Lyr req: A Fisherman-ADD: Ten Hells Of A Fisherman

Subject: A Fisherman
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 20 - 02:05 PM

Hi,

On March 5, 1985 I recorded a tape from various radio stations. One song has the following lyrics:

(missed the beginning, the first two verses I did catch are uncertain)
and he’ll sting you
if you be unluckily a fisherman

? the broker’s hell we catch
if we don’t bring in a batch
always ready for to snatch
away the living of a fisherman

instrumental break (a gtr, bass)

? fish dealers who ain’t nice
if we don’t make them a special price
they’ll say that we are collecting twice
just because we’re fishermen

and now I’ve make number 10
they drive us out to fish again
because we have to prove to them
that we are good fisherman

listen well you youngish lads
leave the fishing to your dads
all of the fish(ing?) prove you're mad
but if you say, we’ll all be glad, to help to make of you
a fisherman

***

It's sung by a crusty man. The accompaniment is acoustic guitar and electric bass. (The Minstral sung by a woman followed it... (https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=90911)

Thanks for any help ID-ing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: cnd
Date: 11 Jul 20 - 10:08 PM

Where did you hear it? Where is the singer from (or where do they sound like they're from).

Finally, is there any way we could hear it? Being able to listen to and make sure some of those questionable sections are clear would really aid in helping find it.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 11:20 AM

I heard it on the radio somewhere in the NYC metro area.

The singer is an English speaker. Could be American, could be British but didn’t have an accent. Canadian?

When my computer gets back from the shop I will dub it off and upload a file to a sharing service.

Thanks for the interest.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 11:39 AM

I think cnd is asking if you can post a digital version of your taped copy of the song to some kind of sound cloud account so others can hear it. Even a private posting on YouTube would work, offer a steady slide graphic for the image, and share the link so people who have the link can listen.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 04:07 PM

If you can email an MP3 to me, I can post it so everyone can hear it.

Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: oldhippie
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 05:46 PM

Different song; The Fisherman - Bobby Ross listen here:

https://www.reverbnation.com/ltbobbyross

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: cnd
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 06:23 PM

YouTube, file-sharing, etc, any way works -- so long as I can hear it!

Alternatively, there is a cool app you can use on smart phones called Shazam which attempts to recognize music for you. You could try that in the meantime. It's not perfect and doesn't know *every* song ever, but it's always a good start.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jul 20 - 11:11 AM

Hi,

Thanks all. I’ve made recording and sent it to Joe. When my laptop gets back from the shop, I’ll post a sharable mp3.

Yes, I’ve tried Shazam and Soundhound/Midomi but they don’t recognize it.

Cheers,

John

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: cnd
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 04:59 PM

I got the audio file from Joe the other night and frankly, there's not much I can add.

Opening line is:
"Seven years there's ... (ends in "ee")?
Grows cabbage [one foot or(?)] three"

Next stanza starts:
"It's the broker's hell we'll catch"

And the next one:
"Now it's fish dealers who ain't nice"

Finally, one of the later stanzas starts:
"and now wives make number 10"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on that, I have a new theory on what song this is.

While searching though songs with the word "Fisherman" in the title, I found this album which unfortunately isn't available online. It has a song (A3) titled "Ten Hells Of A Fisherman." At first, I didn't look into it too deeply since this song didn't mention hell.

BUT, now that I've heard it, I think that that is definitely the song we're after. "The wives make [hell] number 10" is how he closes the song.

A library near me has the record for in-library use only; once the pandemic is over and it re-opens I can listen to it to confirm this, but I'd be shocked if this wasn't the song we're after.

Alternatively, there's a few copies for sail via Discogs.org and eBay for 14+ USD if you're willing to pay for a cleaner full recording of the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: GUEST,cnd
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 05:20 PM

Sorry that last message was so stream-of-conscience, but I was in a bit of a rush.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: cnd
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 10:16 AM

A little background on the song (and some more specificity):

The song I believe is heard here is "Ten Hells Of A Fisherman" by Lionel Kilberg, Shirley Keller, Hal Wylie, Steve Keller (words and music by Kilberg). From Lionel Kilberg's CD Page, I read that the album was a "chidren's musical that almost played on Broadway." (PS, if you were to buy the album, I'd recommend getting it from there; same price [$15], and money goes to the National Kidney Foundation).

Further evidence the song was a play of some sort is the fact that Boston University has in its Tom O'Horgan collection a work with the following description:

"The See-Saw-Sea," by Joe Enright, approx. 125 p.; includes piano-vocal scores; review; notable correspondence includes: Kilberg, Lionel (lyrics writer of "The See-Saw-Sea"). TLS, 2/13/97 [F. 20]

If you want to see if Kilberg et. al. sounds right, you can hear samples of his music (but not this song) from WFMU here

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: cnd
Date: 27 Jul 20 - 12:00 PM

I can officially confirm that this is a fragment of the song "Ten Hells Of A Fisherman" by Lionel Kilberg, Shirley Keller, Hal Wylie, Steve Keller.

If anyone is interested I can transcribe the lyrics at a later date.

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 20 - 09:10 PM

Wow. I think you're right. Coincidentally I listened to FMU most of the time back then (or FDU) so how nice to see FMU as a step towards finding out what it was.

Thanks so much. Very impressive research!

Subject: ADD: Ten Hells Of A Fisherman (Kilberg/Keller)
From: cnd
Date: 09 Aug 20 - 09:47 PM

Here's the full lyrics to the song, as I hear them:


Ten Hells Of A Fisherman
(Lionel Kilberg, Shirley Keller, Hal Wylie, Steve Keller.)

Listen well, and heave away
You will live to curse the day
That you said that well you may
Become a fisherman

He has ten hells, all his own
To make him cry and curse and moan
And I'll tell you what these hells are
For a fisherman

First mosquitoes come at night
Come in droves to buzz and bite
On the hard and salty skin
Of the fisherman

Two's the dark flies, every day
That we cannot drive away
And they feed upon the hide
Of the fisherman

Three's exposure that can kill
It tries hard to break his will
And he laughs and won't be ill
With a fisherman

Squalls and hurricanes make five
We're all lucky we're alive
And we'll fish and we will thrive
Cause our father's fathers taught us
To be fishermen

Six is catfish that we meet
Think a fisherman's a treat
Like to never learn our feet
For the salty meat they get
Off a fisherman

Seven is the sting-a-ray
Grows to be two foot or three
And he'll sting you if you be unluckily
A fisherman

Eight's the broker's hell we catch
If we don't bring in a batch
Always ready for to snatch
Away the living of a
A fisherman

[guitar break]

Nine's fish dealers who ain't nice
If we don't make them a special price
They'll say that we are collecting twice
Just because we're fishermen

And our wives make number ten
They drive us out to fish again
Because we have to prove to them
That we are
Good fishermen

Listen well you young-ish lads
Leave the fishing to your dads
Or live to fish and prove you're mad
But if you stay we'll all be glad
To help to make of you
A fisherman

Subject: RE: Lyr req: A Fisherman-ADD: Ten Hells Of A Fisherman
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Aug 20 - 12:48 PM

Wonderful. Thanks!