Annotation:Tippity Wichet

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X: 1 T:Tippitiwitchet M:2/4 L:1/8 B:English Song Book compiled and edited Harold Scott, London 1925 K:C F:https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=139901 N: The lyrics were not printed under the tune in the book, so I've made N: my own assumptions. In particular the refrain was printed only as: N: "Tol lol lol (hiccup). Tol lol lol de ro de lay." N: The music seems to need the repetitions I've included (The note N: for the word Tol of 2nd and 4th refrain lines was not included - I've assumed it. N: The rests with "hiccup" under them are where I assume the N: appropriate noise for each verse is made (hiccup/sneeze/yawn/weep/laugh). c2 Bd|(cA) G w:This morn-ing ear_ly E|cc Bc|d3 w:My mal-a-dy was such d|ed cB|A d2 w:I in my tea took bran-dy c/-c/|BG A^F|G3 w:And_ took a drop too much. c|(Ac) G "_hiccup"Hz/c/|(Ac) G "_hiccup"Hz/ w:Tol lol_ lol Tol lol_ lol c/|BB/c/ de|d2 | w:Tol lol lol de rol de lay c|(Ac) G "_hiccup"Hz/c/|(Ac) G "_hiccup"Hz/ w:Tol lol_ lol Tol lol_ lol c/|BB/c/ de|c2 |] w:Tol lol lol de rol de lay

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TIPPITY WICHET. AKA - "Tippitiwitchet." English, Air and Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Scott): AB (Raven). This is one of the early 19th century clown performer and singer wikipedia:Joseph_Grimaldi's most famous songs, sung by him for the first time in 1811 Sadler's Wells in Charles Dibdin Jr.'s pantomime Bang up, or, Harlequin Prime, a satire on the popular mania for horse racing. Dibdin supplied the writing, but the music for the pantomime was by wikipedia:William_Reeve_(composer), including the tune for this song). It was later sung famously by Sam Cowell. Dibdin and Reeves wrote several songs specifically for the unique talents of Grimaldi, as he acknowledged:

The Songs which I wrote for Grimaldi were of a singular nature, and, generally speaking, unless sung by the Clown of a Pantomime, in Character, lost half their effect: when writing them I had in view much more his peculiarities of what I may call expression, than any literary fame. Many Songs sing well (technically speaking) that would read ill. Even Nonsense, in its place, can have a meaning.

The words to the song go:

This morning early
My malady was such
I in my tea took brandy,
And took a drop too much.
Tol lol lol (hiccup),
Tol lol lol de rol de lay.

But stop! I mustn't mag hard,
My head aches, if you please,
One pinch of Irish blackguard,
I'll take to give me ease.
(Sneezes) Tol de rol (etc.)

Now I'm quite drowsy growing,
For this very morn,
I rose while cock was crowing,
Excuse me if I yawn.
(Yawns) Tol de rol (etc.)

I'm not in cue for frolic,
Can't up my spirits keep,
Love's a windy cholic,
'Tis that makes me weep.
(Cries) Tol de rol (etc.).

I'm not in mood for crying,
Care's a silly calf;
If to get fat you're trying,
The only way's to laugh.
(Laughs) Tol de rol (etc.).

The song was published in songsters such as Vocal Magazine (1815, as “Typitywichet; or, Pantomimical Proxysms”) and the Melodist, vol. 3 (as “Typitywichet). Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 148. Scott (English Song Book), 1926; p. 56.

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