One of the most popular fiddle tunes to date, Billy in the Lowground was first recorded in the 1920s. Gotten from studies based on the examination of about 250 manuscripts, recorded versions, variants of the song, etc., the origin of this song dates back to the 18th-century fiddle music manuscripts and prints of Scottish and Irish origin.

There was a repertoire whose oral and written traditions flourished and these tunes emerged from this fashionable repertoire. Once these tunes were assimilated into the English repertoire, they were no longer as elaborate as they used to, neither did the tunes remain fashionable. To add finishing touches to the assimilation of the tunes into the English repertoire, fiddlers throughout the British isles transported the tunes into America. Field recordings from the 1920s and 30s show that Billy in the Lowground was used as a contest fiddle tune and for bluegrass performances.

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