Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go

Subject: Lyr Add: A-CRUISING WE WILL GO
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 07:58 PM

Here’s an old nautical song that was evidently popular at one time, judging from how often it was reprinted. I don’t think it has been posted at Mudcat before. The author of this play seems to be the author of the song as well:

The Liverpool Prize; A Farce: In Two Acts, by Frederick Pilon (London: T. Evans, 1779), page 40.
“As it is performed at the Theatre-Royal, in Covent-Garden, with Universal Applause”

SONG.
Tune, The dusky night, &c.[*]

Behold upon the swelling wave,
  With streaming pendants gay,
Our gallant ship invites the brave,
  While glory leads the way.

CHORUS.

And a cruizing we will go,
And a cruizing we will go,
  A cruizing we will go,
And a cruizing we will go,

II.
Ye beauteous maids your smiles bestow,
  For if your prove unkind,
How can we hope to beat the foe,
  Who leave our hearts behind.
    When a cruizing, &c.

III.
See Keppel's flag once more display'd,
  Upon the deck he stands,
Old England's glory ne'er can fade,
  Nor tarnish in his hands.
    So a cruizing, &c.

IV.
Be England to herself but true,
  To France defiance hurl’d,
Give peace, America, with you,
  And war with all the world.
    Then a cruizing, &c.


* Ebsworth (see below) identifies this as “Henry Fielding’s Hunting Song of 1735”: “The dusky night rides down the sky, and ushers in the morn; the hounds all join in jovial cry, the huntsman winds his horn: And a hunting we will go!” Complete lyrics have been posted at Mudcat.

The identical text is found in:

The Bird: Containing a Choice Collection of Love, Hunting and Bachanalian Songs… (London: A. Richardson, 1781)

The Billington: Or, Town and Country Songster, by Elizabeth Billington (London: E. Wenman, 1790), page 51.


The identical text, but with the spelling changed from “cruizing” to “cruising,” can be found in:

The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, Vol. 64, No. 443 (London: James Hinton, Jan., 1779), page 159. (Titled “SONG in the Liverpool Prize.”)

The Scots Magazine. Vol. 41 (Edinburgh: A. Murray and J. Cochran, March, 1779), page 162. (same title)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 08:19 PM

Variants started appearing immediately, as in the following publications. I have boldfaced the differences.

The Scots Nightingale: Or, Edinburgh Vocal Miscellany. A New and Select Collection of the Best Scots and English Songs; and a Great Number of Valuable Originals… (Edinburgh: James Murray, 1779), page 150.

A NEW SONG.
Tune, A hunting we will go.

[1] Behold upon the swelling seas,
  With streaming pendants gay,
Our gallant ships invite the waves,—Our gallant, &c.
  While glory leads the way.
    And a cruising we will go,—oho, oho, oho,
    And a cruising we will go,—oho, oho, oho,
      And cruising we will go,—o-oho,
    And a cruising we will go.

[2] Ye beauteous maids, your smiles bestow,
  For if you prove unkind,
How can we hope to beat the foe?—How can, &c.
  We leave our hearts behind.
    When a cruising, &c.

[3] See Hardy's flag once more display'd.
  Upon the deck he stands.
Britannia's [or “Old England’s”]* glory ne'er can fade,
  Or tarnish in his hands.
    So a cruising, &c.

[4] Be Britain to herself but true,
  To France defiance hurl’d.
Give peace, America, with you,
  And war with all the world.
    And a cruising, &c.

* This variant appears in:
St. Cecilia: or, the Lady's and Gentleman's harmonious companion: …, (Edinburgh: C. Wilson, 1779), page 113.

This song also appears in:

The Universal Scots Songster: A New Collection of the Most Celebrated Songs in Three Parts, Part 1 (Edinburgh: Printed and sold by all the Booksellers in Great Britain, and Ireland, 1781) page 168.

The Roxburghe Ballads: Illustrating the Last Years of the Stuarts, Vol. 8, edited by J. Woodfall Ebsworth (Hertford: The Ballad Society, 1897), page 323. (Titled “The Cruisers”)

Sea Songs and Ballads, edited by Christopher Stone (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906), page 37.

Publications of the Navy Records Society, Volume 33: Naval Songs and Ballads, edited by C. H. Firth (Navy Records Society, 1908), page 247.

Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, Series 3, Vol. 8, (Shrewsbury: Adnitt and Naunton, 1908), page 350.

Iron Men & Wooden Ships, Deep Sea Chanties, edited by Frank Shay (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1924), page 8.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Apr 22 - 08:36 PM

Now, Jim, can you find us a YouTube recording of this intriguing song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 07:28 PM

This poet took the opening verse and the chorus of the original song and wrote 5 more verses. I don’t know if anyone ever actually sang this version, but it appears in several poetry anthologies.

From Specimens of the British Poets, Vol. 7: Whitehead, 1785, to Anstey, 1805 by Thomas Campbell (London: John Murray, 1819), page 82.


SONG.
By Edward Thompson

Behold upon the swelling wave,
  With streaming pendants gay,
Our gallant ship invites the brave,
  While glory leads the way;
    And a cruizing we will go.

Whene'er Monsieur comes in view,
  From India richly fraught,
To gain the prize we're firm and true,
  And fire as quick as thought.

With hearts of oak we ply each gun,
  Nor fear the least dismay;
We either take, or sink, or burn,
  Or make them run away.

The lovely maids of Britain's isle
  We sailors ne'er despise;
Our courage rises with each smile,
  For them we take each prize.

The wind sits fair, the vessel's trim,
  Then let us boldly go;
Old Neptune guides us while we swim,
  To check the haughty foe.

United let each Briton join,
  Courageously advance,
We'll baffle every vain design,
  And check the pride of France.

Subject: Lyr Add: BOTANY BAY ("A-Cruising We Will Go")
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 16 Apr 22 - 08:20 PM

This is different from any other version of Botany Bay I have found at Mudcat. Its chorus also begins with “A-cruising we will go” which is why I have included it here.

From Selected Songs Sung at Harvard College: From 1862 to 1866, “Privately Printed” (Cambridge: John Wilson and Sons, 1866), page 23:


BOTANY BAY.

Of all my daddy's family, I likes myself the best,
And if my daddy provide for me, the Devil may take the rest;
A pocket full of wheat, another full of rye,
A bottle of good whiskey, boys, to drink when we get dry.

Chorus.—And a-cruising we will go, a-cruising we will go;
Cheer up, my hearty laddies, for we're all to go, you know.

We went on a drunk, and then we shipped on a slaving bark so free;
To buy fat n****rs we were bound, from the King of Dahomey;
But a cruiser blew our ship to hell on the coast of Africa,
And we went home in iri-ons, and were sentenced to Botany Bay.

One night in came the Jail-i-er, about ten o'clock,
The keys within his hand, our cells for to unlock;
Says he, “My boys, get ready; you're all to go, they say;
You'll sail and steer for seven long year, and you're bound for Botany Bay."

Then in comes true-ue love, ten guin-i-eas in her hand;
Says she, “Take this, my Johnny dear, I've got you all I can;
And may the heavens protect you, for ever and a day;
We'll catch and hang the jurymen that sent you to Botany Bay.”

We jumped into a carri-age, with each a heavy heart,
As from the city of London so soon we were to part;
And, as we rode along the street, we heard some ladies say,
“There go some damned nice fellers, and they're bound for Botany Bay.”

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Apr 22 - 06:07 AM

Hmmm! Rather strange choice of song to be sung at Harvard in the 1860s. Or am I missing something?

Your use of the word 'version', Jim, could be misleading. This song I doubt is a 'version' of anything else. It uses the chorus and title of other songs, but I'm sure you know there are lots of songs using this chorus pattern and lots of songs called 'Botany Bay' which aren't otherwise related.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Apr 22 - 11:59 AM

Steve: I'd gladly use a word other than "version" if I knew a word that meant "song that has something important in common but isn't the same song." Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A-Cruising We Will Go
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Apr 22 - 03:18 PM

There isn't a single word. You just have to say something like it shares a tune/format/chorus/theme/title with....which is more precise anyway. Sorry if this looks pedantic. Keep up your wonderful work, Jim. We all benefit enormously and fully appreciate all you upload.

Subject: Lyr Add: A-Cruizing We Will Go
From: GUEST,F the Ineffable
Date: 17 Apr 22 - 07:08 PM

Here’s an old nautical song that was evidently popular at one time, judging from how often it was reprinted. Variants started appearing as far away as the West coast of the United States.

The Friscopool Prize; a Farce in Two Acts by Frederick le Pouf, pp 666 -668. (Folklore Archives, U.C. Berkeley, 1989.)
“As it is performed at the Castro Royale, on Castro Street, to Universal Applause”
Tune, The dusky night, &c.[*]


Come all ye San Francisco girls
And drown in booze your sorrow
Your beaux will not come home tonight
Nor will they come tomorrow

CHORUS.
And a cruizing we will go,
And a cruizing we will go,
A cruizing we will go,
And a cruizing we will go.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy twinks
Did gyre and gimble in the pub,
All mimsy were the boys, methinks,
And scarfed up the grub.
        So a cruizing, &c.

See Harvey Milk once more display'd,
Upon the billboards - wheee!
LGBTQWE
RTYUIOP!
    So a cruizing, &c.

So beauteous maids your smiles bestow,
Yet we may prove unkind,
We shall not kiss your fulsome lips
And leave the boys behind.
            So a cruizing, &c.