Annotation:Grass Widow Hornpipe
X:1 T:Grass Widow Hornpipe, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Hornpipe B:A.S. Bowman – “J.W. Pepper Collection of Five Hundred Reels, Jigs, B:etc.” (Phila., 1908, No. 103, p. 23) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E|:AA A/B/c/d/|e/f/e/d/ c/d/e/a/|ff/a/ ee/a/|f/e/d/c/ e/d/B/c/| AA A/B/c/d/|e/f/e/d/ c/d/e/a/|gg/b/ ee/g/|a/f/^d/f/ e/=d/c/B/:| |:^AF ^E/F/G/A/|B/^A/B/c/ d/c/B/=A/|GE ^D/E/F/G/|A/G/A/B/ cA| G/E/F/G/ A/B/c/A/|B/^A/B/c/ d/e/f/g/|a/f/e/f/ e/c/A/B/|1c/d/B/c/ Ac:|2 c/d/B/c/ A||
GRASS WIDOW HORNPIPE. American, Hornpipe (2/4 time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'. A woman is called a grass widow whose husband had to leave home (for example, obliged to work far away from his family), alternatively, she may be a divorced woman or a woman living apart from her husband. The J.W. Pepper collection appears to be a collection of variety and minstrel stage dance tunes, and, if so, it may be a reference to the spouse of a touring performer.
