Derry Down

DESCRIPTION: Reference entry for the "Derry Down tune," known by its chorus, "Derry down, down, down derry down" (often repeated). It is not certain what the original lyrics were, but it has been used for many parodies and derivatives; see the "Same Tune" field
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1859 (Chappell), but widely used in older songs
KEYWORDS: nonballad
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Chappell-PopularMusicOfTheOldenTime, pp. 348-353,"Derry Down" (1 text, 2 tunes, the text being for "King John and the Bishop" [Child 45] but the tune is explicitly described as generic); p. 677, "Derry Down" (1 text, not traditional; 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. all the other Derry Down songs
SAME TUNE:
Benton County, Arkansas (File: R345)
The Bible Story (File: SWMS264)
Blue Mountain Lake (The Belle of Long Lake) [Laws C20] (File: Laws C20)
The Coal Owner and the Pitman's Wife (File: MacCS16)
Croppies Lie Down (II) (File: Zimm094B)
Hauling Logs on the Maniwaki (File: FowL20)
Joe Livermore (File: CrNS124)
King John and the Bishop [Child 45] (File: C045)
Moosehead Lake (File: LoF058)
Red Iron Ore [Laws D9] (File: LD09)
The Tree of Liberty (File: Zimm095)
Castle Island Song ("You simple Bostonians, I'd have you beware") (Rabson-SongbookOfTheAmericanRevolution, pp. 14-15)
The Epilogue ("Our farce is now finish'd, your sport's at an end")
The Public Spirit of the Women ("Though age at my elbow has taken his stand") (Rabosn, pp. 17-18)
What a Court Hath Old England, of Folly and Sin / Fish and Tea (Rabson-SongbookOfTheAmericanRevolution, p. 16, called "A New Song to an Old Tune") (Colonial-Dames-AmericanWarSongs, pp. 19-20, called "Fish and Tea")
NOTES [24 words]: Rather than try to determine what the "original" Derry Down text and tune was, I have created this entry to be a grand master cross-reference. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.2
File: DerryDow

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