations). Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pgs. 254-255 (two versions). Sing Out!, 198-, pg. 75. Spandaro (10 Cents a Dance), 1980; pg. 20. American Heritage 19A, Loyd Wanzer- "Plain and Fancy Fiddlin.'" Bay 204, "The Arkansas Sheiks." Fretless 103, "Clem Myers: Northeast Regional Fiddle Champion 1967 & 1970." June Appal 003, John McCutcheon - "How Can I Keep From Singing?" (1975. Learned from Ben Hensley, Speedwell, Tenn.). London EBX 4118, Andy DeJarlis - "Backwoods Fiddle Tunes.' Marimac 9017, Vesta Johnson (Mo.) - "Down Home Rag." Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers Association 002, Taylor McBaine (Mo.) - "Boone County Fiddler." Revonah RE-924, "The West Orrtanna String Band" (1977). Rounder 0063, Norman Blake- "Whiskey Before Breakfast." Voyager 304, Dick Barrett- "More Fiddle Jam Sessions." Visconti, Carl (ed.) / Paint Creek Folklore Society Song Tune Book, Paint Creek, Sof (1986), p60; Brody, David (ed.) / Guitar Pickers Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1984), p149
NOTES: From Kuntz, A Fiddler’s Companion: A widely known tune, often mistaken for an old traditional old-time tune (it was even listed on one album as "an Irish tune which has been popular in America for a number of years"). It has generally been credited to the mid-twentieth century by Manitoba, Canada, fiddler and composer Andy de Jarlis (known for his fine waltzes) probably on the strength of his copyrighted arrangement (it is a common practice among music publishers to copyright arrangements of traditional tunes). " "Whiskey Before Breakfast" was included in de Jarlis' book Canadian Fiddle Tunes from Red River Valley (1957), where he is credited for the arrangement only.
It is often used as musical accompaniment for the quadrille 'Reel of Eight' in Canada. Gibbons (1982) notes that "Whiskey" is a favorite of Metis (native American) dance troupes in Western Canada, and in this connection Paul Gifford suggests that de Jarlis learned the tune from Metis fiddler Teddy Boy Houle's father (de Jarlis himself had Metis blood). It seems that de Jarlis and the elder Houle were up playing till dawn with the aid of libation before finally passing out. On finally awaking, de Jarlis remembered the last tune they played and perhaps gave it the "Whiskey" name. Perlman (1979) identifies it as coming from Canada's Maritime provinces where it is called "Spirits of the Morning."
It has been pointed out by several sources that the 'A' section is similar to the older melodies "Liverpool Hornpipe," "Great Eastern," "Bennett's Favorite" and the Irish reels "Silver Spire" and "Greenfields of America," however, the original source for all these tunes may be "Speed the Plow." Folksinger/multi-instrumentalist Mike Cross wrote words to the melody which have become popular in Bluegrass circles (Bryan Bowers also recorded his song).
A set of traditional lyrics have been provided by Charley Noble: "The only words I've ever heard were fragments from the sea shanty 'Whisky for Me Johnny-o.' "
Such as:
A-Part
Whisky killed me pore ol' dad,
Whisky for me Johnny-o;
Whisky drove me mother mad;
Whisky for me johnny-o!
Whisky went an' tore me cloths,
Whisky for me Johnny-o;
Whisky gave me this broken nose,
Whisky for me Johnny-o!
B-Part
Whisky here and whisky there,
Whisky, whisky everywhere,
Whisky when you're in despair,
Whisky for me johnny-o!
Whisky up and whisky down,
Whisky, whisky all around,
Whisky when you're back in town,
Whisky for me johnny-o!
Here are the lyrics to Whiskey Before Breakfast by Mike Cross:
WHISKEY BEFORE BREAKFAST
From Mike Cross album Live and Kickin'
Early one day the sun wouldn't shine
I was walking down the street not feeling too fine
I saw two old men with a bottle between 'em
And this was the song that I heard them singing
Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast
Well I stopped by the steps where they was sitting
And I couldn't believe how drunk they were getting
I said "old men, have you been drinking long?"
They said "just long enough to be singing this song"
Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast
Well they passed me the bottle and I took a little sip
And it felt so good I just couldn't quit
I drank some more and next thing I knew
There were three of us sitting there singing this tune
Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast
One by one everybody in the town
They heard our ruckus and they came around
And pretty soon the streets were ringing
With the sound of the whole town laughing and singing
Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast
Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast
Performance notes: The verse is a single A (8 bars) and the chorus is a
single B,
so you've got to get your head out of the AABB mold. Breakeven
(my old band) used
to do it this way: Fiddle intro (single A) - verse - chorus - verse - chorus
Fiddle solo (single A + single B) - verse - chorus - verse - chorus - chorus
Then everybody gets a solo in the usual AABB format, ending with the fiddle.
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