Annotation:Red River Cart Polka
X:1 T:Red River Cart C:Andy De Jarlis M:2/4 L:1/16 N:As played by Andy De Jarlis. Chords from Marcel Meilleur recording. K:G D2 |\ "G" {EF}GABc d2g2 | b4>f4 | a2>g2 g2B2 | "Am" (B2d2) c4 | "D7" (D2F2) (A2d2) | f4>{Bc}d4 | d2^cd .e2.d2 | "G" B4 G4 | "G" (D2G2) (B2d2) | b4>f4 | a2>f2 {a}g2B2 | "Am" d4 c4 | "D7" a2aa a2g2 | f4-f(gfe) | dBcA E2F2 | "G" G4 G2 || Bc |"G" .d2(de) dBGB | .d2(de) dBGB | d2g2 (g2f2) | "E7" f2e2 "Am" e2(AB) | "D7" .c2(cd) cBAB | .c2(cd) cBAB | c2f2 f2{c}e2 | "G" e2d2 d2Bc | "G" .d2(de) dBGB | .d2(de) dBGB | d2g2 (g2f2) | "E7" f2e2 "Am" e4 | "D7" {f}a2aa a2g2 | f4-f(gfe) | dBcA E2F2 | "G" G4 G2 |]
The Red River cart was a large wooden two-wheeled cart used by Metis people in the fur trade in the Dakota Territory and central Canada during the fur trade era. It was held together by animal hide, with no metal of any kind used in its construction. The axles were not greased, resulting in a characteristic squeak which caused it to be nick-named "the North West fiddle."