To swing on a gate

[Al Smitley]

This is an inquiry, perhaps for Elaine Maciale, or anyone else who might know the answer...

I know of a hornpipe or reel called "Swinging on a Gate", and I also find it in the lyrics of "Zip Coon on the Go Ahead Principle".

What is the meaning of "Swinging on a gate" or "Swing upon a gate"?  Sounds like it might be along the lines of being "care-free" or "fun-loving", or maybe even "wasting time".

Anyone have knowledge of this 19th century (or earlier) phrase?

[John Masciale]

From what I can see, swinging on a gate was a common children's game / pastime. 
https://www.google.com/search?q=William+Collins+As+happy+as+a+king%...

I haven't found a reference to it as a phrase or expression.  I'll ask Elaine.  One of the fun things about swinging on a gate is the bang if you let the gate close.  Is there something like that in the jig?

[Strumelia]

There are 19th cent paintings and prints of children swinging on gates- there were of course way more gates of all sizes around a hundred years ago.  One can find references in old writings using the phrase:

early in 1832, Stephen and Charles Mott left England, as did thousands of others, and sailed for six weeks across the Atlantic to find a new home under better living conditions. They braved the winds of winter and steerage surroundings cheered by the hope that they at least, would find a fair field in which to labor, unobstructed by the state or church or the feudal lord of the magnificent estate of royalty.
They established themselves in a little while and wrote back to England of the wondrous nature of the new country, although they had not seen very much of it in New York; then in one letter it was said that work as they formerly knew it was not known here, for "all they did was to eat fat pork and swing on a gate all day" while business went right ahead and they were free to use their talents as they chose."

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There may be a gentleman here who has risen in the world: he was once

a farmer’s boy, but now he rides in his carriage. When he

was a farmer’s boy, he used to think what

a grand thing it would be to be a king and swing on a gate and eat bacon all

day long; but now I will be bound to say he does not want to swing on a gate, and

has little relish for the rustic dainty of which he was once so fond; he has reached a different rank of society, and his tastes and habits are all different.

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...Seems swinging on gates and eating pork just naturally go together.   lol

Take one gate, add one or more children = swinging on gate.   :)