Lyr Req: Sun Down Below (from Johnson Girls)

Subject: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 10:21 AM

There's a video of the Johnson Girls singing ' Sun Down Below'

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=7797052

I can't wuite catch the lyrics, does anyone have them?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 10:35 AM

Ah, found this on an old thread. Doesn't sound quite the same as Johnson Girls, anyone got different/additional verses?
LYRICS:

Six o'clock I hear 'em say
Chorus: Sun down, sun down below
Six o'clock I hear 'em say
Chorus: Sun down, sun down below

Aye-a-a-a-a
Aye-a-a-a-a

The day's been hot, you all do say
Time to quit and go away

Aye-a-a-a-a
Aye-a-a-a-a

Sun is down an' I must go
Sun is down in the hole below

Aye-a-a-a-a
Aye-a-a-a-a

I hear my captain say
Sun is down and I must go

Aye-a-a-a-a
Aye-a-a-a-a

Pack our duds and dinna' pail
Come back sure befo' you sail

Aye-a-a-a-a
Aye-a-a-a-a

(as posted by Radriano)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 12:39 PM

Peter Kasin and his partner Richard recorded a nice version of this Caribbean sea shanty on their recently released recording. It may have been titled BOLDLY TO THE WESTWARD, or perhaps it was their other recording. Their lyrics were similar to what the Johnson Girls sing but not identical.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, on the road

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: radriano
Date: 29 Apr 09 - 01:55 PM

Dear Tug the Cox:

The lyrics show in the earlier thread is what Peter Kasin and I recorded on our album, Boldy from the Westward. The Johnson Girls got the song from us but recorded slightly different verses.

Liner notes from our album:

A cargo loading shanty taken from F.P. Harlow's Chanteying Aboard American Ships, 1962. Harlow says "Sun Down Below, Mobile Bay, Way Sing Sally, and Hilo, My Ranzo Way, are purely West Indian Negro chanteys sung while hoisting cargo from the hold of ships and seldom if ever sung by sailors at the halliards." They may have been sung more frequently than Harlow suggests. Stan Hugill, in Shanties from the Seven Seas says that Mobile Bay, for example, was sung by sailors aboard ship at the halyards and at the capstan and pumps.

This song is also mentioned in Lydia Parrish's book, Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands, 1942. Parrish says "This tune was sung at the end of the day as a hint to the captain, when the hold was too dark for the stevedores to see what they were doing." Verses three and four come from the Lydia Parrish book.

Radriano

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 30 Apr 09 - 06:24 AM

Thanks Radriano, that's really helpful.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Apr 09 - 11:37 AM

Radriano-

Welcome back! It seems ages since we've heard from you or Peter and I hope you're both well.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down below
From: radriano
Date: 01 May 09 - 02:54 PM

Hey, Charley. My time for internet stuff has been curtailed due to work. By the way, our website "handspikes.com" is defunct. We haven't picked a new name yet but my apologies for any confusion. If anyone has questions about information from the website please send me a Personal Message on this forum.

Radriano (Richard Adrianowicz)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sun Down Below (from Johnson Girls)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 May 09 - 07:18 PM

Dear Richard,

I want to see your website (www.hansdpikes.com) back as soon as it is possible.

Greetings from Poland!
Micha³ Nowak (www.szantymaniak.pl)