FiddleCat - Posted - 07/25/2010:  06:19:06

History Information found in Fiddlers Companion

WHISKEY BEFORE BREAKFAST. AKA and see "Spirits of the Morning." Canadian (originally), Old-Time; Breakdown. D Major. Standard. AABB. A widely known tune, often mistaken for an old traditional old-time tune (it was even listed on one album as "an Irish tune which has been popular in America for a number of years"). It has generally been credited to the mid-twentieth century by Manitoba, Canada, fiddler and composer Andy de Jarlis (known for his fine waltzes) probably on the strength of his copyrighted arrangement (it is a common practice among music publishers to copyright arrangements of traditional tunes). " "Whiskey Before Breakfast" was included in de Jarlis' book Canadian Fiddle Tunes from Red River Valley (1957), where he is credited for the arrangement only. It is often used as musical accompaniment for the quadrille 'Reel of Eight' in Canada. Gibbons (1982) notes that "Whiskey" is a favorite of Metis (native American) dance troupes in Western Canada, and in this connection Paul Gifford suggests that de Jarlis learned the tune from Metis fiddler Teddy Boy Houle's father (de Jarlis himself had Metis blood). It seems that de Jarlis and the elder Houle were up playing till dawn with the aid of libation before finally passing out. On finally awaking, de Jarlis remembered the last tune they played and perhaps gave it the "Whiskey" name. Perlman (1979) identifies it as coming from Canada's Maritime provinces where it is called "Spirits of the Morning." It has been pointed out by several sources that the 'A' section is similar to the older melodies "Liverpool Hornpipe," "Great Eastern," "Bennett's Favorite" and the Irish reels "Silver Spire" and "Greenfields of America," however, the original source for all these tunes may be "Speed the Plow." Folksinger/multiinstrumentalist Mike Cross wrote words to the melody which have become popular in Bluegrass circles "

Tablature
T:Whiskey Before Breakfast
L:1/8
M:C|
S:Jay Ungar
K:D
A,B,D(E D2) D(E|FA)BF A(FED)|G2 [GB]G F2 AF|EDE(F ED)B,G,|A,B,D(E D2 D(E|
FA)BF A(FED)|GAB(c dB)GB|AGF(E D4):|
|:B d2 (B d4)|(ef)ed c(B A2)|c e2 (c e2) (ef)|gfed c(B (3ABc)|d2 fd c2 ec|
BAB(c BA)FD|G2 BG F2 AF|EDE(F D4):|

Found in Fiddleguru



Lyrics:

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Early one morning 'fore the sun could shine
I was walkin' dow@ the street, not feelin' so fine
I saw two old men with a bottle between' em
And this is the song that I heard them singin'

cho: Lord protect us, Saints preserve us
We been drinkin' whiskey 'fore breakfast

I passed by the steps where they were a' sittin'
I couldn't believe how drunk they were gettin'
I said "Old men you been drinkn' long?"
"Long enough to be singin' this song"

They handed me a bottle, said, "Take a little sip"
And it felt so good, I just couldn't quit
So I took a little more, next thing I knew
There were three of us sittin' there singin' this tune

One by one everybody in town
Heard our ruckus and they all came down
Pretty soon all the streets were a-ringin'
With the sound of the whole town laughin' and singin'

Notation Links:
Folk of the Wood
folkofthewood.com/page5001.htm

Notation with Lyrics and Guitar and Mando Chords, Cross Tunnings, & Melody (see PDF attachment below)

Video Links
Twin Fiddles
youtube.com/watch?v=pk_s1lwX02U

Quick Fiddle Lesson
youtube.com/watch?v=wP2_cOs2dPs

Version I play (bottom of page...didn't know how else to load it)
fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/mu...p?id=4528

Edited by - FiddleCat on 07/25/2010 06:22:44

WBB

AnsonFiddler - Posted - 07/25/2010:  06:30:22

FiddleCat: This is such a good post on WBB, thanks. Think I might go sit by the streetlight and sing this song!

DougD - Posted - 07/25/2010:  06:44:32

Fiddlecat, you have the words to the chorus of Mike Cross' song reversed. "protect us" is supposed to rhyme with "breakfast," as it does in the .pdf you linked to. Maybe there ought to be some kind of copyright notice too.

Now I'm going to go have mine (breakfast I mean).

FiddleCat - Posted - 07/25/2010:  06:48:54

I sure hope I didn't post anything that is copyrighted

DougD - Posted - 07/25/2010:  07:04:45

Well of course Mike Cross wrote those words and rearranged the tune somewhat to fit. Here's the info from ASCAP: ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?reque...5&start=1

There's lots of misinformation around about this tune/song and your post is really pretty good. Here's a video of Mike Cross playing his version (looks to be at the Down Home in Johnson City, TN) where he misidentifies it as an "old Appalachian fiddle tune" youtube.com/watch?v=yu8_-jNhwT8

Now that I think about it, the information at the Fiddler's Companion is copyright 1996-2009 by Andrew Kuntz. Its his work, not ours.

Edited by - DougD on 07/25/2010 07:11:34

FiddleCat - Posted - 07/25/2010:  07:19:51

Nice Youtube post of Mike Cross. That guy is a lot of fun. Love the tone of his fiddle!

wormbower - Posted - 07/25/2010:  08:29:17

Fun tune! Although it lacks fiddle, but I can't resist posting one of my favorite You Tube versions:

youtube.com/watch?v=3UsznTJ7YBc

Paul

Humbled by this instrument - Posted - 07/25/2010:  09:15:23

LOVE whiskey before breakfast! Oh wait,...it's a song?

Ozarkian D.L. - Posted - 07/25/2010:  12:44:58

Great TOTW choice & post Denise. On tha twin fiddlin link to you tube, thet's an Ozark "Oldtimefiddler" playin some great ones from McClurg, Mo.

tiquose - Posted - 07/25/2010:  13:10:07

Would you believe that when John and I were married, this was our bridal march? A friend of ours played it very slow and stately on an old pump organ in an equally old one-room log church in Atlantic City, Wyoming. And it sounded perfect!

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 07/26/2010:  16:23:11

Tiquose... that's a nice story!

carlb - Posted - 07/26/2010:  18:53:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by DougD

Fiddlecat, you have the words to the chorus of Mike Cross' song reversed. "protect us" is supposed to rhyme with "breakfast," as it does in the .pdf you linked to. Maybe there ought to be some kind of copyright notice too.

---

jefferylong - Posted - 07/27/2010:  05:06:01

Funny you should mention that tune. Just uploaded it.

WHISKEY BEFORE BREAKFAST

dancinbear - Posted - 07/28/2010:  04:59:28

Thanks for posting this. Love the tune. I started working on it shortly after taking up the fiddle. Never got it down but you've inspired me to try it again. Tx

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 07/28/2010:  05:24:21

Jeffery... sounds really good!

billh7071 - Posted - 08/26/2010:  19:44:16

jefferylong..thank you for the WBB post. .

I really like that recording,
it's great to listen to (over and over).


bill

Teufelhunden54 - Posted - 08/26/2010:  20:42:40

Well played.

fiddlenbanjo - Posted - 08/27/2010:  07:29:01

quote:

---

Originally posted by DougD

Fiddlecat, you have the words to the chorus of Mike Cross' song reversed. "protect us" is supposed to rhyme with "breakfast," as it does in the .pdf you linked to. Maybe there ought to be some kind of copyright notice too.

---

scrubber - Posted - 08/27/2010:  10:28:40

quote:

---

Originally posted by fiddlenbanjo
I've heard it as "Lord preserve us and protect us..."

---

cherrypie - Posted - 08/27/2010:  11:10:37

This is on my list to learn, in fact it will probably be the next tune after I finish Emma's Waltz - thank you for the information!