Help words of a sea shanty

Subject: Help words of an unknown song
From: GUEST,Wullie
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 07:31 PM

Can anyone help with the words of this song. I don't know the title as I was asked to find out the words at Robin Hoods Bay Folk festival last week Hope someone can help

One fine summer day a woman went walking
down by the river so gentle and free
and there she espied a beautiful sailor
sitting alone int he shade of a tree
she boldly stepped up to this young man
pray tell to me from whence you came
for my eyes have not feasted on such beauty
and may never do so again.

Many thanks Wullie.

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Multiple requests for an unidentified song -
Role reversal, woman has evil way with sailor
Help words of a sea shanty
Lyr Req: Sailors lament
Lyr Req: One fine summer day a woman went walking
Lyr Req: Sailor/Maiden/Role reversal
Hello Sailor

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Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 08:09 PM

I don't recognize the song, but it probably shouldn't be called a "shanty." Shantys are work songs, usually having a call-and-response structure (a soloist sings a line, then the group sings a response) and they usually don't have much narrative to them.

Other songs sung by sailors are usually called "foc'sle songs" (the foc'sle was where the crew had their bunks) because they don't involve work, and therefore can be more complicated.

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 08:41 PM

Wullie; I can't help you with the song but Jim Dixon is right about it being a fo'csle song. If the ancient mariner or Sailor DAn are on maybe they can help you. Good Luck, Fair windsw and following Seas. Neil

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 09:18 PM

How was the Bay, Wullie? Have they started work on the new sea wall yet, or did you only see the inside of the Laurel/ Dolphin??

--Noreen
who wishes she was there now

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 03:13 AM

Just to add to Jim Dixon and Irish Sergeant's comments, another name for that type of song is "Forebitter," named for sailors sitting on what were called forebits, normally used for winding heavy lines around, but in this case used in lieu of a chair, for singing. Can't help you on the song, though!

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 11:19 AM

I should have spelled that "fo'c's'le" (would you believe three apostrophes?) because it is short for "forecastle."

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 04:48 PM

Just found this thread...sorry doesn't ring a bell but sounds like a variation of "The Dark Eyed Sailor" Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: GUEST,wullie
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 06:57 PM

Thanks for your help everyone, To Noreen, never noticed a new wall only the walls in the Dolphin, we had a rare auld time

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: IanC
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 04:02 AM

This one reminds me of a version of "Just as the tide was flowing". There's at least one version in DT (type TIDE FLOWING in the box) but it isn't the one I was thinking of.

By the way, don't worry about calling it a Shanty, a Chanty or Shanty is just another name for a song, though it is now more usually associated with working songs where the rhythm helps with the work.

Cheers! IanC

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:58 PM

Refreshing in the hope that someone might recognise Wullie's song...

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 06:29 PM

most folkies recognise the word shanty (etc) as work song, sea shanty as "as sung on a ship", and songs wot weren't known as "fo'c's'le" shanties to the sayliors get referred to as sea songs. eg Mingalay Boat song
the reason labels get hung on things is in a word "communication". If shanty had to be, in common parlance, just a song: how come we make a distinction between song and tune?
Anyway the lyric (more jargon) looks, more to me, a ballad. A parlour song
and vaguely familiar but not quite, tantalising, is it not?

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: radriano
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 07:06 PM

I have read that, in American ships, non-work songs were also called "main hatch songs."

Calling a song a "shanty" or "chantey" specifically refers to it as being a work song. It is true, however, that many people today call any sea song a shanty.

That being out of the way, I can't say I recognize the song in question here.

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: Dead Horse
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 04:10 PM

Does the above mean that Elvis singing "Blue Suede Shoes" is a blues number ? No. A Shanty is a Shanty, and Forebitters were closely related. Not every song of the sea was a Shanty. You can't haul sail to "The Bold Fisherman" (or can you?) So There........Yah booh sucks.

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: MMario
Date: 26 Sep 01 - 04:18 PM

well - it's been around a while - as two years ago someone was looking for it here

no luck then - maybe better luck now?

Subject: RE: Help words of a sea shanty
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 27 Sep 01 - 12:32 PM

Forebitter! I thought that was a round for me and me three mates. JohnB