Hudson River Songs

Subject: Hudson River Songs
From: Matthew B.
Date: 21 May 99 - 06:40 PM

I might be doing (yet another) performance celebrating the Hudson River, so I'm searching for new songs about it. Any suggestions?

(I aleady do the usual Clearwater stuff, so I was looking for something new)

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Susan of DT
Date: 21 May 99 - 07:47 PM

a search for Hudson (in the blue search box above) yielded 24 hits, 14 of which were the Hudson River. You might also wade thru all the river songs for relevent ones.

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Paul G.
Date: 22 May 99 - 12:01 AM

On his album "Circles and Seasons", Pete Seeger does a song called Sailing Down My Golden River -- may be one of the Clearwater songs you already know, but its one I particularly like.

PG

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Frank Of Toleo
Date: 22 May 99 - 12:46 AM

I have a Folkways Album FH5257 "FIFTY SAIL ON NEWBURGH BAY" AND OTHER SONGS OF THE HUDSON RIVER. It was recorded in 1976 with Pete Seeger and others. The songs on the album include....Seneca Canoe Song... Fifty Sail....Burning of Kingston.....Phoenix and The Rose... Ben Franklin and the Sally B....The Moon in the Peapr Tree.. The Erie Canal....Yankee Doodle......This Is The Land...... Big Bill Snyder.....Tarrytown......Hudson Whalers...The Drinking Gourd...Hudson River Steamboat...The Knickerbocker Line.... and >>Time and the River Flowing... If this is of interset to you I have the booklet with a lot of bioography and all the lyrics...If you nedd this please send me your address and I have a copy made and sent off. If you'd like to send it e-mail I'm at .....

Subject: Lyr Add: HICKS THE PIRATE^^^
From: Barry Finn
Date: 23 May 99 - 10:17 AM

"Hicks The Pirate" from 'Folk Songs Of New York' Folkways FH5276 (1966) - June Lazare.

From the sleeve notes:
The score of years that preceeded the Civil War the usually landlocked gangs turned their attention towards the waterfronts of New York. Gangs like the Hudson Dusters, the Gophers, & the Daybreak Boys worked the East River Piers while the Charlton Street Gang worked the Hudson Docks & so successful were they that they ran their own sloop as far up river as Poughkeepsie & becoming real River Pirates. Hicks was a gangster & not pirate was drugged & found himself shanghaied by a fellow free lancer. Upon waking he murdered the skipper & 2 young crew, in gruesome fashion. He was convicted of the triple murder & at the hanging the Peanut vendors & lemonade stands did a brisk business to the beat of the cheering & the fife & drum. His procession from jail to the gallows on Bedloe's Island took on the aspect of a circus & a general holiday atmosphere prevailed. Soon after he was buried his body was dug up by grave robbers & sold to medical students.

Hicks The Pirate - March, 1860

A mournful tale, heartrending
To you, kind friend, I will relate
The solemn truth intending
Of three met a tragic fate
An oyster sloop was sailing
Upon the ocean's spakling tide
In the healtful breeze regaling
She moved upon the waters wide

But upon this oyster vessel
A pirate bold had found his way
With wicked heart, this vassal
The captain & 2 boys did slay
He seized the gold & silver
Which this poor captain had in store
His watch & clothes did pilfer
While he lay struggling in his gore

He overboard soon threw them
The murdered boys & captain too
The briny deep enclosed them
And they were quickly gone from view
But the eye that never slumbers
Did follow the murder's track
And the vigilance of numbers
To justice brought the monster back

In a boat he left the vessel
When the wicked deed had done
And soon the murderous rascal
Had far into the country gone
He soon was overtaken
And to New York was brought again
A lonely wretch, forsaken
Who had the boys & captain slain

By a true & faithful jury
He was found guilty of the crime
Some raved & cursed like fury
But he had met his fate in time
Twixt heaven & earth suspended
On Bedloe's Island Hicks was hung
Some thousand there attended
To see the horrid murderer swung
^^
Sorry I can't give you a tune, Barry

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: GUEST,n
Date: 14 May 04 - 06:52 PM

bcv

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 14 May 04 - 07:46 PM

"The Voice of the Hudson," 1903, sheet music at American Memory, may be worth a look-
Chorus:
We shall stroll by the Hudson, the great mighty river, The Hudson, majestic and grand, With its crooks and its bends, as it silently wends its ways 'mid the scenes of the Master's hand, But a voice cries aloud, "The Hudson am I! why come you alone, where is she? Go bring her, you loved her, and she loved you too, And I know thay you both loved me!

No, forget it.

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Nancy King
Date: 14 May 04 - 09:22 PM

The Boarding Party's second album, "Fair Winds and a Following Sea," (Folk-Legacy C-109) includes "Hudson River Steamboat," which is in the DT as "Hudson River Steamer." It's a fun song, with lots of place names. This album has not been reissued on CD, but I wouldn't be surprised if Folk-Legacy could make up a "custom CD" of it.

Nancy

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 14 May 04 - 09:25 PM

They used my song, Living On The River on a program that public radio did about the Hudson River, acknowledging that the sons isn't specifically about the Hudson River. It's just about people living on a River, and they thought it fit well because the song has been sung (I've been told) on and along the Hudson River for many years.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 01:15 PM

Dar Williams has a great song called "The Hudson"

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 01:18 PM

My favorite is Rick Nestler's "River that Flows Both Ways" which uses the native American term for the river.

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: Barry Finn
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 03:46 PM

Ron, does that mean one can both walk up & down on it?

Barry

Subject: RE: Hudson River Songs
From: GUEST,Steve
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:17 PM

No, the Hudson is an estuary which means it is a tidal river that flows backwards when the tide comes in.