Annotation:Penniless Traveller (The)

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PENNILESS TRAVELLER, THE (An Gabalac Gan Airgiod). AKA and see "When Sick is it Tea You Want? (1)" "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself (1)," "Come from the Devil and Shake Yourself." Irish, Double Jig. C Major (O’Neill/MOI): G Major (O’Neill/Waifs). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (O’Neill/MOI): AABB’ (O’Neill/Waifs). O’Neill (1922) remarks: “The above is an old strain which appeared in print at least as early as 1798 in a much simpler setting under the name "Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself". It was included in six Collections of Country Dances published in London in that year. It has been confused with "Get Up Old Woman and Shake Yourself", an entirely different tune. None of these names appear in Bunting, Petrie or Joyce collections. Another name for this tune is ‘When You Are Sick 'Tis Tea You Want’, but a tune so named in the Petrie Collections is a different 8 bar melody.” The tune is associated with the uilleann piping tradition.

It has been said that the air for the Australian anthem "Waltzing Matilda" is based on this tune, but there is no resemblance.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 3), 1859; No. 216, p. 104. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 772, p. 144. O’Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 156.

Recorded sources:

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