Annotation:John Short's Tune
X:1 T:John Short's Tune M:C L:1/8 Z:Walter Daves K:D | fg |: "D"a2aa ag2g | f3f f2ef | "A"gfe2 d2c2 | "D"e2d2 A2fg | a2aa abag | f3f f2ef | "A"gfe2 d2c2 |[1 "D"d3d3 fg :|[2 "D"d3d3 AA | "D"F2A2 F2A2 | F2A2 F2A2 | d3c B2F2 | "G"A2G2 G4| "A"E3F G2A2 | c3c3 AA | "D"B2A2 ^G2A2| B2A2 ^G2A2| "D"F2A2 F2A2 | F2A2 F2A2 | d3c B2F2 | "G"A2G2 G4 | "A"E3F G2A2 | c3c c2A2 | B2A2 BABc | "D"d3d3|]
JOHN SHORT'S TUNE. American, Polka. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Fiddler 'Chirps' Smith remarks that the tune was collected by members of the Allen Street String Band from a musician named Erwin Thompson (1915-2015) of Godfrey, Madison Co, IL . Smith also found reference to a fiddler named John W. Short (1839-1927) from Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois, who was remembered as 'loving to play at every occasion'. It is possible Short was the source for the tune.
Curiously, the first few bars closely resemble those of "King of Prussia's March (2)," although the rest of the tune differs.