Annotation:Long Long Ago

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LONG, LONG AGO. English, Air and Country Dance Tune (2/4). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Raven): ABCD (Hall & Stafford): AABBCCDD (Dixon). "Long Long Ago" is the most famous song written by Thomas Haynes Bayly, published in 1844 after his death (in 1839), but probably dating to the mid-1830's. The tune is printed with variations by Morpeth fiddler Robert Whinham (1814-1893) in both Dixon and Hall & Stafford. Bayly's lyric begins:

Tell me the tales that to me were so dear,
Long, long ago, long ago;
Sing me the songs I wanted to hear,
Long, long ago, long ago.
Long have I lived with my mem'ries of you,
Now that you're back dear, I know you've been true;
Now we're together, just as we were,
Long, long ago, long ago.

Source for notated version: the c. 1850 music manuscript of piper and fiddler Tom Armstrong of Hindley Steel [Dixon].

Printed sources: Dixon (Remember Me), 1995; p. 54. Hall & Stafford (Charlton Memorial Tune Book), 1956; p. 6. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 142.

Recorded sources: NPS1, Carole & Anthony Robb (et al) - "New Horizon."

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

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