Annotation:Come Ashore Jolly Tar with Your Trousers On

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X:1 T:Come ashore Jolly Tar & your Trousers on M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:Aird – Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 1 (1782, No. 190, p. 66) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin BA|GFGE g2 fe|dBGB c2 TBA|GFGE DEFA|d2A2A2 TBA| GFGE g2 fe|dBGB c2 BA|GFGE DEFA|G2E2E2:| |:Bd|e3f efge|d2B2B2 AB|d^cde defe|d2A2A2 Bd| edef g2 Tfe|dBGB c2BA|GFGE DEFA|G2E2E2:| |:GA|BGEG BGEG|BAGF E2 TFG|AFDF AFDF|AGFE D2 TEF| GFGF Egfe|dBGB AcBA|GFGE DEFA|G2E2E2:| |:Bd|edef efge|d2B2 BAB^c |dcde defe|d2A2A2 Bd| edef egfe|dBGB AcBA|GFGE DEFA|G2E2E2:|]

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COME ASHORE, JOLLY TAR, WITH YOUR TROUSERS/TROWSERS ON. AKA and see "The Cuckoo," "Cuckoo's Nest (4) (The)," "Come Ashore," "Trousers On (The)," "Jacky Tar," "Spealadoir (An)," "Reaper (The)," "I do confess thou art sae fair." Scottish, Reel. E Minor (Aird): D Minor (Kidson). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB: AABBCC (Kidson). A large tune family that includes versions well-known under the "Cuckoo" or "Cuckoo's Nest" titles. The tune was published twice by late 18th century Glasgow publisher James Aird (in his A Selection of English, Irish, and Foreign Airs, adapted for the Fife, Violin and German Flute, vol. I, c. 1775 or 1776, which includes a fourth part), probably because of its association with the popular stage character dance 'The Sailor's Hornpipe', which Emmerson (1971) says was referred to as 'Jacky Tar' in that city's dancing schools of the time.

"Tars Carousing", George Cruikshank, 1841

The rather strange title improbably refers to the renowned sexual appetites of sailors released to port after a long voyage. Many captains refused shore leave when in port to prevent desertions, and instead ferried out boatloads of 'companions' for shipboard recreation. Of interest may be Cruickshank's drawing of "Tars Carousing," from one of Dibdin's song folios. A more lucid explanation of the title is that trousers were the sailor's shore togs in the days when he wore a tunic and long hose aboard ship.

The melody also appears in a numerous British musicians' music manuscript copybooks, including those of Lawrence Leadley (Helperby, Yorkshire, c. 1840's), George Spencer (Leeds, West Yorkshire, 1831), John Clare (Helpstone, Northants, c. 1820), William Vickers (Northumberland, 1770), James Winder (Wyresdale, Lancashire, 1835), army fifer John Buttery (Lincolnshire, early 19th cent.), Rev. Robert Harrison (Brampton, Cumbria, 1820) and multi-instrumentalist John Rook (Waverton, Cumbria, 1840). It does not appear to have been exported to America under the "Come Ashore...title," at least as evidenced by the absence of the title in American musicians' manuscript copybooks. See note for "Annotation:Cuckoo's Nest (4) (The)" for more. The tune also appears in the [James] Gillespie Manuscript of Perth (1768).

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