Annotation:Lango Lee (2)

Back to Lango Lee (2)

---

LANGOLEE [2]. Irish, Jig. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDDEEFFGG. O'Farrell (c. 1808) lists the tune's provenance as Irish and gives several variation sets.

'Lango Lee' was supposed to have been an Irish phrase meaning an engorged penis, as this one old set of words to the tune suggests:

Ye botanists yield, I've discovered a root,
Adapted to females of every degree;
How soverign its virtues, balsamic its fruit,
I hope you'll believe it when you hear it from me.

Langolee is the Irish name of it,
Great in the nation already the fame of it;
Make but one trial and quickly you'll see,
There's nothing comparing with Langolee.

A song called "Volunteers of Ireland" was composed to this tune by the British in the Revolutionary War to commemorate Irishman in their ranks (Winstock). The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel's Budget"), published c. 1800.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: O'Farrell (Pocket Companion, vol. III), c. 1808; pp. 60-61.

Recorded sources:

---

Back to Lango Lee (2)