Lyr Req: I Once Was a Cook on a Bark

Subject: Lyr Add: A COOK ON A BARK
From: Barry Finn
Date: 06 Feb 98 - 11:56 AM

I have an old tape & this song is on it & through all the merrymaking can't make out a lot of the words. Some of goes as follows:

I was cook (onboard of a bark, 3 X)
That was the way I made my mark
Slinging up the hash
Many sailors eat my stew
They're all dead I'm telling you

When we're out of (bacon fat 3 x)
Then I catch a juicy rat
I know what to do
You salt the critter well
He will last for quite a spell

You should try my (lobster sauce 3X)
Nothing taste as well with horse
It's a lovely course
You should try my shark fin soup
It's the stuff to make you stoop

The rest of it, another 4 verses, about lobster tails, custards, whale blubber, beetles & water as rum & beer, I can't make out. The first 3 lines including the (3X) are to an A part melody & the last 2 line of the verse are of a different melody & timing. Has any one got any history and/or words, or anything to else to this, I've never seen or know of anyone who's heard of anything resembling this song. Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Mar 99 - 11:31 PM

Refresh
Still on the lookout for this. Thanks Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Mark Roffe
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 12:25 AM

I know nothing of this song, but I once WAS a cook on a bark. Aye, matey, there's nothing like the smell of a can of tuna below deck when you're feeling queasy and the crew's awaiting their lunch.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 10:28 AM

Still looking for this too, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: kendall
Date: 27 Nov 99 - 09:27 PM

the worst odor of all when one is sea sick is... VOMIT did you ever notice that BUICK is an onomonopia? (sic)

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Snuffy
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 07:49 PM

I'm sure there's a couple of songs about cooks and their unappetising fare in Hugill (which I only borrowed for a couple of weeks about 6 months ago - so I can't give precise details). Have you tried that?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 08:21 PM

Hi, Snuffy - legend has it that Barry has Hugill and Doerflinger memorized. Probably not quite true, but probably not far from the truth. I searched every resource I could think of, without any luck.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 16 Jan 01 - 08:58 PM

It's not in Hugill, Shay, Doerflinger, Huntington, Harlow or Whall. I got it from master rigger, George Herbert of West Geelong, who in his younger days had been a Cape Horner, he's been gone for a few of years now so I have no intention of asking him at this point. Like some other of the songs he gave me, I've never seen or heard of them anywhere but I always keep a weather eye opened. Thanks for the interest. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 08:17 AM

Is it Bark, Barque or does it not matter?

Dave the (not very) seafaring Gnome

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 09:07 AM

I've tried searching both spellings, haven't had any luck

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: radriano
Date: 17 Jan 01 - 10:53 AM

Hi Barry:

I seem to remember finding a similar song at the Bodleian website. Let me see if I can track it down.

Richard

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: MMario
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 03:02 PM

refresh

looking for tune and/or more lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 04:09 PM

The spelling varies depending on which side of the Westron Ocean is your domicile.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 May 02 - 09:07 AM

Well, this one could be fun! If we can't find the traditional verses, we can at least contribute some recipees. Now what rhymes with "seaboot duff"?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 01 May 02 - 02:26 PM

How aboot "recycled snuff"

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: MMario
Date: 01 May 02 - 02:43 PM

mighty tough? Not enough?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 May 02 - 06:24 PM

Inspired by a verse from C. Fox Smith's "Shanghai Passage."

Next I served up seaboot duff,
Seaboot duff, seaboot duff,
The boys, they couldn't scoff enough;
They shouted, "Bring us more!"
They supped it down with handspike gruel,
And when 'twas gone, they abused me cruel.

I'm not sure if this scans the same as the original verses.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 May 02 - 07:20 PM

Yup Charlie, it scans fairly well, nice add on too. I recently dug out one of the tapes that George sent me & with playing it on a better system I think I got most of it right. I'll dig out what I wrote donw & put it here./ Charlie when next we meet remind me & I'll sing what I can. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 May 02 - 09:55 AM

Hey, Barry, we've all lost your e-mail address in the demise of Mediaone. E-mail me your current one, please, and maybe I'll come up with a verse for belaying pin pie and a roll in the scuppers.;~)

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From:
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 03:27 PM

Sorry to be so ignorant on the subject of C. Fox Smith. I'm trying to find out if I need copyright permission to quote her in a book I've just written. Does anyone know when she died? With thanks and regards, Derek

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 04:51 PM

You should be contacting Danny and Joyce McLeod:[e-mail]

They'll be able to answer all your questions and probably will be interested in what you're writing.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 10:21 AM

pop on top

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:25 AM

Love the song! This cook is easily the equal of the one who cares much more for his kettles and his pots, from The Mermaid.

Just in case you don't get the skinny on those verses, I had fun writing a few based on your suggestions. I'm afraid I've gummed up things a little by combining some with others; I come out with three verses instead of your four. But this seems to be the way they came out of the mental meat grinder.

You should try my lobster tails…
I cuts 'em out of worn-out sails,
Don't let 'em blow away.
You think they crunch between your teeth,
Just wait till they get beneath…

And my custards are quite nice…
When you cut 'em up with rice
They taste almost real.
I makes 'em, up of whale blubber
Chew 'em easy as rubber…

Have a tot of my rum and beer…
You need not have any fear,
You're as good as dead.
Beetles, water and diesel oil
Keeps 'em so they never spoil…

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:32 AM

Shouldn't it be 'barque'?

Sal

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: GUEST,Rikki Tikki
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:39 AM

Both words are acceptable. My dictionary (Mr. Webby's Collegiate) says

bark, ME from MF barque 1: a small-masted ship   2:   a 3-masted sailing ship with foremast and mainmast square-rigged andmizzenmast fore-and-aft rigged, 3:   a craft propelled by sails or oars

Satisfactory to all you word bugs and nautical navigators out there?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:42 AM

now - can anyone transcribe the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 12:06 PM

Current copyright law has the copyright extending to 100 years after the demise of the author. This is controlled by the estate.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: I Once Was A Cook On A Bark ?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 12:15 PM

90 years in the US. Whose estate?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Once Was a Cook on a Bark
From: Barry Finn
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 05:31 PM

Finally

Cook On A Bark

I once was a cook on a bark, cook on a bark
That was where I made my mark
Slinging up the hash
Many sailors ate my stew they're all dead I'm telling you
Old pots I washed but once a year, once a year, once a year
I served water up as rum & beer & it filled them up with cheer

I made custard for the crew, for the crew, for the crew
And it killed just a few, guess my custard's good
Beetles sometimes starts a course, but it only kills their thirst
You should try my lobster tail, lobster tail, lobster tail
Boiled with blubber off a whale, it will make you ill

When we're out of bacon fat, bacon fat, bacon fat
Then I catch a juicy rat, I know what to do
You salt the critter well, he will last a spell
For I'm a wizard with a rat, with a rat, with a rat
If I use rat's back fat, I'm a wizard with a rat

You should try my lobster sauce, lobster sauce, lobster sauce
Nothing tastes as well with horse, it's a lovely course
You should try my shark-fin soup, it's the stuff to make you stoop
Well there's no better ship at sea, ship at sea, ship at sea
None of them can cook like me, sailors all agree

Cookies, cakes as hard as rocks, hard as rocks, hard as rocks
They're laying down inside of us, oh, let's leave him on the dock

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I Once Was a Cook on a Bark
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Jun 06 - 10:45 PM

Are you sure it shouldn't be "marque?"