Origins: New York Girls

Subject: Lyr Req: New York Girls (Black Irish Band version
From: GUEST,Rock
Date: 30 May 17 - 10:59 AM

I have seen several variations of the sea shanty New York Girls, but I have not had any luck finding the Black Irish Band version of the song, which is much funnier. Chords would be great too, if anyone has it. A small piece goes "well I don't miss the money another sailor might, I just wish someone could tell me if I had fun that night". Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: New York Girls (Black Irish Band version
From: Lighter
Date: 30 May 17 - 01:07 PM

Don't know about the Black Irish version, but the stanza you quote was almost certainly written by the American singer Oscar Brand in the 1950s. He recorded it on one of his "Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads" albums.

These words appear in no earlier version. Brand was fanous for clever lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: New York Girls (Black Irish Band version
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 17 - 03:14 PM

The Black Irish Band are from Sonora, in the foothills not far from Yosemite National Park in California. I've just missed seeing them in person on several occasions, but never did get to one of their concerts. I have a couple of their recordings, but not this one.
I found their version of "New York Girls" on YouTube, and I'll make a stab at a transcription. I wonder, as I set off on the tedious task of transcribing, if the requester has made any attempt that I could build on....

Here's the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcfsU82F6k0

Subject: ADD: New York Girls (work in progress)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 17 - 03:53 PM

OK, so here's my transcription from the YouTube video, which is from the Black Irish Band album titled Into the Arms of the Sea. I've put question marks where I'm not sure of a word. Please submit your suggestions/corrections below, and I'll add them to the master text.

NEW YORK GIRLS
(as recorded by Black Irish Band)

Shanghaied in San Francisco, we fetched up in Bombay
We were set afloat in an old [east] boat that steered like bale of hay,
That steered like bale of hay

Now, shipmates if you listen, I will sing you all this song,
Of a thing that lately happened as I come home from Hong Kong,
As I come from Hong Kong.

CHORUS
To me, way Santies, my dear Annie,
Oh, you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?

Now as I was a-walkin' down the dock, a fair maid I did meet,
She asked me for to see her home, she lived on Bleecker Street,
She lived on Bleecker Street.

When we got down Bleecker Street, we stopped on Number 4,
With her twenty so-called "sisters" all a-waitin' at the door,
A-waitin' at the door.

CHORUS

She says, "Come in my lucky boy, for you shall have a treat,
For you shall have some brandy, and something good to eat,
And something good to eat.

She gave me wine that tasted fine, but went right to my head;
Well, then we threw our clothes away, and she carried me to bed,
She carried me to bed.

CHORUS

Now, when I awoke next morning, I was naked in the dawn;
My clothes and all of my money and my lady friends were gone,
My lady friends were gone.

So, as I looked around that room, there was nothing I could see,
But a lady's shift and pantaloons that now belonged to me,
That now belonged to me.

CHORUS

Now, when I got back to the dock, my shipmates gathered 'round,
"Is this the new spring fashion, that the boys now wear in town?
The boys now wear in town?"

"Well, Jack, you are much prettier than when you went to shore,
We see you've been to the factory outlets, do they have some more?
Oh, do they have some more?"

CHORUS

So, I'm standin' on that New York dock, so dressed and all forlorn,
Well Martin (?) Churchill found me and he shipped me 'round Cape Horn,
He shipped me 'round Cape Horn."

CHORUS

Now, I don't miss the money, another sailor might,
I just wish someone would tell me now if I had fun that night,
If I had fun that night.

CHORUS (twice)


Copyright 2003, Patrick Karnahan (of the Black Irish Band)

Black Irish Band recording from American Legends album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_vlN8h220s

Live performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CZJ2ejCHrc

Subject: ADD:Can't Ya Dance the Polka?(Oscar Brand version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 May 17 - 04:35 PM

Lighter, as usual, is most astute. The Black Irish Band version is a limited rewrite of Oscar Brand's rendition. Here's my transcription from Brand's Bawdy Sea Shanties (1952):

CAN'T YA DANCE THE POLKA
(as recorded by Oscar Brand)

CHORUS
To me, way, you Santy, my dear Annie,
Oh, you New York gals, can't you dance the polka?

Now, shipmates if you'll listen to me, I'll tell ya in my song,
Things that lately happened when I come home from Hong Kong.

CHORUS

As I was walked out 'longside the docks, a fair maid I did meet,
She asked me for to see her home, and she lived on Bleecker Street.

CHORUS

Says I, "My dear young lady, I'm a stranger here in town,
I left my ship just yesterday, and to Boston I am bound."

CHORUS

Says she, "Well, come along with me and you will have a treat,
For you shall have some brandy, dear, and something good to eat".

CHORUS

When we got down to Bleecker Street, we stopped at 44,
Her twenty so-called "sisters" was a-waitin' at the door.

CHORUS

They gave me wine that tasted fine, but it went right to my head;
Then they threw their clothes away, and they carried me to bed.

CHORUS

When I awoke next morning, all naked in the dawn;
My clothes and all my money and them lady friends was gone.

CHORUS

Lord, I don't miss the money, as some other sailors might,
But I wish I could remember if if I had some fun that night.

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: New York Girls (Black Irish Band version)
From: Lighter
Date: 30 May 17 - 06:45 PM

Thanks, Joe.

Despite Wikipedia, the correct date of "Bawdy Sea Shanties" is 1958. The Library of Congress's "Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series" (1958) shows a September 15 copyright entry.

BIB's opening stanza comes from Hugill, who has "old lease boat."

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: New York Girls (Black Irish Band version)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jun 17 - 03:03 AM

You guys are the best, thanks. And Joe I was in the middle of breaking down the YouTube vid when you beat me to it. :)

Subject: ADD: Newborough Beach (Andrew W-R)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jul 22 - 09:00 PM

Andrew W-R wrote this, to be sung to the tune of New York Girls. He recited it at the Mudcat Worldwide Singaround, and gave me permission to post it.

NEWBOROUGH BEACH
(Andrew W-R)

One sunny morn on Newborough Beach -
Such mornings are not many -
I met a maiden walking there,
Of clothes she had not any.

She said “Hi! I'm Nancy.
Don't you fancy
A little game of Volleyball
Upon this nudist beach?”

My shirt was off in seconds,
Next, my pants were gone,
But I, being very British,
Kept my socks and sandals on.

And I followed Nancy,
For I did fancy
A little game of volleyball
Upon that nudist beach.

She led me through the sand dunes;
My gaze ne'er left her ass,
Which jiggled as she wiggled
Through the clumps of marram grass.

And, watching Nancy,
I did fancy
a little more than volleyball
Upon that nudist beach.

She turned and caught me ogling
And did not seem to mind,
But did say I would have to leave
My camera behind.

So, to please Nancy,
Whom I did fancy,
I carefully stashed all my gear
Upon that nudist beach.

We walked a little further,
Then she began to run.
I gamely followed after her
Thinking it was all in fun.

And I chased Nancy,
Whom I did fancy,
Until she lost me in the trees
Along that nudist beach.

Disheartened, I retraced my steps
To where I'd stashed my gear.
When I got there, the sand was bare.
The footprints made it clear:

I'd been robbed by Nancy,
Whom I did fancy.
I was stranded bollock-naked there,
Upon that nudist beach.

I found some fly-tipped bin bags
And emptied one to wear,
Then walked back to the car park,
But my car... it wasn't there.

T'was driven off by Nancy,
Whom I did fancy,
My day had gone from bad to worse
Upon that nudist beach.

I walked the twenty miles home
With just a bin bag on.
I broke a window to get in
And my furniture was gone.

I was burgled by Nancy,
Whom I no longer fancy,
And I'm never going back again
To bloody Newborough Beach!

To the tune of New York Girls.

Thank you, Andrew!

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 03:39 AM

Heard this song played in the background in the film Gangs of New York.

The film makers must have thought it was around mid 19th century at least.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Lighter
Date: 20 Jul 22 - 11:30 AM

Brand's version appears to be a rewrite of that recorded by William Doerflinger from the retired Captain Richard Maitland in New York about 1939.

Doerflinger noted that Maitland changed the lyrics in every rendition

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 10:04 AM

I don't know about the Maitland/Doerflinger version, but the Brand one is largely a cut-down version of Peter Street.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Lighter
Date: 22 Jul 22 - 12:16 PM

Maitland ditto, but "mother and her sister," not "forty so-called sisters," etc.

And no punch-line final stanza.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: GUEST,Bill G.
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 02:04 PM

And what the f**k exactly has the crap song by Andrew got to do with the song in question?

What's next, Abba?

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Jul 22 - 03:08 PM

I learned it from an album by a Swedish band called The Paddy Doyles. And I learned to spoonerise the last line from people joining in at Swinton Folk Club


Oh, you New York girls
Can't you poke the dancer

:-D

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: Mrrzy
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:01 AM

I have this by Alan Mills. Not bawdy.

Why wouldn't NY girls dance the polka, I always wondered.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: meself
Date: 26 Jul 22 - 10:35 AM

I read an album note somewhere in the distant past stating that that refrain was teasing the "NY girls" for their, quote, "provincialism": the polka was all the rage, as the kids say, in London and Paris, etc., but hadn't made it to NY, apparently.

I think that would have been from the National Geographic 'Songs of the Sea' album, which turned me into the landlocked old sea-dog I am today.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: clueless don
Date: 25 Sep 24 - 01:00 PM

I have always preferred the version (e.g. a version I heard from John and Tony) with the chorus:

And away, ye Johnnie,
my dear honey!
Oh, you New York Girls
you love us for our money.

The version with the chorus that ends "can't you dance the polka?" grates on my ears.

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 24 - 07:28 AM

I learned it from a recording of Tommy Makem..

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: r.padgett
Date: 26 Sep 24 - 08:04 AM

NYGs is in Hugill, Mystic Sea Port version book

2 versions pages 281 and 283

The 2nd version I believe is the Bellowhead/Jon Boden version sung by them extensively

The first version, I sing and probably most popular

Ray

Subject: RE: Origins: New York Girls
From: GUEST,Roderick A Warner
Date: 26 Sep 24 - 08:14 AM

Back when I lived in Dublin a friend of mine when out busking, if he saw the cops in the distance, used to sing ‘Oh, You Dublin Gards, can’t you dance the Polka? Slightly more amusing than most parody songs. Not a rendition I tried as they could be fickle towards street musicians. He was from Belfast so probably had a get out of jail card, given the times…