Drill Ye Terriers
Ithaca-on-Hemp Tradition (Heartwood Morris)
A dance in the (modern) tradition of Ithaca-on-Hemp for a multiple of 3 dancers with a multiple of 6 long sticks. The music is the folk tune "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill", which is sung (either solo or ensemble). In addition to the music being sung, this dance is notable for using the signature Heartwood "bonfire" at the end of each chorus, to the words "and blast, and fire".
Lyrics
Every morning round 7 o'clock
There were twenty terriers, a working at the rock
And the boss comes along and he says "keep still!"
And come down heavy on the cast-iron drill
Chorus:
And drill, ye terriers, drill
Drill, ye terriers, drill
For it's work all day for the sugar in your te
Down, beyond, the railway
And drill, ye terriers, drill
And blast, and fire
The boss was a fine man down to the ground
And he married a woman, six foot round
She bake good break and she baked it well
But she baked it harder than the hobs of hell
(Chorus)
The new foreman was John McCann
By gosh, he was, a blamed mean man
Last week, a premature blast went off
And a mile in the air went big Jim Goff
(Chorus)
When next payday came around
Jim Goff, a dollar, short was found
When he asked "what for?" came this reply
You were docked for the time you was up in the sky!
(Chorus)
Every morning round 7 o'clock
There were twenty terriers, a working at the rock
And the boss comes along and he says "keep still!"
And come down heavy on the cast-iron drill
(Chorus)
Dance Notes
Danced with two long sticks held at the base. Standard 3-person Ithaca-on-Hemp stick dance figures. Ends on an additional chorus (after rounds). The chorus is repeated once, as follows:
- The point begins the sticking by holding their left-hand stick into the middle and bringing their right-hand stick down to clash with themself emphatically, leaving both sticks held out
- The anti-squire brings their left-hand stick down to clash, leaving that stick held out
- The downward clashes continue with the anti-squire's right-hand stick, the squire's left-hand stick, and the squire's right-hand stick
- The entire "pile" of sticks is pushed upwards by the point (whose sticks are at the bottom of the pile) before all sticks are removed and swept down and back, while all take a step back
- Note: The squire and anti-squire should keep slight downward pressure on the stick pile throughout
- Standard 3-person Ithaca-on-Hemp hey
- Return to triangle formation for additional sticking, as follows:
- All hold sticks out to both sides, and a slight upward angle, so that the sticks form a continuous "ring" shape around the triangle
- All clash with their right-hand sticks in the middle, then return to the ring
- All clash with their left-hand sticks in the middle, then return to the ring
- All clash with their right-hand sticks in the middle, and keep them there
- All clash with their left-hand sticks in the middle, to complete a bonfire
- Note: On the final chorus, the "and fire!" lyric is held, and the dancers raise the bonfire up as high as possible
For the music, the verses begin with:
- Foot up and down: "Every morning round 7 o'clock..."
- Squire in: "The boss was a fine man down to the ground..."
- Captive: "The new foreman was John McCann..."
- Isle of Man: "When next payday came around..."
- Rounds: Repeat the opening verse: "Every morning round 7 o'clock..."