Any songs of steel tubs & subs?

Subject: Lyr Add: HEAVY CRUISER
From: barry Finn
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 08:52 PM

In a recent thread (Bismark) Martin Ryan mentions "The Sinking Of The Graf Spee" & asked about any sub songs aside from Diesel & Shale , I'm tacking on the steel tub part. I'll give it a start with Neil Downey's "Heavy Cruiser". Neil was a Coreman (sp?) during the Viet Nam conflict, he says a 4-0 war machine was a rating given to a ship or crew 1-0 ment no misses in 100 shots 2-0, etc.. 4-0 was the highest rate given on US Naval ships, this was written for the USS Salem, now a museum ship docked in Quincy, Mass, which Neil's brother is the skipper of. Anybody got an addition?

Oh, when I was young & in my prime>
I wanted to sail on a ship of the line, (2X)
So I signed on a heavy cruiser

CH. So gunners spin your turrets round
And let me hear that battle sound
We'll meet the enemy & we'll take him down
With the guns of a heavy cruiser

When I was a lad just like you
I proudly wore the navy blue (2X)
When I served on a heavy cruiser

Though we were only 17
We were a four-0 war machine (2X)
And the crew of a navy cruiser

For many yrs we sailed the seas
Preserving peace & liberty
A mighty force for all to see
The mighty heavy cruiser

And now I'm old & turning grey

Long ago I stowed my blues away
But I still stand tall & proudly say
I served on this heavy cruiser

This, Neil sings quickly, lively & loud, in the same way Stan Rogers would sing Barrett's Privateers. Sorry, I can't write out the music.
Barry

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: rich r
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 11:15 PM

A couple of submarine songs come to mind. Two are by Phil Ochs, "The Thresher", and "The Scorpion Departs But Never Returns". Interesting that Ochs, known for anti-war and anti-military songs, would write 2 about subs. The Kingston Trio also recorded a sub song on the album Sunny Side called "The Ballad of the Thresher". As for steel tubs, I'm not quite sure what ya mean. Is it a generic term for any steel ship, or a steel plated warship, or something more specific?

rich r

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 11:53 PM

Steel tubs, didn't mean anything in particular, just refering to shiping of any kind in these days of modern vessals. Here's the song Heavy Cruiser that didn't come out above , for some reason.

Oh when I was young & in my prime,/ I wanted to serve on a ship of the line 2X./ So I signed on a heavy cruiser.

CH. So gunners spin your turrets round/ And let me hear that battle sound/ We'll meet the enemy & we'll tahe him down/ With the guns of the heavy cruiser.

When I was just a lad like you/ I proudly wore the Navy blue 2X/ When I served on a heavy cruiser

Though we were only 17/ we were a four-0 war machine 2X/ And the crew of a Navy cruiser

For many yrs we sailed the seas/ Preserving peace & liberty/ A fighting fource for all to see/ The mighty heavy cruiser

And now I'm old & turning grey/ Long ago I stowed my blues away But I still stand tall and proudly say/ I served on this heavy cruiser.

Barry

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Frank Phillips
Date: 09 Feb 98 - 12:18 AM

The Book of Navy Songs (1926) and The US Navy Song Book (1945) have got one entitled The Cruising Boys of Subdiv. Nine. (The DT didn't have subdiv according to my search and cruising got hits but not this song)

I can't sight read for voice so I will have to pick out the tune on my guitar, but the chorus seems to fit the metre of "Tramp Tramp Tramp the boys are Marching."

Frank

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Jon W.
Date: 09 Feb 98 - 11:03 AM

I entered this song a few months ago and as far as I can tell it never made it into the database. But I think it's a great song about the hazards of commercial shipping. Take Your Pay as sung by Woods Tea Co.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 09 Feb 98 - 07:15 PM

a search for submarine gets 5 hits. [Tom Lewis] gets 7 hits, some of which came up under submarine. Ironclad gets 2 hits

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JERVIS BAY^^
From: rich r
Date: 09 Feb 98 - 10:11 PM

The Jervis Bay

It was a bleak November morning/ With a convoy under way/ When they sighted a German raider/ From the tops of the Jervis Bay

'Clear the decks for action'/ Was the order of the day/ And that gallant Captain Fegen/ Then sailed into the fray.

She was only a merchant cruiser/ Against a battleship,/ But she took that noble action/ Just to let the convoy slip.

On her decks lay dead and dying/ For them the day was won/ When they heard the convoy scatteed/ They knew their job was done.

Why do we weep, why do we pray?/ Those sailors sleep so far away/ They gave their lives that November day/ Those heores of the Jervis Bay.

from: The Oxford Book of Sea Songs

The Jervis Bay was a pasenger ship that had been "converted" into an armed merchant cruiser by sticking 7 guns on it. On Nov 5, 1940 the Jervis Bay was escorting a convoy of 37 merchant ships in the north Atlantic when the German battleship 'Admiral Scheer' appeared. The captain of the Jervis Bay ordered the convoy to split up, and then proceeded to attack the German ship in a suicidal encounter. In the half hour or so before the Jervis Bay was sunk, most of the convoy was able to escape. Captain Fegen was awarded the Victoria Cross in death. "The Jervis Bay" was apparently sung to a number of tunes including "Suvla Bay" and "Kevin Barry"

rich r

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Bert
Date: 10 Feb 98 - 03:00 PM

It's not a song but if you're interested in ships you must read "Trapp's War" by Brian Callison.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE LOSS OF THE EVELYN MARIE^^
From: rich r
Date: 10 Feb 98 - 07:19 PM

THE LOSS OF THE "EVELYN MARIE"

It's mournful to tell you a story so sad;
It's about a new trawler and the equipment it had.
It was fitted with rudder and lifeboats for the sea,
It was blessed for the ocean, the "Evelyn Marie."

There was six gallant fishermen, men of the sea.
Qualified skippers, her nets to set free.
They'll fish the wild ocean at any degree
In this beautiful trawler, the Evelyn Marie.

They fished the wild ocean, north, east and west,
They sold off their catches at the port that was best;
So they then were happy going right back to sea
In this beautiful trawler, the Evelyn Marie.

They guided this trawler for one year and some days.
What ill fate befell them within the freak waves.
A call to their comrades: "Mayday at the sea."
Assist us this moment with the Evelyn Marie.

"Assistance now coming, Summer Star and its crew,"
Saying, "With God's help we'll make it, their trawler is new".
A disaster it was then; they just saw her stern
As she sank near the rocks outside Rathlin O'Beirne.

Come all you good people, I ask one and all.
Pray for the fishermen are on Donegal;
Pray for the six skippers who are lost out at sea
In this ill-fated trawler, the Evelyn Marie.

The Evelyn Marie was a herring trawler out of the port of Killybegs in Donegal. On January 7, 1975 it foundered on the rocks near Rathlin O'Beirne Island and sank immediately. The crew of six was lost.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 3-Jun-02.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From:
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:16 PM

I am looking for the old diesel boat song.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: rich r
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:47 PM

Do you have a little more information, partial lyrics, storyline whatever?

rich r

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Pete M
Date: 19 May 98 - 08:54 PM

If you are looking for songs about Navy life as opposed to songs about ships, a principle source would have to be Cyril Tawney who served as an ERA (Engine Room Artificer) and I believe also in the submarine branch. "Grey funnel line" is probably the most direct reference to navy life and from my experience a rather more accurate reflection of lower deck feelings than the "gung ho" stuff above. "Chicken on a raft" is a personal favourite, particularly the image of the Jimmy, (Executive officer in USN terminology).

Pete M

PS Ref "four oh war machine" either US navy gunnery has improved out of all proportion or some one is having someone on!

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 19 May 98 - 09:10 PM

I guess 3 & 0 didn't go, even though that would be some proud shooting too. I'd say "S.O.S" (shirt on a shingle or chicken on a raft) would fit the feelings of most of the modern day naval under deck crew. The above writer of Heavy Cruiser was a coreman durning the Nam conflict & is still a bit "gung ho", opposite from my brother who was a seal on a sub (USS Albacore), back then. Barry

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 May 98 - 05:21 PM

One of the most moving songs I have heard about ships and the loss of them....

Survivor Leave in the database

The Boarding Pary, who recorded it, heard it in a pub just as the guy finished writing it...he was just back from the Falklands War with Argentina...

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From:
Date: 24 May 98 - 05:43 PM

What about The Reuben James?

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 May 98 - 04:29 PM

Harry Robertson, an Aussie who wrote some fine songs, has devoted himself to modern powered vessels. Look at Wee Pot Stove and Queensland Whalers in th Database.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: judy
Date: 26 May 98 - 02:38 AM

"Sink the Bismark" by Johnny Horton

enjoy!
judy

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: AndyG
Date: 26 May 98 - 07:59 AM

Cyril Tawney's Book "Grey Funnel Lines" is an account of folk-song in the 20^th Century Royal Navy and well worth a read.

COPAC search gives:

  Main Author:      Tawney, Cyril
  Title Details:    Grey funnel lines : traditional song & verse of the Royal
                    Navy, 1900-1970 / [collected and compiled by] Cyril
                    Tawney 
       Publisher:        London : Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987 
  Physical Desc.:   xvi, 177p : ill ; 24cm 
  ISBN/ISSN:        0710212704 
       Subject(s):       Sea songs in English. Words - Anthologies
                    Sailors - Great Britain - Songs and music - Texts
                    English poetry - 20th century
                    Sea poetry, English
                    Sea songs - England
                    Songs, English - Texts 
  Language:         English 
       Holding Libraries:  Cambridge - contact Cambridge University Library :
                      M290.c.95.40
                      Dublin - Trinity College Library : HL- 95-498
                      Nottingham - Hallward Library ; PR1195.S417
                      UCL - Science Library ; FLS E 57 TAW 
  

AndyG

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 May 98 - 12:15 PM

Grey Funnel Lines is available at the Mystic Seaport Bookstore. A nice thing to pick up when you attend the Sea Music Festival. Wearing your Mudcat T-Shirt so that I can spot you.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Catfeet
Date: 26 May 98 - 06:44 PM

There's also a nice tune the Wolfe Tones do about John Holland and the race to build the first submarine. It's called the Great Fenian Ram and it's on their album called Sing out for Ireland.

Catfeet

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From:
Date: 28 Sep 02 - 07:06 AM

Found a site chock full of Submarine songs

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Mr Red
Date: 28 Sep 02 - 12:04 PM

Tom Lewis and Cyril Tawner were submariners.
I asked Cyril at a meet the artist if "Sally Free and Easy" was to the rhythm of a submarine engine and we got the full story. Listen closely or see him play the guitar to it and you can hear the six cylinder long-stroke diesel thumping away (it is not plodding by any means). As he put it, it was on standing charge - the sub & it's batteries not him, and the revving set him up for a song - that and the ex-girlfriend taunting him at a window at the time. Revenge is a wonderful inpsiration if it is well hidden in a song.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 28 Sep 02 - 01:06 PM

For subs, I heartily recommend Tawney's "Diesel and Shale"

I also particularly like the "Destroyer Song"

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Gareth
Date: 28 Sep 02 - 10:16 PM

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 01:28 AM

Ooh, Dick! Queensland Whalers was about land-based whalers. The did use catchers, but had no factory ships, and came back to base (Tangalooma on Moreton Island) regularly/frequently.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Sep 02 - 12:52 PM

Hrothgar- So? I don't belieave I said anything to suggest otherwise.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 04:50 AM

Well, no, Dick, you didn't, but in the context of this thread it might have been better using some of Harry's songs like "Deep Sea Tug," "Tanker Man," or "The Antarctic Fleet."

Peace.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Teribus
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 05:42 AM

I always thought Harry Robertson was a Shetlander.

Amazed not to see Cyril Tawney's, "Cheering of the Queen" also known as "A British Submarine". About the crew of a submarine during the Coronation Review at Spithead. The crew were mustered on the conning tower and casing of the sub to cheer the new Queen as she sailed passed in Britannia. Just as the Britannia passed the crew of this sub get attacked by "A swarm of gnats as big as bats". A funny song written with a typical submariners humour.

On the sleeve notes this was the first song that Cyril ever wrote down, at the request of the late Princes Margaret.

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 06:00 AM

Cyril wrote many songs about or while he was serving on submarines. "Cheering of the Queen" and "Stanley the Rat" are more lighthearted examples. There's also a hilarious song about a submariner who, after a night ashore, was too inebriated to use the rather complicated submarine "heads" and couldn't face the long climb up to the conning tower to use the "Pig's Ear" and was later charged with "Using and cruelly abusing the Chief Tiffy's hat".

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 30 Sep 02 - 08:21 PM

Ah...y'all just reminded me I have to e-mail someone about a song!

John Huff, of MD-area folk/filk group Clam Chowder fame, has a great song called "Ballad of the C.S.S. Hunley". I've been wanting to learn it...I saw him at a concert last weekend and he said he'd e-mail me the lyrics. So if any of you Getaway-bound folks are intrigued, ask me and I'll trot it out.

-- Gary

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jan 06 - 03:28 PM

who sang song evelyn marie

Subject: RE: Any songs of steel tubs & subs?
From: Severn
Date: 17 Jan 06 - 07:00 PM

Oscar Brand's old Elektra LP album "Every Inch A sailor" had U.S. Navy World War II songs about all kinds of ships from subs ("Sub Divison 9") to Tin Cans, ("Destroyer Life", "Ain't Going To Sea No More") to carriers ("Ormoc Bay"). Not on CD, but custom cassettes can be ordered from Oscar himself.