Annotation:Gray Eagle (1)
X:0 T:Gray Eagle [1] N:A,EAe tuning (fiddle) Q:220 Z:Paul Gitlitz S:Rayna Gellert M:C| K:A "A"A,3A, C2E2|"D"D2FE FA3|"E"G2F2E2FG|"A"A2cB c[e3e3]| "A"A,3A, C2E2|"D"D2FE FA3|"E"G2F2E2FG|1"A"A3B[A4A4]:|2"A"A3B[A2A2]AB|] |:"A"c2e2e3f|ecBc A3c-|cABA F2EF|A3B "E"cBAB| "A"c2e2e3f|ecBc A3c-|cABA "E"F2EF|1"A"A3B A2AB:|2"A"A3B A4|]
GRAY EAGLE [1]. AKA and see "Grey Eagle," "Old Gray Eagle." American, Reel. USA; Oklahoma, Missouri. A Major. AEae tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title "Gray Eagle" in the American context refers to several melodies, some related and some not. Cecil Snow's "Old Grey Eagle" is a close variant of Thede's tune, collected from Oklahoma fiddler Bill Evans (who associated it with an improbable story about and eagle and a tomcat getting into a fight while airborne). Cecil Snow was also born in Oklahoma as well, but lived in various parts of the country before settling in Arkansas. In general, "Gray Eagle" is a popular tune and has been frequently played at mid-western fiddle contests. A tune whose title was spelled this way was recorded for the Library of Congress by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph from Ozark Mountain fiddlers in the early 1940's. Drew Beisswenger (2008) notes that Missouri Ozark region fiddler Bill Graves plays a similar tune called "Fort Gibson."
