Annotation:Molly Put the Kettle On (4)
X:1 T:Molly Put the Kettle On S:Tape recording of Manco Snead A:Cherokee, North Carolina N:Manco mumbles a bit, so it's unclear whether N:he says "Molly" or "Polly." Calling it "Molly" N:keeps it separate from the common song tune. I:/ above a note indicates a slide up to that note, I:+ above a note indicates sharpening, V indicates I:flattening. Manco changes his pitches more than I:a little. N:Parts played in order:123443 Z:Joel Shimberg M:C| L:1/8 K:G "1"{A}BAG=F DC"v"B,C | DE=FG FD C2 | D2GA GFGA | B"+"cdd =fdg2-| ga g=f d2(3cdc |BcBG =FD"v"B,2 | DGGA GFGA | {A}B2G2G3 G- || "2" GA"v"Bc d4| _Bcdc _BG=F_B |GABc dcdc | BcBF G2DF | GA_Bc d4 | _Bcdc =BG=F_B | GAG"v"F DCB,C |DG2FG2G2 || "3"A<B G=F DC (3A,B,C | DE=FG FDC2 | D2GA GFGA |B"+"cdd =fdg2- | ga g=f d2(3cdc | BcBG =FDB,2 | DGGA GFGA |B2G2G3 "/"G- || "4" GAB"+"c d4 | de=fg fdc2 | dgga gfd2 |gagf d^cde | fgaf gfd2 | c2BG F2G2 | GAG=F DCB,C | DG2F G2G2 ||
MOLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON [4]. American, Reel. USA, North Carolina. No relation to "Molly Put.." [1]. This version is from Jackson County, North Carolina, fiddler Manco Sneed [1] (1885-1975) via contemporary old-time master Brad Leftwich.
Sneed, Osey Helton and Marcus Martin, all western North Carolina fiddlers who had their heyday in the early 20th century, learned the tune from Jamed Dedrick Harris, of Flag Pond, Tennessee (and who lived for some time in North Carolina), who had been the fiddler who accompanied Governor Bob Taylor in his whistle-stop campaign called the "War of the Roses" (Hartford). Harris was born in 1859, made fiddles and traveled, according to John Hartford.
