Lyr Req: Old Red Duster

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Nov 05 - 09:50 PM

Ted-

It's not clear to me what correction you are talking about in verse two. It would be safer to give us a complete corrected verse if what you've posted above is incorrect.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Ted Archbold
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 11:00 PM

Straight from the Horse's Mouth:

It is the calm and wild in verse 2, as it rhymes.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Nov 05 - 11:31 AM

Ted-

Thanks very much for clarifying where this song came from. I now realize that I have Bob Walser's recording and that is why the song is somewhat familiar to me.

Please give our thanks to your father when you see him for composing a fine song.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Sue the Borderer
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 06:06 PM

Another recording can be found by Bob Walser's 'When Our Ship Comes Home'.

The words he uses are pretty close to the 'correct version' which Ted has posted, though he leaves out the Bombay verse. The main difference is in vs 2 where he sings "'cross oceans and seas calm and wild"

Ted, I'd be interested to know whether Bob's tune is the same as your dad's or whether he's changed it too.

I gather your dad wrote it based on your grandfather's stories of his time in the British merchant service - so a real family connection.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Ted Archbold
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 03:48 PM

The tune...well I'm at University, thus away from home, and I'm not good at writing down music, though I can read it. Also, the tune that Allistair Brown uses is slightly modified, and he uses slightly modified words.

I might be able to get the tune from my dad soon, otherwise in 2 weeks when I'm home for the break.

However, I realized I did mess up some of the verses, in little, nearly unnoticeable ways.

The following should be the correct version.

I remember the day,
When I climbed that gangway,
With my new coat and jacket, so clean.
No bacon and eggs,
Till I got my sea legs;
T'was my first trip, Oh Lord, I was green!

CHORUS: Oh the old red duster,
On a tramp or a liner,
There'll be no pusser navy for me.
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
'Cross oceans and seas, far and wide calm and wild--
In ports, near and far,
I've been thrown from the bar
And by manys a young girl beguiled.

I sailed in the war
Like my uncle before,
From Britain, right down to Bombay.
With my little convoy bag
I sailed for the flag,
And the glory, and the medals, and the pay.

I was pulled from the pool,
I was nobody's fool:
It was the jaunt up to Murmansk for me.
But the union said, "No,
As a Fourth he can't go."
It's the union forever for me.

Now you know this old tramp's
Has a foc'sl that damp,
For her plates are half sprung and they weap.
The food's always bad,
The master's gone mad,
And those bastards, the owners, are cheap.

I've sweated and slaved,
At this engine I've raved,
Nursing this cripple along.
For her glands they're a-leaking,
And her joints, they're a-creaking.
At six knots, she's racing along.

I've been down in the hold,
In the heat and the cold
All day and all night as well,
And when my end's near,
I'll go without fear,
For I know it's been hotter than hell.

So now you all know,
Why the good sailors go,
Merchant seamen to be.
If you want any more,
Like whats come before,
You can bloody well sing it to me.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 02:10 PM

Ted-

Thanks for posting this. I had a version of this from another Mudcat thread, which I can't find just now, but what you've posted clears up some doubtful words. Here's what was on the other thread:

The Old Red Duster-2

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.

Do you have a suggestion for the tune?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: GUEST,Chanty rastler
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 10:51 AM

You can hear it on Alastair Browns CD "The Swan Necked Valve"
Well worth the money

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Old Red Duster
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 06:23 AM

Sadly, it is planned to relace the Red Ensign with a European flag, not that there are many British registered ships now.

Subject: ADD: Old Red Duster (John Archbold)
From: GUEST,Ted
Date: 26 Nov 05 - 12:02 AM

I lied, I've got the lyrics now:

Old Red Duster
(John Archbold)

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, Oh Lord, I was green!

CHORUS: Oh the old red duster,
On a tramp or a liner,
There'll be no pusser navy for me.
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
'Cross oceans and seas, far and wide--
In ports, near and far, been thrown from the bar.
There's many the young girl beguiled.

I sailed in the war like my uncle before,
From Britain, right down to Bombay.
With my little convoy bag, I sailed for the flag,
The glory, the medals, and the pay.

I was pulled from the pool, I was nobody's fool.
T'was a jaunt up to Murmansk for me.
But the union said, "No, as a Fourth you can't go."
It's the union forever for me.

The dirty old tramp's got a foc'sl that damp,
And her plates are half sprung and they leak.
The food's always bad, and the master's gone mad,
And the bastards, the owners, are 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 are 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's near, I'll go without 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.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Red Duster
From: GUEST,Ted Archbold
Date: 25 Nov 05 - 11:55 PM

My dad wrote the song, I'll be able to get the full lyrics soon, the chorus goes:

Oh, the Old Red Duster, on a tramp or a liner,
There'll be no Pusser Navy for me.
You can keep your salutes and your spit polished boots,
It's the Old Red Duster for Me.

As I said, I don't know the full thing off the top of my head.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Red Duster
From: sophocleese
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 12:16 PM

refresh, and I'm working on it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Old Red Duster
From: sophocleese
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 04:08 PM

Well I tried searching for it but my server is screwy today and everything is far too slow. Its by John Archbold and I have it on a recording of Alistair Brown.

Subject: Old Red Duster
From: Lynn
Date: 30 Nov 99 - 03:34 PM

Anybody out there know the words to a shantey-type song with a chorus something like: "It's the old Red Duster or a tramp of a liner There'll be no British Navy for me You can keep your salutes and your spit-polished boots It's the old Red Duster for me!"

I'd appreciate corrections/completions...

Thanks

Lynn T CDR USNR