Lyr Add: Pulling Hard Against the Stream (Clifton)

Subject: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Big Tim
Date: 18 May 08 - 10:39 AM

In this world, I have gained my knowledge,
And for it, I had to pay,
Although I never went to college,
Yet I heard the poets say.

Life is but a mighty river,
Rolling on from day to day,
Men are vessels, launched upon it,
Sometimes wrecked, and castaway.

So, do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream,
Help your poor and weary brother,
Pulling hard against the stream.

Many a bright poor-hearted fellow,
Many a noble-minded man,
Finds himself in waters shallow,
Go assist him, if you can.

Some succeed at every turning,
Fortune favours every squall,
Others have not friend or filling,
Pulling hard against them all.

So, do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream,
Help your poor and weary brother,
Pulling hard against the stream.

If the wind blows in your favour,
And you weather every squall,
Think of those who, luckless, labour,
Never know fair winds at all.

Working hard, is contented,
Struggling on through oceans wide,
Without a friend, with not a penny,
Pulling hard against the tide.

Don't give way to foolish sorrow,
But keep all men in good cheer,
Brighter days will come tomorrow,
If we just try, and persevere.

The longest night will have a morning,
Though the sky be overcast,
The roughest road will have a turning,
And the tide will change at last.

So do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream,
Help your poor and weary brother,
Pulling hard against the stream.

Written by Johnny Patterson (1840 - 89), Author of 'Goodby Johnny Dear, 'I Met Her in the Garden Where the Praties Grow', and 'The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: 8_Pints
Date: 18 May 08 - 12:40 PM

I know this as "Pulling hard against the stream".

Collected by Alison McMorland from the singing of Willie Scott who described it his mother's favourite song. In her book "Herd Laddie O the Glen" she reports that it was written by Harry Clifton (1824-72) and thanks Steve Gardham "for his expert help with this note".

Differences shown in bold.....

In this world, I have gained my knowledge,
And for it, I had to pay,
Though I never went to college,
I have heard the poets say.

Life is but a mighty river,
Rolling on from day to day,
Men are vessels, launched upon it,
Sometimes wrecked, and castaway.

Chorus

   Then do your best for one another,
   Making life a pleasant dream,
   Help your poor and weary brother,
   Pulling hard against the stream.

Mony a bright guid-hairted (good-hearted) fellow,
Mony a noble-minded man,
Finds himself in waters shallow,
Then assist him, if you can.

Some succeed at every turning,
Fortune favours every scheme,
Not a friend and not a shilling,
Pulling hard against them all.

Chorus

If the wind blows in your favour,
And you've weathered every squall,
Think of those who, luckless, labour,
Never get fair winds at all.

Working hard, contented, willing,
Struggling through life's oceans wide,
Not a friend and not a shilling,
Pulling hard against the tide.

Chorus

Don't give way to foolish sorrow,
Let this keep you in good cheer,
Brighter days may come tomorrow,
If you try and persevere.

Darkest nights must have a morning,
Though the sky be overcast,
Lowest days must have a turning,
And the tide will tu-rn at last.

So do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream,
Help your poor and weary brother,
Pulling hard against the stream.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Big Tim
Date: 18 May 08 - 03:47 PM

Thanks for that 8 pints. Very interesting, I'll try to check.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Big Tim
Date: 19 May 08 - 09:53 AM

I've had another look through the considerable amount of material that I have on Johnny Patterson, all of it supplied by the Library in Ennis, Co. Clare, Patterson's home town. None of the various articles make any mention of Harry Clifton.

In fact, they all say that Patterson wrote the song in 1889, long after Clifton was dead. The song was Patterson's response to the Belfast riots of 1886 (he was living in Belfast at the time) and, more specifically, to the Parnell 'split' of 1889. The song was an attempt at reconciliation bewteen orange and green. In May '89 he went on stage in Tralee with a green flag in one hand and an orange one in the other and started to sing his newly composed song ' Do Your Best for One and Other'. A riot broke out and Patterson was hit over the head with an iron bar and died a few days later.

Little is ever said about where Patterson got his melodies. He was a skilled piper and it is generally assumed that he wrote his own melodies (or adapted trad ones).

However, if there is any evidence for Harry Clifton, I'd like to see as I'm only interested in accuracy.

(A few years ago a group of Ennis musicians issued a cassette tape 'The Smiles and Tears of a Clown; the life and times of Johnny Patterson', which included 'Do Your Best'. I have a copy but now it's unfortunately sold out).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 08 - 07:14 PM

One version of PULLING HARD AGAINST THE STREAM has already been posted in another thread. It came from a song sheet (broadside) at the Library of Congress, and was attributed to "Mr. Boot."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 08 - 07:29 PM

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has the cover only of the sheet music. (click to view the PDF). It reads:

"PULLING HARD AGAINST THE STREAM"
(DO YOUR BEST FOR ONE ANOTHER)
WRITTEN & SUNG BY
MR. HARRY CLIFTON.
AT HIS POPULAR CONCERTS
IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
London, HOPWOOD & CREW, 42, New Bond St. [no date]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One and Other
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 May 08 - 07:36 PM

From Memory's Milestones: Reminiscences of Seventy Years of a Busy Life in Pittsburgh by Percy Frazer Smith, Pittsburgh: Murdoch-Kerr Press, 1918, page 230:

DO YOUR BEST FOR ONE ANOTHER

MANY a bright, good-hearted fellow,
Many a well deserving man,
Finds himself some time, in trouble;
So then help him if you can.

Some succeed at every turning —
Fortune favors every scheme ;
Others, too, just as deserving
Have to pull against the stream.

So then — Do your best for one another,
Make this life a pleasant dream ;
Help your worn and weary brother,
Pulling hard against the stream.

You can find the chorus quoted in several old books, but the words vary somewhat—for example:

From Sunshine, for 1868 edited by William Meynell Whittemore, London: William Macintosh & Co., 1868, page 154:

Do your best for one another,
Making life a pleasant dream,
Don't refuse to help a brother
Pulling hard against the stream

Subject: Lyr Add: PULLING HARD AGAINST THE STREAM (Clifton)
From: Artful Codger
Date: 15 May 10 - 03:47 AM

Here's a version, printed before Patterson is reputed to have written this song, and clearly attributed to Clifton. The "Arranged by" line must be an artifact from the original sheet music, because this source only provides the melody line, and Hobson appears as the arranger on many pieces of original Clifton sheet music (though the tunes often came from others). Notices in journals from the 1860's also mention "Pulling Hard Against the Stream" as one of Clifton's popular songs.


PULLING HARD AGAINST THE STREAM
    Written and sung by Harry Clifton.
    Arranged by M. Hobson.

1. In the world I've gained my knowledge,
    And for it have had to pay,
Though I never went to college
    Yet I've heard that poets say,
Life is a mighty river,
    Rolling on from day to day,
Men are vessels launch'd upon it,
    Sometimes wreck'd and castaway.

        CHORUS:
    So then,
    Do your best for one another,
        Making life a pleasant dream,
    Help a worn and weary brother,
        Pulling hard against the stream.
        [repeat from "Do"]

2. Many a bright good-hearted fellow,
    Many a noble minded man,
Finds himself in water shallow,
    Then assist him if you can;
Some succeed at ev'ry turning,
    Fortune favours ev'ry scheme
Others too, though more deserving,
    Have to pull against the stream.

3. If the wind is in your favour,
    And you've weather'd every squall,
Think of those who luckless labour,
    Never get fair winds at all;
Working hard, contented, willing,
    Struggling through life's ocean wide,
Not a friend and not a shilling,
    Pulling hard against the tide.

4. Don't give way to foolish sorrow,
    Let this keep you in good cheer,
Brighter days may come to-morrow,
    If you try and persevere,
Darkest nights will have a morning,
    Though the sky be overcast,
Longest lanes must have a turning,
    And the tide will turn at last.

Source: Weston & Hussy Minstrels' Book of Songs, No. 1 [1880-1889], p. 31. Only words and tune printed.


ABC transcription of the melody:

X:1
T:Pulling Hard Against the Stream
C:Written by Harry Clifton. Arranged by M. Hobson.
Z:Artful Codger
S:Weston & Hussy Minstrels' Book of Songs, No. 1 [1880-1889], p. 31
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:"Moderato" 1/4 = 100
K:Eb
%
e B G E | A F D B, | E F G e | d c B2 |
w: In the world I've gained my know-ledge, and for it have had to pay,
%
e B G E | A F D B, | E G B> A | G F E2 |
w: Though I ne-ver went to col-lege, Yet I've heard that Po-ets say,
%
F B =A> G | F e d B | d c e c | G =A B2 |
w: Life is like a migh-ty ri-ver, Roll-ing on from day to day,
%
F B =A> G | F e d B | d c f d | G =A B2 | (c2 Hd2) ||
%   Last note converted from eighth to quarter, to form complete measure.
w: Men are ves-sels launch'd up-on it, Some-times wreck'd and cast-a-way. So then,
%
%   Chorus
|: "^Chorus" e> B G E | A F D B, | E> F G e | d c B2 |
w: Do your best for one a-no-ther, Ma-king life a plea-sant dream.
%
e> B G E | A F D B, | E G B> A | G F E2 :|
%   Last note converted from eigth to quarter, consistent with second line.
%   Fermata over the end-repeat barlines.
w: Help a worn and wea-ry bro-ther, Pull-ing hard a-gainst the stream.

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Do Your Best for One Another
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 May 10 - 12:38 AM

MIDI posted by Artful Codger:

Click to play

(Pulling Hard Against the Stream - Clifton)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Pulling Hard Against the Stream (Clifton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Aug 17 - 02:43 PM

Sheet music can be seen or downloaded at:

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Connecticut College

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Pulling Hard Against the Stream (Clifton)
From: leeneia
Date: 18 Aug 17 - 02:05 PM

Thanks, all, for the various versions. I've written a new tune for the short version posted by Jim Dixon on 19 May 08, hoping it will become something to sing when we're rowing our boat.