Annotation:Piss on the Grass
X:1 T:Piss upon the grass M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig B:John Thomas music manuscript collection (Wales, 1752, p. 27) F:https://viewer.library.wales/5130424#?xywh=-51%2C1869%2C2409%2C2022&cv=56 N:Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G G2G G2c|d2B G2B|A2B A2B|A2G FED| G2G G>AB/c/ |d2B G2B|A2G F2E|D3-D3|| A2B A2B|A2B AFD|B2c d2e|d2e dBG| c2B c2d|e2f gfe|dcB AGF|G3-G3||
PISS ON THE GRASS. AKA - "Piso ar y Gwair," "Piss upon the Grass." AKA and see "Nancy Dawson (1)." English, Country Dance Tune (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody was published under this title in a few of London publisher John Walsh's volumes, including Caledonian Country Dances, vol. 3 (c. 1737-40, p. 236) and Fourth Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master (1747, p. 202). The tune and dance instructions were also published by John Johnson in his A Choice Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 3 (London, 1744, p. 55). As "Piss on the Grass" the tune was entered into the c. 1810 music copybook collections of Lincolnshire musician Thomas Sands and Welsh musician Mary Richards (1781-1877). Welsh fiddler John Thomas as entered it into his music copybook, dated 1752.
In the second half of the 18th century the tune became associated with the stage dancer Nancy Dawson (1728-1767), who was buried in the Chapel of St. George the Martyr, Queen Square, Bloomsbury. Her tombstone reads simply: "Here lies Nancy Dawson". She was quite famous in her time, particularly for her rendition of the hornpipe. The tune also survived in nursery song repertory as "Here we go 'round the mulberry bush."
