I managed to do two things yesterday as well (everything seems to be double booked lately) -- after the shanty sing, I stopped at Smoky Goodness on my way home to hear Poor Howard Stith sing Piedmont and Delta blues and have a spot of supper (pulled pork sandwich and smoked mac & cheese). Alas, I was the only person in the audience from 8:15 until just before he was to wrap at 9:00 when a couple enthusiastic (though probably a bit inebriated) young women came in to, uh, "dance". I hope they bought a couple CDs and contributed to the tip jar as they'd threatened.

The crew was me, Charlie (Charley Noble), Ranger1, Bob Eaton, Don Hale, Gail & Jim Finn, Susan Young, Jeri, Eric & April (who recently discovered us), Justine Donovan, Lucas Duncan and friend, Rita Pomerleau, Bill & Carol, Gail & Janice, and Dave Johnson.

And we sang --
1. Plum Island National Anthem - Linn
2. Parking Lot Pirates - Charlie
3. The River (Battlefield Band) - Bob
4. Bold Riley - Don
5. Connemara Cradle Song - Gail Finn
6. Johnny Be Fair - Linn (can't remember what triggered this)
7. Midway (Paul MacNeil) - Linn ("Brucing" it...)
8. Pastures of Memory - Charlie
9. Across the Western Ocean/Amelia - Susan
10. Davey Louston - Justine
11. Boys of Killebegs - Bob
12. Leave Her, Johnny - Don
As Don explained, enough time had passed since he last sang it that I "allowed" him to sing it again. To explain for those (at least two at the session) who didn't know the story, "Leave Her, Johnny" was our closing song for the Friday trad session through most of the 1980s. We all -- including the waitstaff -- got so sick of it we couldn't stand to hear it. Tom DID try to revive it as a closer for this session in January 2003, but...no. We were still sick of it. It's okay in extreme moderation...
13. South Australia - Jim Finn
14. Nine Times a Night - Linn
15. Roll Out Boys and Heave That Cotton - Charlie
16. Song For Ireland - Gail F.
17.Boney Was a Warrior - Eric
18. Fire Down Below - Jeri
19. Goodbye, My Riley-O - Justine
20. Sloop John A (Les Barker) - Linn
21. Keep On Fishin' - Bob
22. Neptune's Daughter - Susan
23.Shipmates - Charlie
24. Pay Me My Money Down - April
25. Black Bird, Get Up - Jeri
26. Ida Lewis - Justine
27. Wiscasset Schooners (Lois Lyman - Jay Smith's ex-wife) - Bob
28. Darby Ram - Eric (a third version, which I'd not heard before)
29. Baidin Fheilimi - Jim Finn
30. Aunt Clara (request) - Linn
31. Don't Go Into the Lion's Cage Tonight - Charlie
32. Bantry Girl's Lament - Sue Young
33. Sailor Went to Drink-i-ing - April (not sure of title)
34. The Blarney Stone - Gail F.
35. Gosport Nan - Don
36. Johnny Come Down to Hilo - Justine
Discussion of blue dress. Tom always said a blue dress indicated a prostitute, but I only found on what he based his comment recently. Should have known it was from liner notes of an LP. In this case Arthur Argo's "A Wee Thread o' Blue". In some English houses of detention, prostitutes wore a uniform of a blue dress or a blue sash. All other folk references I've found say blue is symbolic of purity. This led us into a discussion of "cleaning up" lyrics that might be offensive or might take too long to explain. It's important, I think, to know the original reference and put it in the context of the times. I dislike the unnecessary "cleaning up" in "Whup Jamboree" of "long-tailed black man come up behind" to "long-tailed sailorman come up behind". That makes absolutely no sense. The black man is NOT a Negro; it's the DEVIL. I sing it "long-tailed devil-man" which at least is more accurate for the benefit of the ignorant who might be offended.
37.

Oops. Don't have much more to finish, but I really HAVE to leave.

Later!
Linn