Annotation:Stick a Pin There
X:142 T:Stick a Pin there M:6/8 L:1/8 B:Thompson’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favourite Country Dances, vol. 1 (London, 1757) Z:Transcribed and edited by Fynn Titford-Mock, 2007 Z:abc’s:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G D|G>Bd c>BA|d>FG A2A|B<GB A>GF|B>d^c d2:| |:A|B>GD E2 G/G/|cAE F2A|d>BF G>AB|c>Ad {c}B2 B/c/| d>cd e2 A/B/|c>Bc d2d|g>fe d>cB|e>cd G2:||
STICK A PIN THERE. AKA and see "Clonart Old Hat." English, Air and Jig (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The title is the title and burden of a risqué song called "Stick a Pin There" sung at Sadler’s Wells in the mid-18th century and printed in Vocal Companion: Or, Songsters Universal Magazine (1770), The Syren (1770) and similar period songsters. The words go:
Stick a Pin There. Sung at Sadler's Wells.
When tutor'd by mother, she oftentimes aid,
There's money bid for thee, girl, hold up thy had;
She laid out my work with a housewifely care,
And, makin a mark, bid me stick a pin there.
Stick a pin, &c.
The humour so pleas'd me, however absurd,
That, in spight of my teeth, it became a cant word;
And once, when the parson had ended his pray'r,
I could not help calling out, stick a pin there.
Stick a pin, &c.
He came to my mother, and loudly complin'd:
His pardon I ask'd, but my sorrow was feign'd;
And before he could clap his fat bum in a chair,
I slily stoop'd down, and did stick a pin there.
Stick a pin, &c.
I met my dear Jack in a field a new hay,
He kiss'd me and teas'd me with amorous play;
A green gown he gave me, and swore it was fair:
Hold, sirrah, said I, would you stick a pin there?
Stick a pin, &c.
He often attempted to ruffle my charms,
As often I push'd the dear youth from my arms;
But sooner or later he'll baffle my care,
For Jack is the lad---but stick a pin there.
Stick a pin, &c.
A nearly identical version of the air/jig appears as "Clonart Old Hat" in the 1850 music manuscript collection of Somerset, southwest England, fiddler and shoemaker William Winter.