Origins/ADD: Pirate's Serenade (John Thomson)

Subject: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 27 May 21 - 07:19 PM

a VERy pretty song by a John Thompson. Burl Ives might have sung it. I learned from John Dwyer, Maggie's father. I googled and found original lyrics but there are some verses I would like to attach that I once knew..something about sea robins especially.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: GUEST,#
Date: 27 May 21 - 08:09 PM

Pirate's Serenade (John Thomson) Note spellings.

Couldn't find the 'sea robins' reference, nor as gurnards. Any idea where you might have heard the version you're after?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: cnd
Date: 28 May 21 - 12:07 AM

Here's some lines from 2012 (link):

The Frenchman and Don shall flee from thy path
And Englishmen cower below at thy wrath
And our sails will be gilt at the dawn of the day            
And sea robins sing as we sail on our way

You can see versions of the song (also known as "The Pirate Song") here and here.

This site claims a version with the "sea robins" verse was Arr: Doss/Heller, but who those people are and whether they were the origin or not is unclear.

Hope one of these fits what you're looking for

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: cnd
Date: 28 May 21 - 12:07 AM

Should note: it's not the Burl Ives version, or at least one of the ones I've heard.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 May 21 - 08:54 AM

Interesting. I haven't run across this "pirate" song before.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Pirate's Seranade
From: GUEST,#
Date: 28 May 21 - 02:01 PM

Nice one, cnd. I can't access the following site (without lots of mumbo-jumbo) but I think Doss and Heller are mentioned in it.

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/entertainment/2014/09/06/musical-blades-brings-pirate-gags-renaissance-faire/15157077/

Subject: ADD: Pirate's Serenade (John Thomson)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 21 - 12:22 AM

How're this? https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/sheetmusic/322/

Publication Date
1838

Comments
The Pirate's Serenade
Sung with great applause by Mr. Horncastle
Composed by J. Thomson of Edinburgh

Boston. Published by Henry Prentiss no.33 Court St.

Some of the resources may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the libraries or the institution.

PIRATE'S SERENADE
(John Thomson, 1838)

My Boat's by the tow'r
My Barque's in the bay
And both must be gone ere the dawning of day
The moon's in her shroud but to guide thee afar
On the deck of the daring's a love lighted star
Then wake lady wake I am waiting for thee
And this night or never by bride thou shalt be
Then wake lady wake I am waiting for thee
And this night or never by bride thou shalt be

Forgive my rough mood unaccustom'd to sue
I woo not perhaps as your land lovers woo
My voice has been tuned to the notes of the gun
That startle the deep when the combat's begun
And heavy and hard is the grasp of that hand
Whose glove has been ever the guard of our band
Then wake lady wake I am waiting for thee
And this night or never my bride thou shalt be

Oh islands there are on the face of the deep
Where the leaves never change and the skies never weep
And there if thou wilt our love bower shall be
When we leave for the green wood our home on the sea
And there thou shalt sing of the deeds that were done
When we loos'd the last blast and the last battle won
Then wake &c.

(A little faster)
Oh haste lady haste for the fair breezes blow
And my ocean bird poises her pinions of snow
Now fast to the lattice these silken cords twine
They are meet for such feet and such fingers as thine
The signal my mates - Ho hurrah for the sea
This night and forever my bride thou shalt be
The signal my mates - Ho hurrah for the sea
This night and forever my bride thou shalt be


Carl Peterson recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgL6qvPhsOE

Another copy of the sheet music: https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/sheetmusic/id/26530

Subject: RE: Origins: Pirate's Serenade (John Thomson)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 21 - 12:25 AM

And here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index: H3>Pirate's Serenade, The DESCRIPTION: "My boat's by the tower, my bark's in the bay, And both must be gone ere the dawn of the day." The pirate waits for his bride. He asks that his roughness be excused. She shall "rule as Queen." He sees her signal that she is coming
AUTHOR: William Kennedy ? (source: Whistle-Binkie) / music: John THomson (1805-1841) (source: Frank-NewBookOfPirateSongs)
EARLIEST DATE: 1842 (_Whistle-Binkie_)
KEYWORDS: courting marriage ship pirate
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, pp. 152-153, "The Pirate's Serenade" (1 text, 1 tune)
Huntington-TheGam-MoreSongsWhalemenSang, p. 132, "Serenade Song of Hurrah for the Rover and His Beautiful Lass" (1 text, 1 tune)
Frank-NewBookOfPirateSongs 52, "The Pirate's Serenade" (1 text, 1 tune, #31 in the first edition)
ADDITIONAL: Alexander Rodger, editor, _Whistle-Binkie_, Second Series (Glasgow, 1842), pp. 99-100, "The Pirate's Serenade"
Roud #2698
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Firth b.25(493), "The Pirate's Serenade," T.A. Jackson (Birmingham) , c.1860
NOTES [112 words]: See two very similar broadsides for "The Pirate's Serenade" attributed to Geo. A. W. Langford Fahie and with the tune "I Am Off for Baltimore": LOCSinging, as111010, "The Pirate's Serenade," J. Andrews (New York), 1853-1859; also sb30427a, "The Pirate's Serenade" - BS
According to Frank-NewBookOfPirateSongs, the text and tune of this did not often appear together, raising the possibility that the tune would not be widely known in tradition. And, indeed, although the Creighton tune starts like that in Frank, the rest looks significantly different, although I could believe that the one evolved into the other (e.g. by eliminateing accidentals in the original tune). - RBW
Last updated in version 4.3
File: CrMa152

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