Soldier's Joy
Quite possibly the most popular fiddle tune of all time?
This Bluegrass version has an extra A part variation attached
at the end.
***note, this tune is possibly derived from "The King's Reel"***
Time 4/4, Key D, >1= first ending, >2= second,
(print Courier 10 point)
D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|------------------||-----------------|------------------|
|-------------5-2--|*0-------0--------|-0---0-2-5---5-2--|
|------------------||--4-0-4---4-0-4--|---4--------------|3
|------------------||-----------------|------------------|
A D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|-0-------0--------|------------------|-0-------0--------|
|---4-0-4---4-0-4--|-5-4-2-4-2---4-5--|---4-0-4---4-0-4--|6
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
D A D
| | | | | | | | >1| | | |
|---------------0--|-2-5-2---0-3-0---||-----------------||
|-0---0-2-5---5----|-------5-------4-||-5-4-5-7-5---5-2-*|
|---4--------------|-----------------||-----------------||9
|------------------|-----------------||-----------------||
D D G
>2| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-------------5-3--||2-0-2-3-5---3-2--|-0---0-2-3---5-3--|
|-5-4-5-7-5--------|*-----------------|---5--------------|
|------------------||-----------------|------------------|12
|------------------||-----------------|------------------|
D A D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|-2-0-2-3-5---3-2--|-0-----------5-3--|-2-0-2-3-5---3-2--|
|------------------|---5-4-2-0--------|------------------|
|------------------|------------------|------------------|15
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
G D A D
| | | | | | | | >1| | | |
|-0---0-2-3---5-3--|-2-5-2---0-3-0---||-------------5-3-||
|---5--------------|-------5-------4-||-5-4-5-7-5-------*|
|------------------|-----------------||-----------------||18
|------------------|-----------------||-----------------||
D D (A Part Variation)
>2| | | | | | | | | | | |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|-5-4-5-7-5---5-2--|-0----------------|-0---0-2-5---5-2--|
|------------------|---5-4-2-0-2-4-5--|---4--------------|21
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
A D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|-0----------------|-0-----------5-2--|-0----------------|
|---5-4-2-0-2-4-5--|---4-2-4-2--------|---5-4-2-0-2-4-5--|24
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
D A D
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|---------------0--|-2-5-2---0-3-0----|------------------|
|-0---0-2-5---5----|-------5-------4--|-5-4-5-7-5--------|
|---4--------------|------------------|------------------|27
|------------------|------------------|------------------|
Lyrics, courtesy of Cleatus Beason. Pickett County, Tennessee
[ Come along boys, and we'll all go ]
[ Come along boys, and we'll all go ]
[ Come along boys, and we'll all go ]
[ and play the old tune called Soldier's Joy ]
eighteen soldiers on a bivouac
playing stud poker in a mountain shack
every vigilanti throwed down his hand
when the seargent on gard gave the sharp command
[Chorus]
Jimmy get your fiddle down, and rosin up the bow
Johnny tund your banjer up, we're gonna have a show
...
and play the old tune called Soldier's Joy