Annotation:Skin the Peeler
X:1 T:Skin the Peelers M:9/8 L:1/8 R:Slip Jig B:Roche - Collection of Traditional Irish Music vol. 2 (1912, No. 255) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G B2B {c}BAB G2A|B2B {c}BAB dBA|B2B {c}BAB G2A|B2e e2 B dBA:| |:B2e e2f g2A|B2e e2B dBA|B2e e2 f g2z|b2a g2e dBA:|]
SKIN THE PEELER(S). AKA and see "Butterfly (3) (The)," "Peeler's Jig (The)," "Barney's Goat," "Late Home at Night," "Óró a thaidhg a ghrá." Irish, Slip Jig (9/8 time). E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A peeler was a slang term for a policeman, derived from the name of the founder of the constabulary force, Sir Robert Peel, while skin, in 19th century British colloquial use (as a verb) could mean 'swindle' or 'rob'. The tune is known by this title among Highland bagpipers, although modern Irish musicians tend to play it as fiddler Tommy Pott's variant called “The Butterfly,” set in E minor. "Skin the Peeler" can be found in the mid-19th century music manuscript collection of Canon James Goodman, a Church of Ireland cleric and uilleann piper (see vol. 1, p. 34).