Annotation:Pretty Betty Martin (1)
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PRETTY BETTY MARTIN. AKA and see "Tip Toe Pretty Betty Martin," "High Betty Martin," "Tip Toe Fine," "Very Pretty Martin," “Betty Martin,” "Fire in the Mountain (1)," "Granny Will Your Dog Bite? (1)," "Old Mother Gofour," "Hog Eye (1)." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, Kentucky. A Major. AEae tuning (fiddle). ABC. Jeff Titon (2001) suggests that “High Betty Martin” was the original title for the tune, and that “Fire on the Mountain” (the most well-known title today) originally went to another group of tunes that included “Granny Will Your Dog Bite?” Source Hiram Stamper (1893-1991) had these lyrics for the melody:
Pretty Betty Martin, she tiptoe, tiptoe,
Pretty Betty Martin, tiptoe fine.
Fire on the mountain, run boys run,
Fire on the mountain, run boys run.
As recorded by the newspaper the Atlanta Constitution, the tune was played at the April, 1913, Atlanta fiddlers’ convention by M.Y. Robinson, of Dunwoody, Georgia.
Source for notated version: Hiram Stamper (Hindman, Knott County, Kentucky, 1977) [Titon].
Printed sources: Titon (Old Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes), 2001; No. 130, p. 157.
Recorded sources: