Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth

Subject: Cruisin'round Yarmouth
From:
Date: 03 Apr 99 - 04:16 AM

I am looking for the lyrics of Ewan MacColl's "Cruisin'round Yarmouth"

Can anyone send me the lyrics to [e-mail]

thanks in advance folks

---

Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: Cruising 'round Yarmouth ^^
From: Matthew Bram
Date: 03 Apr 99 - 06:33 AM

I have 2 or 3 versions, but I don't know which version (if either) belongs to him.

CRUISING 'ROUND YARMOUTH


While cruisin' Round Yarmouth one morning in May,
I spied a flash clipper, her sails blowing free.
"I'm a fast going packet, ah me kind sir" said she.
"I'm ready for cargo for me hold is quite free," singing

Chorus:
    Fal de ral laddie, rye fal de ral dey
    Fal de ral laddie, rye fal de ral dey

Now what country she come from, I cannot tell much,
But by her appearance I took her for Dutch.
Well her flag wore its colors; her masthead was low.
She was round in the quarter and bluff in the bow, singing
(Chorus)

So I threw her a rope and I took her in tow,
And yardarm to yardarm a-towin' we go.
Well we both towed together to the Swan With Two Hay.
We both towed together through Trafalgary Bay, singing
(Chorus)

Then she took me upstairs and her tops'ls she lowered.
In her neat little parlor, she soon had me moored.
Well she laid in her fores'ls, her stays'ls and all,
With her lily white hand on me reef tackle fall, singing
(Chorus)

Well I says, "Pretty fair maid, it's time to give o'er,
For betwixt wind and rapture, you've run me ashore,
For me shot locker's empty; me powder's all spent,
And I can't fire a shot for I'm choked at the vent, singing
(Chorus)

Here's a luck to the girl with the long, curly locks.
Here's a luck to the girl who runs Jack on the rocks.
Here's a luck to the doctor who eased all his pain.
He's squared his main yard; he's a-cruisin' again, singing...^^

Subject: RE: Cruisin'round Yarmouth
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 03 Apr 99 - 06:18 PM

For what it's worth department: My business partner in Folk-Legacy Records, namely Lee Haggerty, had an uncle (an admiral in the US Navy) who sang (?) an American version of this that I have never seen printed. He knew it as "Cruising 'Round Norfolk." Unfortunately, he could remember only a small part of it and, like my partner, he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. I'm curious if any of you experts out there have run across the Norfolk version anywhere.

Sandy

Subject: Lyr Add: CRUISING ROUND YARMOUTH
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 24 Dec 99 - 07:51 AM

CRUISING ROUND YARMOUTH

While Cruising round Yarmouth one day for a spree,
I met a fair damsel- the wind blowing free.
I'm a fast going clipper-- my kind sir said she,
I'm ready for cargo my hold it is free.

Chorus: Singing fal the ral laddie right fal the ral day
fal the ral laddie right fal the ral day

What country she came from I could not tell such,
by her appearance I thought she was Dutch.
Her flag wore rich colours- her masthead was low,
She was round in the quarter and bluff at the bow.
Chorus

I gave her the rope and I took her in tow,
From yardarm to yardarm a-towing we go.
We towed on together till we came to the head,
We both towed together through Trafalgary bay.
Chorus

We towed on till we came to the House of Expire,
we gave her old horse with plenty of ire,
I lift up her hatches found plenty of room,
and into her cabin I stuck my jib- boom.
Chorus

She took me upstairs and her topsails she lowered,
in a neat little parlour she soon had me moored,
She laid in her foresails her staysails and all,
with her lily white hand on my reef tackle fall.
Chorus

I said pretty fair maid it's time to give o'er,
betwixt wind and water you've run me ashore.
My shot lockers empty and powders all spent,
I can't fire a shot cause it's choked at the vent.
Chorus

Here's luck to the girl with the black curly locks,
here's luck to the girl who run Jack on the rocks,
Here's luck to the doctor who eased all his pain,
he's squared his mainyards- he's a cruising again.........

Check the date time for these songs to make sure they were popular in the late 1700's because most were used in a variety of forms over the years. Let us know the book or story mate, we would like to view the finished product, Yours-Aye.
Cordially. Dave ^^

Subject: Cruisin round Yarmouth
From: DADGAD
Date: 16 Oct 00 - 08:18 PM

Please - anyone got the words to this - I recall beginning - 'While criusing round Yarmouth one day for a spree, I met a fresh packet the wind blowing free . . .etc Thanks, Gerry Forrester Devon

Subject: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 07:38 PM

I sang this song many years ago and have long since forgotten the words. Tried finding it to no avail. All I can rem. is: While cruising round Yarmouth one day for a spree I met a fresh packet the wind blowing free . . .

etc etc

Anyone out there recall this please.

Bests - Gerald Dunoon Scotland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: breezy
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 07:54 PM

Im a fast going clipper and that you can see, I'm ready for cargo me hold is quite free, ch--sing fol the rol laddie sing fol the rol day ,sing fol the rol laddie sing fol the rol day.,,
. Im sure some one will help us out with this little gem that could do with a revival, lets get it up again!Help

Subject: ADD: Cruising Round Yarmouth^^
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 08:06 PM

Here's how Curmudgeon sings it:

CRUISING 'ROUND YARMOUTH

While cruisin' 'round Yarmouth one day for a spree
I met a fair damsel, the wind blowin' free.
"I'm a fast going clipper, me kind sir," says she,
"I'm ready for cargo; me hold is quite free."

Chorus: And I falderal laddie, I falderal day, Falderal laddie, I falderal day.

The country she come from I couldn't tell which.
By her appearance I thought she was Dutch.
Her flag bore her colours, her masthead was low,
She was round at the quarter and bluff at the bow.
Chorus

I gave her me hawser and took her in tow
And yardarm to yardarm a towin' we'd go.
She laid in her mains'l, t'ga'n's'l and all
With her lily white hand on me reef tackle fall.
Chorus

I said, "Pretty fair maid, it's time to give o'er
For twixt wind and water, you've run me ashore.
Me shot locker's empty, me power's all spent.
I can't fire a shot for I'm choked at the vent.
Chorus

Good luck to the girl with the black curly locks,
Good luck to the girl who ran Jack on the rocks,
Good luck to the doctor who eased all his pain,
He squared his main yard, he's a cruisin' again.
Chorus ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 08:12 PM

I've heard most of them verses sung to Blow The Man Down.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Dec 01 - 11:06 PM

We have three texts now, but no provenance for any, and not a single tune!  The only traditional sets I know of were sung by Sam Larner and Harry Cox, but I don't know whether or not any of these derive from them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 07:02 PM

The version by Louis Killen (c. 1965) I have is very close to the lyrics posted by Bat Goddess above. However, I can't find out which album it comes from, and therefore don't have any notes. All I know is, It isn't from the album 'Ballads and Broadsides', nor from any Topic album. Can anyone help, perhaps, and lead us to the notes?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Gerald - Scotland
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 08:42 PM

Ah thanks much Bat Goddess - that's the one. I have the tune and now the words again. Old friends reunited. Many thanks for this. Cyril Tawney taught it to me in the 60's in Devonport and is good to recall it again. It is a good song - bawdy but in the best possible taste. Thanks again friend. Gerald.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Art Thieme
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:12 PM

Bert (A.L.) Lloyd was the one I first heard doing this song on one of the several great albums of whaling soings he did with Ewan MacColl. Mr. Lloyd was rarely on pitch---but his renditions of so many songs are the ones I will always remember best and carry on with me. And he did some great versions of Aussie songs---as that was where he hailed from. He and Ewan did the wonderful series for Riverside Records (later on Washington Records) of Child's British Ballads collections. Many LPs that I doubt have been re-issued on CD yet.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Charley Noble in Oz
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:27 PM

"Blow, Boys, Blow" with A.L. Lloyd and Ewan MacColl has been re-issued as a CD and should be easily found; it includes a version quite close to Curmudgeon's version of "Crusin' Round Yarmouth."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 11:38 PM

That's pretty much the one I got from "Will" PRIEST of Baltimore, MD.

The tune was not "Blow the Man Down", although I can see some similarities I suppose. His version had a few variances in the lyrics as well -

".. What Country she hailed from I couldn't tell much: By the set of 'er Colors I'd say she was Dutch; 'Er tops'l hung slack an' 'er stays'l 'ung low; She was round at the counter an' bluff at th' bow..." (I like to use a few select hand gestures with the delivery of this particular line };^{)~ )

Will admonished that this one was not to be sung "With little ears about", and we suppose that in gentele' society we would do well to excersize appropriate discretion. I have similarly been asked to refrain from the practice of stomping the deck with my sea-boots on in time to such a lustilly-bellowed Chantey while at tea-parties and the like. Somehow Mrs. Clarke finds such behavior to be rather embarrassing to her, although I can't imagine why. It does tend to rattle the china a bit, we suppose.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 04:19 AM

The version I learned gave verse three as:

I threw her a line and I took her in tow
Yard arm to yard arm I'd tow and we'd go
I towed her that night and through the next day
I towed her all round Trafalgar bay

In a neat little harbour she soon had me moored
And like a good sailor this jack went aboard
She laid in my fore sail me mainsail and all
With a slip of her hand made my reefs take a fall

and a penultimate verse

Here’s a curse on the girl with the dark wavy hair
Here’s luck to the girl who taught jack how to swear
He all in for refit laid up in dry docks
New mainsail and rigging new tackle and blocks.

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 24-Dec-01.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: curmudgeon
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 10:38 AM

i've been singing this fine old forebitter for nigh on forty years now, thus explaining the possible shifts a song can take on over a perriod of time I first got it from "Blow Boys Blow", MacColl and Lloyd, as pointed out by Art. But is was sung by MacColl rather than Lloyd.

However, Bert did the notes wherein he points out that this song originated with the "flying fish" sailors of the East India trade. He further asserts that the song was later taken up by Western ocean packet sailors who made it into a shanty, "Blow the Man Down." He concludes, "The present version, which pulls no punches, is from one of the best of English folk singers, Harry cox of Catfields, Norfolk."

Next, turn to The Singing Island, MacColl-Seeger. The version here printed is the same song, but with a different tune and slightly different lyrics. In the list of credits, this song is cited as, "From the singing of Sam Larner, Winterton, Norfolk - 1958."

The tune I use is the one MacColl recorded. op cit., and is an incestuously close cousin to Logie O' Buchen.

Cheer'ly Men, and Ladies too -- Tom

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 03:07 PM

We just recently caught the tune proximity to "Logie o' Buchan". I decided to trot the song out again in an attempt to make it a permanent part of the repertoire, and gave Tom a concertina break between verses. We sort of looked at each other in recognition at the same time. I finished the song and we marvelled at the sudden connection. I mean, Tom's been singing "Cruising 'Round Yarmouth" for 40 years and I've been doing "Logie o' Buchan" off and on for about 10.

Linn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 05:43 PM

Art, as far as I know Bert Lloyd was as English as they come, although he spent several years in Australia and may have started collecting there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,scarykitty
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 01:26 PM

Mike Stanley does a nice version on "Songs of the Sea: The National Maritime Museum Festival of the Sea." (And generally in tune!) The tune is not any version of "Blow the Man Down" I know, though there are some similarities. I'm not sure where you can buy this cd, but if you're on Rhapsody Music Service, you can listen to it in its entirety. :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: r.padgett
Date: 07 Mar 08 - 11:24 AM

She took me upstairs and invited me in
In her neat little parlour she soon had me moored
She lowered her for'sls her stay'sls and all
Her lily white hand on me reef tackle fall

The watch being ended I said May give o'er
Betwixt wind and water youve run me ashore
Me shot lockers empty me powders all spent
i cant fire as shot cos its choked at the vent

Here's good luck to the girl with the dark curly locks
Here's luck to the girl who ran Jack on the rocks
Here's ahealth to the doctor who eased all his pains
He's squared his main yard now he's cruising again

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 Mar 08 - 01:13 PM

Compare and contrast:

While cruisin' Round Yarmouth one morning in May,
I spied a flash clipper, her sails blowing free.
"I'm a fast going packet, ah me kind sir" said she.
"I'm ready for cargo for me hold is quite free," singing
Chorus:
Fal de ral laddie, rye fal de ral dey
Fal de ral laddie, rye fal de ral dey

--------------------------------------------
As I was a-cruisin' down Paradise Street,
To me way hey, blow the man down
A Liverpool packet I happened to meet.
Gimme some time to blow the man down

"I'm a fast moving clipper, me good sir" said she.
To me way hey, blow the man down
"I'm ready for cargo: me hold it is free,"
Gimme some time to blow the man down

---------------------------------------------

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,John the Gardener
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 05:37 AM

Hey Snuffy
Years ago, back in the 60s, I had an old Topic Folk Sampler L.P. which included your second version (set in Liverpool instead of Yarmouth). It was sung by, of all people, Harry H. Corbett, the actor who played Harold Steptoe, and a jolly fine job he made of it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 07:23 AM

Not it, Harry H sang ' Blow The Man Down ' on the topic album, and a better version you won't find.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: reynard
Date: 25 Oct 11 - 09:24 AM

I learned this from Harry Cox but his words need a bit of renovation. Reading the above I'm convinced that "parlour" should be "harbour". This is my shot at that verse:

She took me upstairs and her topsail she lowered.
In a neat little harbour she soon had me moored.
I lift up her hatches, found plenty of room,
And into her bilges I stuck my jib-boom.

Subject: Lyr Add: CRUISING ROUND YARMOUTH (from Harry Cox)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Oct 11 - 11:17 PM

This is nearly the same as CRUISING ROUND YARMOUTH (3) in the DT, but I have listened carefully to the recording and made a couple of corrections, which I have boldfaced. There are a couple of lines that don't make sense to me, although I don't know how to improve them; they are marked with "(?)".


CRUISING ROUND YARMOUTH
As sung by Harry Cox on "Sea Songs & Shanties: Traditional English Sea Songs & Shanties from the Last Days of Sail"

1. While cruising round Yarmouth one day for a spree,
I met a fair damsel, the wind blowing free.
"I'm a fast-going clipper, my kind sir," said she.
"I'm ready for cargo; my hold it is free."

CHORUS: Singing fal-the-ral-laddie, right fal-the-ral-day.
Fal-the-ral-laddie, right fal-the-ral-day.

2. What country she came from I could not tell which.
By her 'pearance I thought she was Dutch.
Her flag wore rich colours; her masthead was low.
She was round at the quarter and bluff at the bow.

3. I gave her the rope and I took her in tow.
From yardarm to yardarm a-towing we go.
We towed on together till we came to the head.
We both towed together through Trafalgary Bay.

4. We towed till we came to the House of Expire(?).
We gave her old horse with plenty of ire(?).
I lift up her hatches, found plenty of room,
And into her cabin I stuck my jib boom.

5. She took me upstairs and her topsail she lowered.
In a neat little parlour she soon had me moored.
She laid in her foresails, her staysails and all,
With* her lily-white hand on my reef-tackle fall.

6. I said, "Pretty fair maid, it's time to give o'er.
Betwixt wind and water you've ran me ashore.
My shot locker's empty and powder's all spent.
I can't fire a shot for it's choked at the vent."

7. Here's luck to the girl with the black curly locks.
Here's luck to the girl who ran Jack on the rocks.
Here's luck to the doctor who eased all his pain.
He's squared his main yards; he's a-cruisin' again.

[* sic. "Let" would make more sense here.]

[Ewan MacColl and A. L. Lloyd sing nearly the same lyrics, but they omit verse 4 altogether. I'm guessing it's because they couldn't make sense of lines 1-2 either. Or maybe line 4 was a bit too graphic.]

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Lighter
Date: 11 Dec 13 - 06:57 PM

We towed on together till we came to the head,
We both towed together through Trafalgary bay.

We towed on till we came to the House of Expire,
We gave her old horse with plenty of ire.

Every one of these consecutive lines is somehow balled up.

I doubt they went arm in arm to the "head" (lavatory). More likely it was to a pub called "The Head." Similarly, they may have gone on "to the Trafalgar Bay," possibly another pub. (The historical pronunciation, TRAFlgar, would scan even better. Compare J. E. Carpenter's song, "The Launch of the 'Trafalgar'" (1841):

"For still old England, on the deep, holds sov'reign sway afar,
And proudly keeps the name and fame she won at Trafalgar—
    She won at Trafalgar,
    She won at Trafalgar;
And proudly keeps the name and fame she won at Trafalgar."


"The House of Expire" is meaningless, but "House of" at least suggests a third resort. "The house of 'The Spire'"? At least it's conceivable.

I can suggest nothing for "gave her old horse with plenty of ire," though "plenty of fire" might have figured in somehow. If "fire" (wink   wink) was involved, perhaps the whole couplet is misplaced, belonging with the action to come or its medical sequel.

Perhaps others have suggestions? Or folkified versions?

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 03:36 AM

A somewhat coy version of this became popular in 1950 recorded by popular singer Guy Mitchell under the title 'One of the Roving Kind' – almost certainly the earliest broadcast version of the song.
Authorship was claimed by "Jessie Cavanaugh" and "Arnold Stanton" (both names are pseudonyms used by music publisher The Richmond Organisation), but is obviously a straight lift from the original with the 'dirty bits' taken out.
It reached the top ten in the hit parade in both Britain and America.
Jim Carroll

One of the Roving Kind
As I cruised out one eve-e-ning upon a night's career
I spied a lofty clipper ship and to her I did steer
I heisted out my sig-a-nals which she so quickly knew
And when she saw my bunting fly she imme-diately hove to-woo-woo

(She had a dark and a-rovin' eye-uh-eye and her hair hung down in ring-a-lets)
(She was a nice girl, a proper girl but one of the rovin' kind)

I took her for some fish and chips and treated her so fine
And hardly did I realize she was the rovin' kind
I kissed her lips, I missed her lips and found to my surprise
She was nothin' but a pirate ship rigged up in a dis-guy-eye-ise

(She had a dark and a-rovin' eye-eye-eye)
And her hair hung down in ring-a-lets
(She was a nice girl, a proper girl but one of the rovin' kind)

So, come all ye good sailor men who sail the wintry sea
And come, all ye apprentice lads, a warnin' take from me
Beware of lofty clipper ships, they'll be the ruin of you
For 'twas there she made me walk the plank and pushed me under, too-ooh-ooh

(She had a dark and a-rovin' eye-uh-eye and her hair hung down in ring-a-lets)
She was a nice girl, a proper girl but one of the rovin' kind

(She was a nice girl, a proper girl but)
One of the rovin' kind (yo-ho!)

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Lighter
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 09:45 AM

Similar theme, Jim; quite distinct song.

Comparable songs go back to the 17th century. The two forms in question are from the 19th.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 05:56 PM

There was indeed a pub called the Trafalgar Tavern in Yarmouth, in Victoria Road, and the King's Head situated in Row 139 (rows being narrow streets between fishermen's cottages in the old part of the town) Both pubs are now closed. There were over a hundred pubs there at the time of this song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 05:59 PM

...and the Two-Necked Swan used to be in Market Place.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: Lighter
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 06:48 PM

Splendid info, Eliza. Thanks so much!

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,Dennis Lawther
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 11:54 AM

Jim Dixon "with her lily white hand on my reef tackle fall" makes sense because a fall is the hauling end of a tackle (Ashley Book of Knots) (ie fall is a noun not a verb.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 20 Nov 16 - 02:24 PM

MacColl recorded Sam Larner and this song appears in his Singing Island song book

Ray