(THE) ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN
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Time signature: 9/8
Tempo: ~125 bpm. |
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An 19th century Irish song by
D. K. Gavan (The Galway Poet) |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Everything (especially the "keys") needs to be checked.
This is a challenging tune for at least five reasons:
1. It uses compound triple time (time signature 9-8), with a count of "nine" per bar, but with the left-
hand providing three pronounced beats (perhaps Bass - Chord - Chord) per bar. Sometimes
classified as a "Slip-Jig".
2. It is played and sung very fast with phrases run together.
3. Right fingers cover six buttons, with reaching and/or sliding.
4. Many performers play it in a minor key, as shown in the notation below. Others use another
Greek mode (perhaps mixolydian) that lies between major and minor.
5. As with most older tunes, there are many variants, some small, some large (as can be heard in
the youTube videos below, forcing you to adjust the notation when playing along).
This is a challenging tune for at least five reasons:
1. It uses compound triple time (time signature 9-8), with a count of "nine" per bar, but with the left-
hand providing three pronounced beats (perhaps Bass - Chord - Chord) per bar. Sometimes
classified as a "Slip-Jig".
2. It is played and sung very fast with phrases run together.
3. Right fingers cover six buttons, with reaching and/or sliding.
4. Many performers play it in a minor key, as shown in the notation below. Others use another
Greek mode (perhaps mixolydian) that lies between major and minor.
5. As with most older tunes, there are many variants, some small, some large (as can be heard in
the youTube videos below, forcing you to adjust the notation when playing along).
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Accordion Notation
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Counts per bar = 9 (compound time)
Pronounced (strong) Beats per bar = 3 Pronounced beat symbol = Semicolon ( ; ) or equivalent |
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EITHER ROW - HIGH
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Buttons 4 to 9*
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Verse 1 (of 5)
.7 "7 | .7 "7 .7* .6* ;5* | .4 .5* .5* "6* .6 "7* |
In the mer - ry month of June, from me home I start-ed;
.7 "7 .7* "6* ;5* | .6* "5 .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Left the girls of Tuam near - ly brok - en heart - ed; Sa-
.7 "7 .7* "6* ;5* | .4 "5* .5* "6* .6 "7* |
-lut - ed fath - er dear, kissed me darl - ing moth - er,
.7 "7 .7* "6* .5* "6 | .6* "5 .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smoth - er, then
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 |
off to reap the corn, leave where I was born.
.7 "9* .9* "8* .8 "7 | .7* "6* .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Cut a stout black thorn to ban - ish ghosts and gob-lins, a
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 |
brand new pair of brogues rat - tling o'er the bogs,
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7* "7 .7* "6* .5 "5* | "6* "6 "7*
Fright - 'ning all the dogs on the rock - y road to Dub - el - in
.7 "7 .7* "6* | ;5*
Refrain: One, two, three, four, five,
.4 "5* .5* "6* | .6 "7* .7 "7 .7* .6* |
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rock - y
.5* "6 .6* "5 .5 "5* | "6* "6 "7*
Road and all the way to Dub - el - in,
.7 "7 .7* "6* | ;5*~ ~ ;
Whack - fol - lah - de - dah____
.7 "7 | .7 "7 .7* .6* ;5* | .4 .5* .5* "6* .6 "7* |
In the mer - ry month of June, from me home I start-ed;
.7 "7 .7* "6* ;5* | .6* "5 .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Left the girls of Tuam near - ly brok - en heart - ed; Sa-
.7 "7 .7* "6* ;5* | .4 "5* .5* "6* .6 "7* |
-lut - ed fath - er dear, kissed me darl - ing moth - er,
.7 "7 .7* "6* .5* "6 | .6* "5 .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smoth - er, then
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 |
off to reap the corn, leave where I was born.
.7 "9* .9* "8* .8 "7 | .7* "6* .5 "5* "6* "6 "7* |
Cut a stout black thorn to ban - ish ghosts and gob-lins, a
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 |
brand new pair of brogues rat - tling o'er the bogs,
.7 "9* .9* "8* ;8 | .7* "7 .7* "6* .5 "5* | "6* "6 "7*
Fright - 'ning all the dogs on the rock - y road to Dub - el - in
.7 "7 .7* "6* | ;5*
Refrain: One, two, three, four, five,
.4 "5* .5* "6* | .6 "7* .7 "7 .7* .6* |
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rock - y
.5* "6 .6* "5 .5 "5* | "6* "6 "7*
Road and all the way to Dub - el - in,
.7 "7 .7* "6* | ;5*~ ~ ;
Whack - fol - lah - de - dah____
Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Twenty videos, mostly in minor keys Am (played on button-accordion C row), Dm (played on F row), and Em (played on G row)
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Key: Am (can be played on "C" row of
a G-C or C-F accordion) Tempo: ~140 bpm Group: The High Kings Posted by: the High Kigngs unofficial |
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Key: Am (can be played on "C" row of
a G-C or C-F accordion) Tempo: ~130 bpm Group: Orthodox Celts Posted by: Metropolis Music Serbia |
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Key: Dm ? (Can be played on F row
of a C-F or G-C-F accordion?) Tempo: ~145 bpm Group: The Tossers Posted by: The Tossers - Topic |
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Key: Dm ? (Can be played on F row
of a C-F or G-C-F accordion) Tempo: ~125 bpm Group: Rolling Stones & The Chieftans Posted by: Marv Mandela |
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Key: D ?
Tempo: ~110 bpm Guitarist: John ? Posted by: "John's" -ROLL & TAP. |
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Key: D ?
Tempo: ~135 bpm Performers: Rhodri McDonagh Rosie Bell Posted by: Rhodri McDonagh |
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Key: Dm (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~150 bpm Group: The Windrose Posted by: Tigran Madoyan |
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Key: Dm (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~120 bpm Group: The Dubliners Posted by: The Dubliners |
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Key: Dm (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~150 bpm Group: The Pogues Posted by: Nuno Luz |
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Key: Dm ? (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~130 bpm. Singer: Colm R. McGuinness Posted by: Colin McGuinness Music |
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Key: Dm (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~130bpm. Singer: Luke Kelly Posted by: kellyoneill |
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Key: Dm (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion) Tempo: ~125bpm. Group: The Jarrah Celts (from Australia) Posted by: The Jarrah Celts |
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Key: Em (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~140 bpm Singers: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy Posted by: JVito Likavec |
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Key: Em (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~125 bpm Singer: Damien Dempsey Posted by: The Late Late Show |
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Key: Em ? (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~160 bpm Group: The Dropkick Murphys Posted by: 5g5e5n5o |
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Key: Em ? (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~145 bpm Group: Whiskey Y'er the Devil Posted by: Padraig Conaty |
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Key: Em (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~135 bpm Group: The Dingle Basterds Posted by: Dingle Basterds |
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Key: Em ? (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion) Tempo: ~125 bpm Damien Dempsey Posted by: RTE |
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Key: F ? (can be played on inside row
of a C-F accordion ?) Tempo: ~145bpm. Singer: Seth Staton Watkins Posted by: Seth Staton Watkins |
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Key: G ? (can be played on outside row
of a G-C or on the inside row of a D-G accordion ?) Tempo: ~125 bpm Group: The Chieftans Posted by: The Chieftains - Topic |
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BACKGROUND MATERIALS, INFORMATION & LINKS
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Lyrics:
Verse 1 Refrain |
Sing the refrain after each verse.
In the merry month of May, from me home I started. Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted. Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother, Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother. Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born. Cut a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins . . . A brand new pair of brogues rattling o'er the bogs, Fright'ning all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin. One, two, three, four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road And all the way to Dublin, Whack-fol-lah-de-dah |
From wikipedia:
Leaving family, friends & home (Tuam, County Galway, Ireland). He sets off on foot along the rocky road to Dublin to "reap the corn", that is, to seek his fortune. |
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Verse 2
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In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary
Started by daylight next morning blithe and early Took a drop of pure to keep me heart from sinking That's a Paddy's cure whenever he's on drinking See the lassies smile, laughing all the while At me curious style, 'twould set your heart a bubblin' Asked me was I hired, wages I required I was almost tired of the rocky road to Dublin |
After a long & tiring walk, he stops for the night in Mullingar (County Westmeath) where "he charms the local women with his curious style and swagger."
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Verse 3
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In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity
To be soon deprived a view of that fine city So then I took a stroll, all among the quality Me bundle it was stole, all in a neat locality Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind No bundle could I find upon me stick a wobblin' Inquiring for the rogue, they said me Connaught brogue Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin |
Arriving in Dublin, he takes a stroll around the city, where he is robbed of his bundle (his possessions).
He tried to find the thief, but is mocked because of his Connaught brogue (his accent). |
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Verse 4
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From there I got away, me spirits never falling
Landed on the quay, just as the ship was sailing The Captain at me roared, said that no room had he When I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy Down among the pigs, played some hearty rigs Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling When off Holyhead, I wished meself was dead Or better for instead on the rocky road to Dublin |
He jumps aboard a ship in the harbour, setting sail for Liverpool, England. He is placed below deck with a cargo of pigs.
When only half-way across, off Holyhead, he is so sea-sick he wished himself dead. |
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Verse 5
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Well, the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed
Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it Blood began to boil, temper I was losing Poor old Erin's Isle they began abusing "Hurrah me soul" says I, me Shillelagh I let fly Some Galway boys were nigh and saw I was a hobble in With a load "Hurray" joined in the affray We quietly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin |
In Liverpool, he is mocked by the locals, probably because he is Irish.
Though outnumbered by the locals, he gets into a fight. A group of men from County Galway come to his rescus. |
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Background Links:
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Click HERE for the (wikipedia) interesting history of this song & tune.
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