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PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs
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Subject: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:48 AM
-Joe Offer- The aim of this thread is two-fold:- a) to set out the songs and fragments that my colleague Ron Baxter collected during his time in the British Merchant Navy (1966-1974 with Clan Line and other companies belonging to British & Commonwealth Shipping), along with other material he composed then and more recently. b) to draw out any other songs/verses/fragments from the memories of anyone who may have come across similar material. First, an introduction from Ron Baxter (from a hand-out we use when presenting these songs):- Songs of the British Merchant Navy - an introduction. The mate bawling out "Who's the bloody nightingale?" to a gang of hungover shellbacks as they warped themselves out of the dock is now only a folk memory. Shanties, as living, working songs, died with the last of the commercial windjammers - but did sailors stop singing about their trade? Well, not quite! In 1966, a skinny 17-year-old clad in a navy rain-coat two sizes too big boarded the S.S. Clan Sutherland. The watchman promptly told him, "Don't be a bloody fool, son - go back home to yer mam!" This was my welcome to the Merchant Navy. But it was on that first trip that I was introduced to a class of songs virtually ignored by folk-song collectors - the Merchant Navy songs. Now, don't get me wrong. They are not a treasure-house of unknown ballads. The songs are hardly on a par with the "Child" Ballads, or Stan Hugill's shanties, or Cyril Tawney's songs of the "Grey Funnel Line". Most were parodies, or used well-known popular tunes. They were frequently bawdy, sometimes downright obscene - and many not of any great literary merit... "I may be right, I may be wrong. But I'm perfectly willing to swear - That a Cunard steward mooned at me - Trousers down and bottom bare!" However, as examples of social history, I feel they should be preserved. On that first trip, I heard and noted several "Clan Line" songs. I soon discovered that other companies had their own versions. The best known and most widespread song was "Bye, Bye, Clan Line" (or Ben Line, B.P., Cunard, etc.) Like many shanties, there was no definitive version - apart from the opening couplet, which always began; "Packed my bag, packed my grip; I'm not coming back next trip! Bye, Bye, --------------------------" Over my time at sea, I must have heard twenty or so verses - but unfortunately I didn't note them all down! Different runs, cargoes, masters - all were grist to the versifier's mill. Another parody was "Clan Boat leaving Bombay"; "...bless the khalasi and the jhemadar, Bless the secuni and the pani wallah. The burrah sahib says "When we dock - You won't get me back with this lot! But next trip you'll find that he's back with Clan Line! So cheer up, my lads, bless 'em all!" Clan Line had British officers, while the crews were Indian or Bangladeshi. Consequently, lots of their songs had bits of seaman's Hindustani worked in. One of Clan Line's sister companies was King Line. They were a tramp outfit - in both meanings of the word! "Oh, the King Line Captain sings this song - Balls up! Balls up! The bloody engine has gone wrong, so get those black balls up!" Two black balls, one over the other, is the international sign for "I am not under command" - i.e. "I have broken down". On several ships I sailed on, you could add "again!" Clan Line was part of Cayzer Irvine's British and Commonwealth Shipping Group, which also included King Line, Union Castle, Scottish Shire Line and Hector Whaling. Hector's had ceased their bloody trade some years before, but still operated a couple of tankers. It was on one of these, the Hector Hawk, that I obtained what I believe may be the last song to have been written in the British whaling fleet - "Blood on the Ice"; "Now the blood of the whale and the white of the ice Are there on our funnel as our ship's device; We are cruising around in the snow, hail and sleet, South of South Georgia, in the Hector Whaling fleet." All the above examples I collected from other crew members in the company I sailed with. But during my Mid-Apprentice course in London. I came into contact with cadets from many other firms. From them I learned their versions of songs I already knew, but also some new ones - many of them the nautical equivalent of rugby songs, but also one or two interesting pieces, such as the Trident Tankers Cadet Song to the tune of "Gilly-gilly-ossenpeffer-katzenellenbogen-by-theSea". I also picked up several "navigational aids" in the form of rhyming couplets; "If to starboard Red appear, 'tis your duty to keep clear - But if to port you can see red, all is safe, go back to bed". But when would the songs be sung on board a busy ship? Well. of course it varied from vessel to vessel. You would invariably hear "Bye, Bye, Clan Line" from Biscay onwards when we were heading home. But in the main, they were sung in port, after a few (or many!) beers. They would be interspersed with "Eleanor Rigby", "Little Red Rooster", "White Christmas", or anything else someone fancied singing. Although I do remember "Jervis Bay" being sung, ballads were very rare; I did encounter a couple during my voyages. One arose from an incident we first heard about over the radio. The Royston Grange was in collision with a tanker in the mouth of the River Plate, and all on board were lost; "For Death she stalks silent, and she strikes both swift and strange, As when she took into her arms the crew of the Royston Grange." In a far lighter vein, the misadventures of the crew of the M.V. Phyllis Bowater during a visit to New York produced the following; "Well they had a good time, but just as we feared, Venus' measles they soon appeared. So off to Times Square no longer they went, For the Doctor and the "ladies" took every last cent!" Most of the songs I collected from officers, mainly because I didn't understand Hindustani sufficiently well to follow the Khalasi's songs. On white-crewed vessels, once the lads knew that I had this strange hobby, they would come and ask me "Have you heard this one?" One such was the "M.V. Hardship"; "When we got to Kiwi, we all went ashore; Off to Ma Gleeson's to get us a whore. But when we got there, the pickings were poor, 'Cause the P.S.N.C. Lads had been there before!" This is an odd one; over the years I found two further versions, one about Union Castle (though I never heard it on a Union Castle vessel), and a Harrison's version which is repetitively vulgar without being any more amusing. Something that was amusing was to find a verse sung to the tune of "The Manchester Rambler"; "I'm a tramp ship, I'm a tramp ship, on no regular run; I go wherever the cargoes may come. It may be to Lagos on Sunday - But they'll change it to Sydney come Monday!" The bloke I got that from had never even heard of Ewan MacColl! I also found it funny to see two A.B.s almost come to blows as to who had the "proper" version of the parody "Shaw Savill's Buccaneers". To sum up, my collection (mainly made between 1966 and 1974) is a mixture of crude, unpolished, light-hearted parodies, although there are several gems. The majority decry the Company, the Master, the Officers, and the engines. They frequently poke fun at gay stewards, though I can't remember ever meeting any homophobics at sea. Why were they sung? I suppose because they were our songs, we could all relate to them; we understood the slang, the technical terms and the foreign words. There was also a parallel with the sea-shanty; a chance to get frustrations off your chest. Though they may be pale shadows of the fore-bitters of the past, they are part of our nautical heritage, and as a confirmed "traddy", I am very glad to have heard, collected - aye, and sung - these songs. "Goodbye, Second; Goodbye, Chief; On the quay stands my relief; Clan Line, Bye, Bye!" Ron Baxter Fleetwood, 2000 Footnote: Some years ago Ron Baxter and Ross Campbell formed "Red Duster" to create and perform thematic shows to illustrate aspects of Britain's maritime heritage. The songs which Ron collected at sea form the basis of their show "Farewell to the Clan Line". Together with Red Duster's own compositions and other contemporary songs, they give a picture of what life was like in the British Merchant Fleet in the years before its near-terminal decline. Back to me (Ross) I'll follow this over time with a) the collected songs (complete versions) and accompanying notes from Ron. b) the collected songs (fragments, odd verses, alternates, etc) c) Ron's compositions d) some contemporary songs we used in the "Farewell to the Clan Line" show Ross |
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Subject: Lyr Add: BLESS 'EM ALL (CLAN LINE VERSION) From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:02 AM ^^BLESS 'EM ALL (CLAN LINE VERSION) (Coll. Ron Baxter, 1966, source singer unknown) There's a Clan boat just leaving Bombay, Bound for old Blighty's shore; Heavily loaded with bum engineers, Bound for the land they adore. She's down by the head, she's listing to port, She's making three knots with the tide; But you'll get no enjoyment in the Clan Line employment, So come on, me lads, bless 'em all! Bless 'em all, bless 'em all; The Tindal, the Kasab and all; Bless all the "Sparkies", they're all round the twist; Bless all the pursers, and their limp wrists! If the engineers can get us home, The "Kali Pani" no more will I roam; 'Cause you'll get no promotion, this side of the ocean, So cheer up, me lads, bless 'em all! There is the "Old Man", he's counting the days 'Til they will let him retire; There stands the Chief; he's gnashing his teeth - All the coal that he's bought just won't fire. But there's many a 'prentice just starting his time, There's many a fool's just begun - That's signed with "Scots Navy" for four years of slavery, Out here on the Hooghli run. Bless 'em all, bless 'em all; The Engineers, Two, Three and Four; Bless the Kalasi and Secuni, Bless the Serang and the Bhundari. Though the Burra Sahib says "When we dock - You won't see me back with this lot!" Next trip you'll find, he'll be back with Clan Line; So cheer up, my lads, bless 'em all. RJC Bless 'em All (Clan Boat leaving Bombay): Notes (RB) I heard this first on the S.S. Clan Sutherland, 1966. It was known on every other ship I sailed on, with slight variations. I have no doubt there are other company versions. Clan Line had Lascar crews (the term "Lascar" was never used at sea, at least with Clan Line; the crew were variously referred to as "the crew" (!), "the men", or collectively as "Abdul". Consequently, bits of Hindustani frequently crept into Clan Line songs. "The Malim Sahib's Hindustani", first published in 1920 as an aid to officers working with Indian crews, is still in print (4th reprint, 2007, ISBN 978-0-85174-187-1) and available from the original publishers, Brown, Son & Ferguson, Glasgow (http://skipper.co.uk/books/bn1871.htm) – who also publish Capt. W. B. Whall's "Sea Songs and Shanties". "Bum engineers" - "duff" or "useless" engineers - nothing sexual in the term. Tindal - 2nd Bo'sun Kasab - lamptrimmer Sparkies - radio officers (not electricians!) Chief Stewards (sometimes Pursers) - all regarded as potential homosexuals Kali Pani - kali (pronounced "kala") = black; pani = water, i.e. the ocean "the coal that he bought just won't fire" - the Chief Engineer used to be given an allowance to buy coal. If he could make a profit by buying cheaper grades, nobody minded as long as the ship continued to steam. The Chief Steward was similarly responsible for the food rations for the trip. "Four years of slavery" - the duration of the apprentice's term. Scots Navy - Clan Line Engineers , 2, 3, and 4 - the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Engineers Secuni – quartermaster Jhemadar - a rank with no equivalent in the Merchant Navy; a sweeper, also known as Topas Kalasi - seaman/A.B. Serang – bo'sun Bhandari - cook Pani Wallah - water-man (boiler hand) Bhurra Sahib - Chief Officer, 1st Mate (Bhurra Malim Sahib) The last Clan boats built as coal burners came into service in the 1930s. The last coal burners went out of service in the early '50s |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: the button Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:09 AM Absolutely fascinating, Ross -- keep it coming. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: BYE BYE CLAN LINE From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:24 AM ^^BYE-BYE CLAN LINE (Coll. Ron Baxter 1966) Tune: Bye, Bye, Blackbird Pack my bag, pack my grip, I'm not coming back next trip - Bye-Bye, Clan Line! Goodbye Second, Goodbye Chief, On the quay stands my relief, Bye-Bye, Clan Line! No more "Stations!" in the early morning; No more stand-bys in the light of dawning; Very soon will come the day - To Sir Nick you'll hear us say, "Clan Line, Bye-Bye!" No more scrubbing decks with soap, No more rolling round Good Hope, Bye-Bye Clan Line! No more sights that just won't work, No more Mates who bawl and curse, Bye-Bye, Clan Line! No more hanging round for dates of sailing, No more stopped in fog with fog-horns wailing; Very soon will come the day - To Sir Nick you'll hear us say, "Clan Line, Bye-Bye! (I'm joining Ben Line!) Clan Line, Bye-Bye!" Bye-Bye, Clan Line Notes (RB) Heard first on S.S. Clan Sutherland, 1966; I subsequently heard versions of this on every ship I sailed on. The version above is how we presented the song in the "Farewell to the Clan Line" show. Alternative verses follow:- Packed my bag, packed my grip; I'm not coming back next trip. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. No more scrubbing decks with soap, No more rolling round Good Hope, Bye, Bye, Clan Line. No more running up and down the hatches; Or crawling up the "Cut" on double watches. Goodbye, Second; Goodbye, Chief; On the quay stands my relief; Clan Line, Bye, Bye. No more going round the bend; Six weeks anchored off Southend. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. No more sights that just won't work; No more mates who bawl and curse. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. No more "Stations!" in the early morning; No more "Stand-by!"s in the light of dawning; Goodbye, "McDonald", "McDougal" too, "Clan McScrapheap", goodbye to you, Clan Line, Bye, Bye. No more drawing cargo plans That somehow are always wrong; Bye, Bye, Clan Line. I won't miss the heavy lifts, Or the "Oh Five Hundred" shifts, Bye, Bye, Clan Line. No more pig-iron polishers complaining; No more stuck in fog with fog-horns wailing. No more trips round to Madras - You can stick that up the purser's arse. Clan Line, Bye, Bye. Tell "Boozie Bowsy" and "Mad Mac"; Tell "Honourable Bill" I won't be back. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. I will write to Captain Harte A "Dear John" letter and then depart, Bye, Bye, Clan Line. Farewell to Cape Town's bloody stupid Yarpies; Farewell to L.M.'s "black hams" - (thieving harpies!); Another thing that I won't miss; "Mother" Harper gave me a kiss, Clan Line, Bye, Bye. From this mob, I must go, I think I'll sign with P.&O. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. This Scots Navy is so hard - The Old Man thinks he's with Cunard, Bye, Bye, Clan Line. I've had enough of days with engine breakdowns; I've had enough of the "Rummage Squad" and their shakedowns. I'll say "Bugger off!" to the Old Man, Come tomorrow, when I'm gone. Clan Line, Bye, Bye. "Just three months", Head Office said; But it's a "double-header" to the Med. Bye, Bye, Clan Line. And then straight out to Chittagong, Where Clan Alpine got it wrong! Bye, Bye, Clan Line. There's only one thing now that can save me; It's to see the last of Mr Cayzer's navy. Very soon will come the day, To Sir Nic you'll hear me say; Clan Line, Bye, Bye. (I'm joining Bank Line!) Clan Line, Bye, Bye. Another verse began;- Cape Town, P.E, Durban too; I've seen enough of all of you; Bye, Bye, Clan Line. To Calcutta and Colombo, To Bombay no more I'll go; Bye, Bye, Clan Line. Notes (RB):- This was probably the best-known and widest-spread of all the Merchant Navy songs. Like many shanties, there was and is no definitive version. The first couplet was usually as given, although it too would vary according to the line, eg "Bye, Bye, Ben Line/Glen Line/Bank Line/BP, etc. Different companies, runs, ships, masters, cargoes; all gave rise to appropriate verses. I heard up to seventeen different verses in ten years at sea, all with the one company. "Cut" - the Manchester Ship Canal - you were on watch all the way from the Mersey. "Six weeks anchored off Southend" - the fruit boats were frequently used as floating warehouses. "cargo plan" - diagrammatic plan of the ship showing where all the different bits of cargo are (or are supposed to be!) "Stations" - your duty position on leaving or entering a port. "Stand-by" - as above, but in the engine room. "---McDonald, McDougal" - two very old Clan Line vessels. "Clan McScrapheap (or Clan McBagpipe) - general term for any Clan boat. "Boozie Bowsy" - Captain Bosanquet (he was newsreader Reginald Bosanquet's brother). "Mad Mac" - Captain MacGregor. "Honourable Bill" - Captain Sir William Coddrington (Bart.) All the above were Clan Line Masters.. "Captain Harte" - Captain Harte, D.S.C., R.N.; the Fleet Captain based at Head Office. Yarpies (Jarpies) - Afrikaaners. L. M. - Lourenço Marques in Mozambique. "black hams" - Mozambique girls. "Mother" Harper - Jimmy Harper, a famous Chief Steward (and homosexual). "sign with P. & O." - an ironic threat! There's an old saying: "There's three sorts of ship at sea; the Merchant Navy, the Royal Navy - and P. & O." "Scots Navy" - Clan Line. "Rummage Squad" - the Customs team that searched the ship. "Double-Header" - U.K.-Cape, Cape-Med, Med-Cape, Cape-home. "Clan Alpine" - as a result of a storm surge, this ship ended up in a paddy-field. "Mr Cayzer's Navy" - Clan Line. "Sir Nic" - Sir Nicholas (later Lord) Cayzer, Managing Director of Cayzer-Irvine (British & Commonwealth Shipping). "joining Bank Line" - another ironic threat! Bank Line boats were frequently away from home for two years or even longer. RJC |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: greg stephens Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:31 AM Great stuff, Ross, very interesting. Keep it coming. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: BLOOD ON THE ICE (SOUTH OF SOUTH GEORGIA) From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:39 AM ^^BLOOD ON THE ICE (SOUTH OF SOUTH GEORGIA) (Ron Baxter/anon) (based on a fragment heard on the M.T. Hector Hawk) Now our business is bloody, The truth for to tell. We're just a slaughterhouse, Out on the swell. There's no romance As in times long gone by - It's "Fire the harpoon!" And another whale dies. Then it's "Tow him alongside!" And winch him on board. Then the flensers get cutting And the blood around us pours. With the aid of the winches His blubber it is torn, Then he's stripped of his flesh Right down to the bone. Now the blood of the whale And the white of the ice Are there on our funnel, As our fleet's device. Though our business is bloody, When all is done and said - We all have our families At home to keep fed. Here on the Balaena, We are stuck for eight months; It's work, work and more work, Then collapse into your bunks; We're cruising around In the snow, hail and sleet, South of South Georgia, On Hectors' whaling fleet. Blood on the Ice: Notes (RB) :- I heard an incomplete version of this on the M.T. (Motor Tanker) Hector Hawk, from an Ulsterman 2nd Engineer who had sailed many years before with the vessel's original owners, Hector Whaling. The company had been formed in 1938 when the Norwegian firm "Hektor" relocated to London. The tankers would sail to the South Atlantic laden with fuel oil for the start of the whaling season. While the catchers and the factory ship were working, the crew would clean tanks and return to London at the end of the season with a cargo of whale oil. When the company abandoned the whaling trade in the late fifties, its tankers were bought by Cayzer Irvine. The Balaena - was the factory ship where the captured whales were brought for processing. "---our fleet's device" - the Hector's house flag, painted on the funnel, was a rectangle divided diagonally, and coloured red on the top left, white on the bottom right. Due to the fragmentary form in which I collected the song, I felt I should write some lines so that it made sense. Verses in italics* were definitely the ones I collected; some of the other lines may be too, but after this time I can't remember which were original and which were mine. Sorry! The original fragment was sung to the hymn tune "Slane" (Be Thou My Vision). I believe (though with no evidence) that this is the last song "made up" on the British Whaling Fleet. I would guess it was made in the early fifties. "Blood on the Ice" has been recorded by Hughie Jones on his latest CD "Seascape". The same track features on a compilation CD (titled "Blood on the Ice") of Ron Baxter's songs by various artists, both CDs available from The Chantey Cabin (http://www.chanteycabin.co.uk/). Hughie used the "Slane" tune on his recording. For Red Duster's CD "Farewell to the Clan Line", Ross Campbell reset the song to his own tune. Note (RJC):- John Bailey of Fleetwood continued working in the Merchant Navy until a couple of years ago. He relates the story of a young apprentice being left with the maintenance crew to over-winter at the whaling-station in South Georgia (cf Harry Robertson's "Wee Pot Stove" for the sort of conditions to be found there). The relief crew turned up in the spring as expected. However, somebody decided it would be a good joke to tell the apprentice that his trip home would have to wait till the next year. Before anyone realized what was happening, the boy took a shotgun, went round the back of the hut and killed himself. RJC italics* - pasting in lost my Word formatting - don't know the html for that - collected lines as recalled by Ron were:- Verse 3, lines 1-4, verse 4, lines 1&2, 6-8 |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:47 AM Cheers, Joe, and thanks, Greg and the button. As I said above, any memories, songs, verses or just odd lines that anybody can come up with will be very welcome. The smallest thing can trigger somebody else's recollection. Ross |
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Subject: Lyr Add: KING LINE CAPTAIN From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:52 AM ^^KING LINE CAPTAIN (Coll. Ron Baxter, 1966) The King Line Captain sings this song; "Balls up! Balls up! The bloody engine has gone wrong, So get those black balls up!" Broken down again! Broken down once more! If the pig-iron polishers can't get it right - Soon we'll be ashore! Tune: Camptown Races King Line Captain: Notes (RB) King Line were B.& C.'s "tramp" outfit - in both meanings of the word! The international signal for "I am not under command", i.e. "I have broken down" was two black balls, one over the other - this is the derivation of the term "balls up" - not many people know that! RJC |
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Subject: Lyr Add: SHAW-SAVILL'S BUCCANEERS From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:59 AM ^^SHAW-SAVILL'S BUCCANEERS (Coll. Ron Baxter, 1972) As down the quay at half-past three Came Shaw-Savill's drunken crew - They'd spent their sub in a dockside pub, Having a beer or two; But the time draws nigh, and a shout nearby, That they all dread to hear; "Come on, you bums, sailing day has come For Shaw-Savill's Buccaneers!" There was Dan McCool from Liverpool, He was bo'sun of the gang. For him you'd work - and you dare not shirk, Or else your head he'd bang! But Geordie Dick gave him some lip, And we all shook with fear; As Dan's mighty paw it broke the jaw Of that Shaw-Savill's Buccaneer. Now Bert and Joe were London boys, And when drunk got fighting mad; They'd knock you down for half-a-crown - I tell you, they were bad! But between these two, and I'll tell you true, There was something mighty queer - For they dressed in skirts, did those two flirts Of Shaw-Savill's Buccaneers. Now "Slow Starvation and Agony" Is the firm with whom we sail. And from Cardiff Bay out to Bombay, We make all others quail; So if you aren't rough, and if you aren't tough, Then brother, don't come near! If you value your life, don't sail, by Christ! With Shaw-Savill's Buccaneers. Shaw Savill's Buccaneers: Notes (RB) Obviously this is a parody of "McAlpine's Fusiliers". Shaw, Savill & Albion, a.k.a. "Slow Starvation and Agony", a.k.a."Shit and Shovell" traded from the U.K. to India and Australia. I got this from two A.B.s on the M.V. King James in 1972. Each had a different version, and they almost came to blows over which was superior. Regrettably, I can't recollect the separate versions, and this is thus a collated representation of what they sang. One alternative line in the first verse ran "Come on, you cunts, get out of your bunks!" Most of my songs I got from officers; "Shaw Savill's Buccaneers", "M.V. Hardship/M.V. Statesman" and "The Old Man is a Bugger" were collected from A.B.s, and they have a feel of the fo'c'sle rather than the quarterdeck. "Shaw Savill's Buccaneers" has been recorded by Hughie Jones on his latest CD. Ron adds:- "I'm afraid I am not a very good "collector", as I didn't realise at the time that that is what I was doing. I just liked the songs, and made a point of asking if anbody knew more; when I found any, I either kept them in my head or occasionally wrote them down, I never bothered to record them at the time, or even to note the name of the singer(s). Even the year, and the ship or pub I got them from are mainly guesswork. Along with the songs I have put down here, I used to have about six more written out, all non-Clan-Line songs (the reason I wrote them down). Unfortunately the book containing them all was stolen, along with my watch, in Lourenço Marques. One song was about the Blue Funnel Line, but that's about all I can now recall." RJC |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE PHYLLIS BOWATER From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 12:09 PM THE "PHYLLIS BOWATER" ^^ The "PHYLLIS BOWATER" sailed out from New York, Gleaming and shining in her new painted coat. For three days the crew had been working like mad, To cover the rusty old patches she had. For three months and more she'd been on the run; From New York to "Newfie" and back she had come. And each time the crew went out on the spree, Up to Times Square, the ladies to see. They'd had a good time, but just as we feared, Venus's measles they soon appeared; These "New York Gals" had taken their cash, And in return gave them all a rash! And so to the doctor they made their way; He gave them the cure but they all had to pay. So off to Times Square no longer they went, For the Doctor and the ladies took every last cent. As the "PHYLLIS BOWATER" pulled out of Brooklyn, The Coast Guard Captain called "Get back on in! You cannot sail away, painted like that! So get back to your mooring! Do you hear me, Mac?" Well, the "Old Man" could not understand Why he'd been ordered back to the land; But when he walked to the bow, he gave a great cry - For in front of the name "PHYLLIS" was painted "SY"! Phyllis Bowater: Notes (RB) Tune: Villikins and his Dinah/Sweet Betsy from Pike (adapted slightly for the second four lines of each verse) The Bowater Paper Company's boats (mostly named for female members of the Bowater family) ran from Newfoundland, up the Great Lakes and down the east coast of America, carrying newsprint from the up-country paper mills to the various population centres. This ballad appeared from nowhere across the Bowater fleet, and I believe it is based on fact. For the rest of the season, the Phyllis Bowater was known amongst the other ships' crews as the "Syphillis"! RJC |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE BARON LINE SONG From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 12:20 PM THE BARON LINE SONG (adapted for singing by Ron Baxter & Ross Campbell, from the DT version) ^^ (Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. To Basra, Hong Kong, Rio or Chittagong "Ropey Ropners" may be fine, But give me the Baron Line, Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. Oh, you may have sailed on Coasters, And you may have been on Tramps, You may have sailed on Trawlers, On the great Newfoundland Banks, You may have been on Tankers, And had a terrible time, But you've never yet, come through the 'Mill', Till you've sailed the Baron Line. (Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. If you think you're going home, you're bloody wrong, British Tankers may be fine, But give me the Baron Line, Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. The First Mate was an ex-con, And was 'spying' for a ship, He saw the "Baron Murray" Lying beside an old Coal Tip, He asked the Skipper for a job, Who said, "You'll do damn fine, For we've plenty of room for bums and stiffs, In the good old Baron Line". (Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along, To the turning of the screw, we'll sing this song, "Blue Star Fliers" may be fine, But give me the Baron Line, Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. The Skipper came from Tokyo, The Third Mate from Tiree, The crew came down from Glasgow, And the Greasers from Dundee, Stewards off the Hong Kong Coast, Apprentices from the Tyne, Oh, you've never seen such a mixed up lot, Till you've sailed the Baron Line. (Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. With the sweepings of the Pool this tub is thronged, Though the London Greeks are fine, Just give me the Baron Line, Roll along you hungry bastards roll along. Notes (RJC) Ron had been looking for the Baron Line Song for quite a while. There was a related thread going for some time in the Mudcat forum which produced a couple of single verses before someone (anon GUEST whose father Arnis Boika sailed on the Baron Glenconner in the late '50s) supplied a more complete version. He referred to another website where he had found the words. I recall finding it at the time, but that seems to have disappeared since. We augmented the choruses and I came up with a tune which just seemed to fit. RJC |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE BANK LINE SONG From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 12:32 PM THE BANK LINE SONG Collected (Ron Baxter) from John Bailey of Fleetwood, 1999. Tune:- Land of Hope and Glory Blue for the colour of the ocean, Red for the colour of our sweat; There's the white line of starvation, To help us to forget. You think you're a merchant seaman, When you're only a Bank Line bum! Bank Line's house flag is half red, half blue with a diagonal white line. RJC |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: maldenny Date: 31 Mar 08 - 01:24 PM In the Blue Funnel Line (the Welsh navy) we used to sing "Pack my bag, pack my grip" with similar verses to the Clan Line, except that we sang the name of the various ships at the end of the verse - "F*** the mate, the old man too They both know what they can do Bye bye Perseus". We used to sing songs in the halfdeck (the midshipmen's and cadets quarters). One midshipman sang a blues:- I came to sea 'cause I didn't have anything to lose, But an old sea dog he quickly changed my views. He said listen to me son and I'll tell you why I've seen grown men break down and cry Just like the sea moves to the sky, they're blue. I've got those black-top Blue Funnel blues. |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: kendall Date: 31 Mar 08 - 02:45 PM I used to know a couple of merchant seamen who were older than I, and one of them used to sing a song he learned in Sheep's Head Bay. Oh the money that they pay us they say is mighty fine They give us 50 dollars and take back 49 Oh, I don't want no more of Sheep's Head Bay Oh how I wanna go home. The shoes that they gave us they said was mighty fine You ask for number 7's they give you number 9's oh I don't...etc. The donuts that they fed us they said were mighty fine Mine rolled off the table and killed a pal of mine... The chicken that they fed us...etc Mine jumped off the table and started marking time... |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 02:48 PM Great, maldenny, thanks for that. Any more comes to mind, send it in. Ross |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 31 Mar 08 - 04:26 PM Ross- This is really a fine collection and I'll certainly look forward to more postings. Are you primarily interested in 20th century Merchant Navy songs? I should review your initial presentation. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Merchant Navy Songs From: Herga Kitty Date: 31 Mar 08 - 04:34 PM Clan Alpine has been recorded by Les Sullivan on Echoes of Lowlands I know because I've been recorded singing "Screw, screw, screw" in harmony! Kitty |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE END OF THE CLAN ALPINE From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 09:01 PM THE END OF THE CLAN ALPINE (Ron Baxter) ^^ The Clan Alpine, in Chittagong, it was her final run She was heading for the 'breakers' out there in Taiwan But the monsoon it came early, force 9, with a rolling swell--- From the Bengal Bay, it raced her way, now her story I will tell Chorus:- For She'd a palm tree on the bow, a palm tree on the bow And through a paddy field ploughed her keel, with a palm tree on the bow. Her Master rang for half ahead, and both anchors he had laid But still she started dragging, and the Chief said "I'm afraid--- We've lost water suction, though I cannot tell you how." "I'll tell you why!" the Captain cried "we've a palm tree on the bow!" Chorus One mile from the river, when the water it went down Hard and fast in that paddy field the Clan Alpine was found. Then a 'Jobs worth' he arrested them, on the mast he nailed a writ (Though it sounds surreal) for importing steel without the right permit! Chorus And of course the farmer from the owners did demand Rent for the grounded ship that they'd parked on his land! There they sold her to the breakers so her fate was signed and sealed So there's no trace of Clan Alpine now in that paddy field! Chorus Note (RB) Another true tale of the Clan line Note (RJC) Ron has passed various song lyrics to many singers over the years, usually with the instruction "Put your own tune to it." As a result of this policy, one of his songs by now has at least five different settings in existence, by different singers. To explain why Ron is unable to pass on tunes with the words, some background info – Ron was a choirboy in his younger days, with a clear, strong voice – but when his voice broke, it really broke – somehow he lost the ability to self-correct, and his pitch-control went all over the place (a serious defect for a potential singer/songwriter!) At some of the early Fylde Folk Festivals, he won the Trumpeting Elephant Award at the annual "Worst Singer in the World" competitions. Sadly, even that did not prove a long-term achievement. Popular (sceptical?) demand led to him giving more and more demonstrations at local folk clubs – gradually his voice improved slightly, leading to his ignominious rejection from the next competition, when the audience's perception was that he was faking it – practically a hanging offence. He lost his crown to the infamous and late-lamented Mary Smith of Weeton, Lancashire. A succession of truly tone-deaf squawkers has ensured that Ron never regained his former eminence. His voice has settled down to the point that he can give a quite tolerable rendition of "Amsterdam" or "M.V. Hardship" (due in soon from New Zealand), but you still might not want to sit in front of him at a singaround! As Herga Kitty pointed out, a version of the Clan Alpine song can be found on Les Sullivan's CD. I missed Les's visit to Fleetwood Folk Club, so I don't know what tune he set this to. "Coming through the Rye" would just about work. And Kitty, my version hasn't got the "screw, screw, screw" lines – any other variations you can hear? Somewhere I have a box full of hand-written scraps from Ron, some of which became fully-worked songs, some were reworked by him after I reached a "set" version – so it is quite possible that some of the songs I post in this thread will have alternate words/verses that I'm not aware of – or have lost/forgotten. Any remedial contributions gratefully accepted. RJC |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE MARY (Jon Campbell) From: Charley Noble Date: 31 Mar 08 - 09:50 PM Here's one from Rhode Island's Jon Campbell who spent part of his mis-spent youth working on ships like this: ^^ Words by Jon Campbell As recorded on CD KEEP ON FISHING, © 2000 Tune: reminds me of Stan Rogers' "Lock-keeper" The Mary She was built back in the forties, to help win in the War; She was just a coastal tanker, never ventured far from shore; And if you saw her on the Hudson, you'd ask what she was for, Because she looked a lot like what she was, a floating dinosaur. And she took a load of benzene from Bayonne to Hackensack, And the bunker down to Brooklyn and the high-test coming back; See the Captain up there ringing bells, like a trolley on the track, With the scale built up like calluses, and the fire in the stack. She could scatter schools of Whitefish when the screws began to turn, And she'd always blow a smoke ring when the stack began to burn, And you'd have to shut the engine down before she'd back astern; I guess now all the tricks to handle her, no one else will learn; Now up in the wheelhouse is the silence of the bell; No more passage to Poughkeepsie from the Congo to the Kills; Though the master knows the vessel from the radar to the keel, And a man's a man for all of that, a ship is merely steel. And the Coast Guard says her days are through, to the smelter she must go, To become guardrails out in Iowa, or to plow New Hampshire snow, And she'll go where they are wanting steel, her last trip has been made; They'll be cutting up the Mary; she's just a million razor blades; And at dawn some sunny morning her next trip shall begin, As she rides the crest above your lip, the trough below your chin, And she's at last a shiny cutter riding in a foam so sleek, And may the Mary still go lightly as she sails across your cheek. Weird last verse but that's Jon! Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 31 Mar 08 - 10:18 PM Lovely song, Charley And I've seen your photograph, Charley: I'd guess that neither you nor me nor Ron will know the touch of Mary! Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:36 AM Ross- Well, I suspect that Jon has had more than one "close shave" in his life. Barry Finn and Neil Downey should be checking out this thread. They've been singing a great container ship song from the Caribbean called "Venzuela to Trinidad." Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: radriano Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:34 AM You're wrong, Ross. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:50 AM Radriano- You should post your definitive version of "Firing the Mauretania" with your notes. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD RED DUNSTER From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Apr 08 - 03:22 PM Here's one I harvested from a Guest here named Ted back in 2005 which appears to be of World War 2 vintage, from the North Atlantic convoys: Words by John Archbold, of Toronto Tune: after "Pop-Eye the Sailor Man" The Old Red Duster I remember the day That I climbed the gangway, My new coat and jacket so clean; No bacon and eggs, Till I got my sea legs, My first trip, my god, I was green. Chorus: It's the old red duster for me, I've no use for the brass-hat navy; You can keep your salutes And your spit polished boots, It's the old red duster for me. On many's the ship, I've made many's the trip, On oceans and seas, far and wide; Many ports, near and far, Been thrown from the bar, And many's the young girl beguiled. I sailed in the war, Like my uncle before , From Britain, right down to Bombay; I shouldered my bag, I sailed for the flag , The glory, the medals ... and the PAY! I was pulled from the pool, I was nobody's fool, There was a jaunt up to Murmansk for me; But the Union said, "No! There's a fault, you can't go!" It's the Union forever for me. This sturdy old tramp's Got a foc'sl that stamps, Her plates are half sprung and they leak; The food's always bad, And the Master's gone mad, And the owner's a bastard, and cheap. I've sweated and slaved, At this engine I've raged, Nursing this cripple along; For her joints, they're a-creaking, And her glands they're a-leaking At six knots, she's racing along. I've been in the hold, In the heat and the cold, All day and all night as well; And when my time draws near, I've nothing to fear, For I've been where it's hotter than hell. So now you all know, Why the good sailors go, Merchant seamen to be; If you want any more, Like what come before, You can bloody well sing it to me. "old red duster" refers to the British commercial shipping flag Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 01 Apr 08 - 06:18 PM the "old red duster" thread has more info on John Archbold's song. Did you ever figure out a tune for this? Or what tune Bob Walser uses? I've got one of his CDs somewhere but I don't think this is on it. "A Fine Hunting Day" or "Manchester Rambler" setting would probably work. I've got a feeling I've come across a shorter version somewhere, but I haven't found any trace of it on my computer. Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Apr 08 - 08:17 PM Bugger! I still did not correct the 2nd verse of the "Old Red Duster" which should be: On many's the ship, I've made many's the trip, On oceans and seas, calm and wild– Many ports, near and far, Been thrown from the bar, And many's the young girl beguiled. Good thing you have editing powers on this thread! Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 01 Apr 08 - 09:59 PM I'll sort it out eventually, Charley. I'm currently wrestling with my email server which has just lost a huge letter before I got to the "send" key. Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 01 Apr 08 - 11:16 PM Ron Baxter points out that the "Clan Alpine" on Les Sullivan's CD is a 19th century vessel, and not the one that ended up in a paddy field in Chittagong. Ron also claims that his voice has improved not just "slightly", but "greatly". Looking back through my notes above, the "slightly" was inteded to refer to the time when he first started to lose his evil "Worst Singer" powers, and indeed "greatly" would reflect the current position. For an independent assessment, there was an approving comment on Ron's contribution to the Monday afternoon singaround at the Stork in the Glasson Maritime Festival - Easter '08 thread, with which I whole-heartedly agree - a great parody, well presented. Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Apr 08 - 09:35 AM Here's an interesting attempt back in 1918 to revive "chantie" singing aboard the Merchant Navy: How Young Americans Are Taught To Man Our New Merchant Marine, 1918 Emergency Fleet News, published by the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, Philadelphia. May 20, 1918 [Newsletter written for shipyard employees] Another interesting detail of this service is the chantie singing. On the principle that music improves team work, the United States Shipping Board has appointed an official chantie instructor, Stanton H. King, of Boston, whose duty is to revive chantie singing among our merchant sailors on both steam and sail vessels. Mr. King is considered the best known chantie singer in this country, and has been singing these old sea work songs at a Boston mission for years. He not only knows the old chanties, but how to get the "punch" out of them, and teach them to others. He is an old salt himself, got his experience in deepwater Yankee ships nearly 40 years ago, and has also served in the United States Navy. For years the chantie singing at his meetings in Boston has been famous, and now he is teaching our new merchant sailors such old sea songs as "Shenandoah," "Bound for the Rio Grande," "Blow the Man Down," "Paddy Doyle," and "Reuben Ranzo." Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Barry Finn Date: 02 Apr 08 - 06:44 PM Here's the one you mentioned Charley. It's from Roger's days as a merchant seaman. He was crew aboard the Motor Ship Tanker Borjholt. She carried crude from Venezuela to the refineries on Trinidad. Roger is a regular at the Tuesdays night shanty sings in Gloucester (USA) & has also written some other dandies. One about the Flying Blue Line thats got a great ring to it too. Venezuela To Trinidad (words & music by Roger Hussey) On the Venezuela to Trinidad run (Trinidad run)(this tag repeats) Our ship goes to hell, we're all having way to much fun (way to much fun) Chorus: Venezuela to Trinidad, Trinidad to Venezuela Venezuela is flamenco an' hot guitar strums (hot guitar strums) Trinidad is calypso an' loud steel drum (loud steel drum) Carry crude oil to Trinidad refineries (refineries) To Venezuela for more crude we run back empty (run back empty) For most tankers it's long at sea short time in port (short time in port) But we've tied up long an' our sea time is short (sea time is short) When we tie up the bar girls an' taxi cabs come Here comes a weekend of riot an' rum Lars is locked in his cabin, the rich owner's son He's a drunken exile at 31 If we're rowdy ashore we end up in jail Rum an' pesos from Lars an' we're soon out on bail Miss our sailing, hung over, roll over an' then Wait a week, stay drunk, an' our ship's back again Beg the purser, please just one more advance What with girls an' booze, your wallet does not stand a chance After 8 trips the chief's at the end of his wits After 10 trips they send us back home to refit So it's pack up an' back to the hiring hall An' it's farewell to flamenco an' steel drums all Great thread Ross. Richard should be piping in with his take on "Firing the Mauretania". I got the version I sing from Richard's CD "Time Ashore Is Over", I'm singing on the chorus. Stephen Canright takes the lead on it. When steve was in the Army he was a reporter & was assigned to do an article on Elvis, so he became the King's Chauffeur. Sorry for the drift. Anyway, you can read more on the Mauretania here + the words, in a thread of Richard's CD, scroll way down. Turns out that I could've picked up the song in my own backyard from Jeff Warner if I knew he sang it instead of crossing the country for it. I just spoke to my singing partner Neil & asked him to drop in ont his thread, he'd be very interested too. He just put the words of a song to music written back in the 70's by his friend Buzz Smith. Instead of it being a "merchant Navy" song it's more of a "Royal Navy" song. It's about the ill-fated convoy "CW9" & the coal shipping disaster during WWII in the English Channel. I've gotten to really like the song, may end up stealing the lead on it, so I can sing it when Neil's not about. Neil started a thread on CW9 but I can't find it. Another "Navy" song which I love is Neil's Heavy Cruiser which we recorded on our "Fathom This CD. Heavy Cruiser (copyright by Neil Downey) Oh, when I was young & in my prime> I wanted to sail on a ship of the line, (2X) So I signed on a heavy cruiser CH. So gunners spin your turrets round And let me hear that battle sound We'll meet the enemy & we'll take him down With the guns of a heavy cruiser When I was a lad just like you I proudly wore the navy blue (2X) When I served on a heavy cruiser Though we were only 17 We were a four-0 war machine (2X) And the crew of a navy cruiser For many yrs we sailed the seas Preserving peace & liberty A mighty force for all to see The mighty heavy cruiser And now I'm old & turning grey Long ago I stowed my blues away But I still stand tall & proudly say I served on this heavy cruiser Barry |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Barry Finn Date: 02 Apr 08 - 06:47 PM Charlie, I'm glad you mentioned those old chanty sings in Boston. My Mother's uncle was a commander in the Navy & she mentioned he used to get togther with a bunch of other Navy officers & sing shanties back in the 40's or so. I'll have to see if he knew anything about the older days. Barry |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:40 AM Ross- Here's a poem from a medical officer who served in World War 1 in the U.S. Navythat focused on the West Indies tramps: Poem by Burt Franklin Jenness From OCEAN HAUNTS, edited by Burt Franklin Jenness, Empire Publishing Co., New York, US, © 1934, p. 45. Sea Traders Droppin' down to Rio on a buckin' wooden tramp; Takin' water for'r'd till her rotten planks were damp; Pitchin' like a bronco from the time we left the Keys; Listin' like a kettle when she took the quarter seas; Loaded to the gunnels, making four knots an hour; Steadied with her stays'l, but swaying like a flower; Half a crew o' Cubans, an' a pair o' Swedish mates; That's the way we traded from Fuego to the States. Callin' at Jamaica for a scuttle-butt o' rum; Lazin' at fiestas till we spent our shippin' sum; Stricken with the fever, from the islands where it grew; Fightin' for our rations in a lazy, drunken crew; Reelin' round the Indies, makin' port or makin' sail; Beatin' up to windward in a Carribean gale; Dippin' down to Rio, Buenos Aires or the Straits – That's the way we traded from Fuego to the States. I've adapted it for singing with quite a few changes: Click here for lyrics and MP3 Sample! I'm not sure if it's a good fit for this thread. So feel free to hit the delete key. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,SAILORON Date: 04 Apr 08 - 04:22 AM Charlie, 'Sea Trader' reminds me of Kiplings 'The Bolivar', similar sentiments. Sailoron |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:23 AM Sailoron- "The Ballad of the Bolivar," does share some similarities with "Sea Traders." I wonder what tune would pull it together? Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 05 Apr 08 - 11:03 AM This song was collected from a navy sailor but would seem to have some general application: A parody of "Down Below" by Sydney Carter, ©, 1958 From GREY FUNNEL LINE, edited by Cyril Tawney, p. 35-36. Corrosion Has Set In Corrosion has set in, Down below, The plates are getting thin, Down below; There's a leak in the forepeak, And how those bulkheads creak, I hope we last a week, Down below! Boiler room's a-leaking… Crack is nicely seeping… Fire and bilge will do their best While the diver's getting dressed, Splinter-box will do the rest… Chippy wears a frown… It's coming in again… They've taking up a shore To the for'ard naval store And they're sawing up some more… Chippy's got an ulcer… It plays him up a treat… His feet are getting wet As he watches concrete set, But he's short of "aggreget"… The ship is like a sieve… I hope they're PST… For the lifeboats they inflate Premature. Can this be fate? Oh, we're in a ghastly state… Making a "splinter-box" is a way of dealing with a small hole in the ship's side; a steel T-piece is passed outside the hole and a steel box bolted to it from the inside. "Taking up a shore" is a reference to further reinforcing the splinter-box with wood or concrete. "Chippy" is of course the ship's carpenter. "PST" indicates that a sailor has passed his mandatory swimming test. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: RoyH (Burl) Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:29 PM Ross, Not seen you in many years, since the days when I sang at Fleetwood Folk Club and Fylde Festival. This is a really interesting collection, thanks for putting it on here. I look forward to seeing more. Keep up the good work. Burl. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Joe_F Date: 05 Apr 08 - 07:51 PM Kendall: "Gee how I wanna go home" is an adaptation of a U.S. Army song going back at least to W.W. I, with the chorus "I don't want no more of army life...". Another stanza: The coffee that they serve us They say is mighty fine -- It's good for cuts and bruises And tastes like iodine. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Sailor Ron Date: 07 Apr 08 - 04:01 AM Charlie, ref: the 'Bolivar', I have over the years tried several tunes[traditional] to it. Many tunes will fit, the problem I've come up with is that the rhyming patten is different in every other verse, and I'm not clever enough to find a tune that suits both. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 07 Apr 08 - 08:43 AM Ron- With regard to them shifting rhymes in "Bolivar," I would be sorely tempted to resort the lines so they all run AABB. I probably would end up dropping a few lines or verses as well, so that one ends up with a more manageable song. This kind of crude surgery, of course, is not to everyone's taste (Meddle with Kipling! How dare you?). My favorite tune for now would be "On the Range of the Buffalo" but others would work as well. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,Sailor Ron Date: 07 Apr 08 - 11:55 AM Ref:parody of 'Down below' it reminded me of a similar song [sorry Ross, but until I read the RN version I'd clean forgot this]. At the bottom of the hull Ch. Down below That's where you'll find the bilge Ch. Down below Full of rubbish, full of grime Full of sludge, and full of grime Full of shit, O never mind! Ch. Down below There's cockroached galore There dead rats by the score There's things that have been seen Far worse than your worse dreams The thought 'ud make you scream. When the bilges overflow It's down there you must go The apprentice was sent down Then we heard a dreadful sound And not a trace was found. But sometimes you will hear A tale to make you cheer How on the 'Clan MsGill They found a gold bar down the bilge So there's hope for us still . |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 07 Apr 08 - 02:07 PM Ron- Wonderful! I've never heard a bilge song before. Another need fulfilled. The original song which the parodies are evidently based on is one credited to London sewage workers, with wonderful observations about the "product" being supplied from various neighborhoods. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 07 Apr 08 - 10:26 PM The model for both Cyril Tawney's parody and the one dredged up (how appropriate!) from Ron's memory is DOWN BELOW (Sydney Carter). It was used fairly recently in a TV documentary on the guys who clear accumulated grease illegally dumped from fast-food shops into the drains of London. Working in the bilges obviously brings out the same love/hate relationship at sea! Derek Gifford introduces the pump shanty "Leaky Ship" with the story of the old salt checking the bilges before signing on a ship. Foul-smelling bilges would indicate tight seams, while sweet-smelling bilges would indicate a "Leaky Ship", with correspondingly much more work on the pumps, the pumped-out foul water being continuously replaced by fresh sea-water through the cracks in the walls of the ship. Any more down in the memory-bilges, Ron? Good to see you in the Steamer this evening. Charley, I hadn't checked back here for a couple of days, but the "Range of the Buffalo" is the tune that's been running round my head this week. How did that happen? I just replayed your "Sea Traders" mp3 which is quite different. Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Barry Finn Date: 08 Apr 08 - 02:09 AM Another with just a brief mention of the bilge. When My Spell Is over When my spell on board the Carthaginian is over, no more sailoring for me And when I've left this goddam hooker oh how happy I will be No more scrubbing deck on ship's side no more shinning dirty brass You can go aft & tell Van Hope the skipper he can shove this ship………. No more curry & rice on Monday, no more salty asphalt tea No more ham & eggs on Thursday no more sailoring for me No more cleaning out the bilges, no more shinning dirty brass You can go aft & tell the skipper he can shove this ship ……….. I got this from an old Cape Horner from West Geelong, George Herbert back in the late 70's. He was English & started out in the Baltic trades as a cabinboy. He just called it an old ditty, so I don't know for sure what it's really called. Van Hope happened to be the fella in charge of the restoration of the brig Carthiaginian, a museum ship tied up quayside at Lahinia, Maui, Hawaii, & that's where I met George & he was singing this on board at a party. Weither George refrained from singing the end of the line because it was vulgar or weither it really had the Tra La La La that he actually sang at the end of those lines with I'll never know, he wouldn't sing nor speak vulgarity in the presence of women, that wouldn't stop him from singing the song though. Barry |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 08 Apr 08 - 09:00 AM Ross- I used "The Range of the Buffalo" tune for adapting the John Masefield poem "The Ballad of John Silver" for singing, not "Sea Traders." It took me some time to figure that one out but fortunately I have a website with such references! Barry- Really lovely! Reminds me of a little U.S. Coastguard ditty I once composed: I remember well how our old chief said, As he gently stirred me from my bed, "Rise up, me lad, and clean the head!" Now, those swabbing days are gone. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 08 Apr 08 - 11:46 AM Barry - I've been looking for something to sing to the "When this Bloody War is Over/What a Friend We Have in Jesus" tune. When My Spell is Over might be it. Would George Herbert have claimed/admitted authorship? If any more lines come to the surface let us know. Burl - good to hear from you, and glad to note you're still singing occasionally. Any chance of you getting up Fleetwood way? As well as Fleetwood Folk Club and Fylde Folk Festival, I remember you at one of the very early Lancaster Maritime Festivals, singing shanties round the boat in the basement. (See the Glasson thread for some details of the trials and tribulations the organisers have faced to keep that going). Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Barry Finn Date: 08 Apr 08 - 12:32 PM Hi Ross No, George wouldn't have claimed ownership, he was always just passing songs on. The tune is close to "When This Bloody War Is Over". Seeing as George has been 6 ft under for some yrs now I don't think anymore will be surfacing from his end. Hi Burl I'll couple my hello's to you too, nice to see you surfacing here, all my best. Barry |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Sailor Ron Date: 11 Apr 08 - 11:37 AM As I was a'walking down by K.G.5. I saw an old trampship tied up along side The M.V. hardship that were her name She were bound out to Kiwi and back home again. CHORUS Pound away, pound away, from London to Kiwi is a hell of a way. Saild down the channel on a cold frosty day Then rounded Ushant & it's South cross the Bay. The 2nd stewards 'fruit' and the cook he is too The bugger each other and the rest of the crew. There's nothing for dinner, there's nothing for tea But that fat cook he keeps winking at me Him and that steward are a bloody disgrace Just see the look on the galley boys face! The Mate is a bastard the Seconds the same The Bosun has Work as his middle name As for the Old Man well no one can say 'Cause no bugger's seen him since sailing day. When we got to Kiwi we all went ashore Of to Ma Gleeson's to get us a whore But when we got there the pickings were poor 'cause the P.S.N.C. lads had been there before. Now the voyage has ended in West India Dock To Charlie Brown's with our pay-off we'll flock Soon we may sign with Ropner's or Glen But the M.V. hardship we won't see again. There are numerous varients of this one. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 28 Apr 08 - 11:28 PM To continue - sorry, I've been away for a couple of weeks. Spent the first week visiting my brother in Islay. Managed to catch a couple of the regular music and song sessions there - Sunday nights in the Port Charlotte Hotel and Tuesday nights in the Lochside, Bowmore. At the latter, Paul Hathaway (brewer at Islay Ales) gave an excellent rendition of a song I hadn't come across before - the late Rod Shearman's "Sail Away" - in the DT here . A great song, it's on Rod's album "Here's to Friends" - I'll have to ask the Chantey Cabin if they've got any. That was quick - they do! Also "Off to Sea Again". Rod Shearman sailed with P&O in the fifties, and "Sail Away" gives a good impression of the seaman's travels and experiences. I've heard a few people singing his songs, never got to hear the man himself. Ross |
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Subject: Lyr Add: M.V. HARDSHIP From: Ross Campbell Date: 28 Apr 08 - 11:50 PM M.V. HARDSHIP [Kiwi] Tune:- Thrashing Machine Heard from an A.B. on board the M.V. King James, 1972. As I was a'walking down by K.G.V., I saw an old tramp ship tied up alongside. The M.V. Hardship, that was her name, She was bound out to"Kiwi" and back home again. Chorus:- Pound away! Pound away! From London to Kiwi is a hell of a way. Sailed down the channel on a cold frosty day. We rounded old Ushant, then south 'cross the bay. The 2nd Steward's "fruit" and the cook he is too; They sit on their arses with damn all to do. Chorus There's nothing for dinner, there's nothing for tea, And that 2nd Steward keeps winking at me. He and the cook are a bloody disgrace; Just see the look on the galley-boy's face! Chorus The Mate is a bastard, the Second's a drunk The Third reads dirty books in his bunk; As for the Old Man, no-one can say; No bugger's seen him since we sailed away.] Chorus When we got to "Kiwi" we all went ashore, Off to "Ma Gleeson's" to get us a whore; But when we got there, the picking's were poor, 'Cause the P.S.N.C. lads had got there before. Chorus The Bo'sun cried "Smoko!", the lads cried "Righto!" And straight down the gangway, shoreside we did go.. The Bo'sun he swore that we'd all get the sack - But we didn't give a damn, 'cause we're not going back. Chorus We landed in London at the end of the trip; We got our pay-off and ashore we all slipped; Vowed in "Charlie Brown's", with a pint to our lips, That we'd seen the last of the M.V. Hardship. Chorus Notes (RJC) This is the version of "M.V. Hardship" that I usually sing, "Kiwi" is of course New Zealand, K.G.V (Kay Gee Five) is the King George the Fifth Dock (now the site of London City Airport). Ross |
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Subject: Lyr Add: M.V. HARDSHIP (2) From: Ross Campbell Date: 28 Apr 08 - 11:54 PM M.V. Hardship [Yarpie] Tune:- Thrashing Machine As I was a'walking down by K.G.V., A rusty old bucket there I espied The Rustenburg Castle, that was her name, She was bound out to "Yarpie" and back home again. Chorus:- Pound away! Pound away! From Hull down to Yarpie is a hell of a way. Sailed down the channel on a cold frosty day. We rounded old Ushant, then south 'cross the bay. We know she's a "fruit" boat, and to prove that it's true The Chief Steward's one and the cook he is too; Chorus The Mate is a bastard, the Second's a drunk The Third he plays with himself in his bunk; And as for the Old Man, well, no-one can say; For no bugger's seen him since we sailed away. Chorus There's little for breakfast, and half that for tea, And that Chief Steward keeps winking at me. He and the cook are a bloody disgrace; Just see the look on the galley-boy's face! Chorus When we got to Durban we all went ashore, Down into "Matelot's" to get us a whore; But when we got there, the picking's were poor, 'Cause the Safmarine cowboys had got there before. Chorus Now the holds are all loaded, the hatch boards are down, And we're sailing away, out from Durban town. Next trip we'll sign on with Bank Line or Ben, But the old "Rusty Bucket" won't see me again. Chorus Now the voyage is over in East India Dock; To "Charlie Brown's" with our pay-off we flock. Soon we'll sail out, with Ropners or Glen, But the M.V. Hardship won't see me again. Chorus Notes (RJC) - "Yarpie" is South Africa. Some variations, but not a lot different from the "Kiwi" version. Ross |
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