Annotation:Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself (1)
Tune properties and standard notation
GO TO THE DEVIL AND SHAKE YOURSELF [1] (Imtig Do'n Diabal's Corruid Tu Fein). AKA and see "Growling Woman (The)," "When Sick Is It Tea You Want? (1)" "One-Legged Man (1)," "Penniless Traveler (The)," "Come From the Devil and Shake Yourself." Scottish, Irish & English, Jig. England, Shropshire, Linclonshire. D Major (Ashman, Cole, Huntington, Kennedy, O'Neill, Raven, Sumner, Trim): C Major (Gow, Howe). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title was a fairly popular, if impious, epithet, meaning roughly "Get lost!" Grattan Flood (1906) identifies the tune as originally from Munster, however, his assertion should be viewed sceptically, as the musicologist often made such assertions apparently on the scantiest of evidence. It is not known what he based this opinion on. Scottish and English sources predate Irish ones in print, so far. The Scots certainly have a claim to provenance, as early versions appear under the "Devil" title in Napier's Selection of Dances (London, 1798), Thompson's Twenty-four Country Dances for the Year 1800 (London, 1800), Cahusac's Compleat Tutor for the German Flute (London, c. 1798), Astor's Hoboy (Oboe) Preceptor, or Military Pieces (London, c.1800), and Gow's Second Complete Repository (between 1799 and 1836). Perthshire fiddler John Fife included "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself" in his music manuscript compiled in Scotland and at sea from 1780 to 1804, as did New Romney, Kent, fiddler William Mittell in 1799. In America the tune was published by Joshua Cushing in his Fifer's Companion (Salem, Mass., 1804) and by Daniel Steele in his New and Complete Preceptor for the Fife (Albany, c. 1815). . It also appears in numerous American musicians' manuscripts, such as Eleazer Cary (Mansfield, Conn., c. 1797-1799), Josiah Adams (Framingham, Mass., 1808-1818), Joseph Hooves & David Melvenz (New Ispwich, Mass., c. 1800-1817), Abel Shattuck (Colrain, Mass., c. 1801-182?), fifer Seth Johnson (Woburn, Mass., 1807-1840), and others. Country dances to the melody were printed by H. & E. Phinney in A Select Collection of the Newest and Most Favorite Country Dances (Ostego, N.Y., 1808) and Saltator's A Treatise on Dancing (Boston, Mass., 1807). The jig is listed as the vehicle for the Haymaker's dance in Boston publisher Elias Howe's No. 2 Fifty Contra Dances (c. 1860).
Gordon Ashman (1991) relates that the tune was once much used for songs of political satire, and he believes it can also be found as an old hymn air. Campbell's gives the tune in ten strains (William Litton's version gives strain 5 & 6). Gow (1802) remarks: "This tune may be played slow." "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself" was adapted for the classical music repertoire as a "Rondo for the Piano-Forte" by pianist and composer John Field (1782-1837), published in 1818. Field was born in Dublin, but spent most of his adult life concertizing and teaching on the Continent, particularly Russia, where he died. The jig is mentioned in a legend related by Charles M. Skinner (1852-1907) in his book The Isle of Manhattoes and Nearby. It is essentially the same story adapted by Charlie Daniel in his song "Devil Went Down to Georgia" about a private fiddle contest between the devil and a human fiddler. In Skinner's tale the protagonist is a black fiddler named Joost, returning home from playing a wedding on Long Island. He meets a stranger along the road, with a fiddle tucked under his arm, and the two begin to play. It quickly escalates into a contest:
"Where the devil did you come from?" asked (Joost). The other smiled.
"And how did you come to know that music?" Joost pursued.
"Oh, I've known that tune for years," was the reply,. "It's called 'The Devil's joy at Sabbath Breaking."
"You're a liar!" cried the negro. The stranger bowed and burst into a roar of laughter. "A liar!" repeated Joost,--"for I made up
that music this very minute."
"Yet you notice that I could follow when you played."
"Humph! Yes, you can follow."
"And I can lead, too. Do you know the tune 'Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself?'"
"Yes; but I play second to nobody."
Joost finally bests him at dawn by playing the hymn "Now behold, at dawn of day, Pious Dutchmen sing and pray." With the concession "Well, that beats the devil" the stranger strikes his foot against a rock and disappears in an explosion.
Source for notated version: a c. 1837-1840 MS by Shropshire musician John Moore [Ashman]; the 1823-26 music mss of papermaker and musician Joshua Gibbons (1778-1871, of Tealby, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire Wolds) [Sumner]; ship's musician William Litten, who compiled a music manuscript aboard an East Indiaman from 1800-1802 [Huntington].
Printed sources: American Veteran Fifer, p. 66. Ashman (The Ironbridge Hornpipe), 1991; No. 107b, p. 44. Campbell's Country Dances, pp. 22-23. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 472. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 52. DeVille (The Violin Player's Pastime), p. 10. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 2, 1802; p. 21. Howe (Complete Preceptor for the Accordeon), c. 1843; p. 5. Howe (Musician's Omnibus), p. 43 & No. 2, p. 107. Huntington (William Litten's), 1977; p. 30. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 2, 1954; p. 35. Levey (The Dance Music of Ireland), No. 13. Mattson & Walz (Old Fort Snelling/Fife), 1974; p. 63. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 358, p. 73. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 110. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; p. 81. Sumner (Lincolnshire Collections, vol. 1: The Joshua Gibbons Manuscript), 1997; p. 4. Trim (Thomas Hardy), 1990; No. 26. Wilson (Companion to the Ball Room), 1816, p. 86.
Recorded sources: Joseph Cormier & J.P. Cormier - "Velvet Arm, Golden Hand"