Subject: Lyr Add: ON BOARD A NINETY-EIGHT From: Barry Finn Date: 09 Dec 98 - 10:39 PM I suggested this in another thread & not finding this gem in the DT I'm putting it out there. One of my favorites (not yet in the DT) is a song that Peter Bellamy wrote a new tune for. Taken from Dan Milner's "Bonnie Bunch Of Roses". ON BOARD A NINETY-EIGHT
When I was young & scarce 18, I drove a roaring trade
A bold press gang surrounded me, their warrant they did show
When I put my foot on board, how I began to stare
Before we reached America, they gave me many a drill
But as time flew I bolder grew & hardened was to war
So years rolled by at Trafalgar, brave Nelson fought & fell
So now my cocoa I can take, my pouch with 'bacco stored This is on "Peter Bellamy, Tell It Like It Was", trailer records LER 2089. Peter sings this very upbeat on the LP but never as wildly as did in person. Collected by Vaughan Williams. Peter didn't like the tune V.W. collected so he wrote a new one, I don't believe the original could've been better. Barry |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: On Board A 98 From: Barry Finn Date: 09 Dec 98 - 10:48 PM See the thread about Sngs About Birthdays & Age I copyed from that & the verses came out in right form there but not here. Sorry Barry |
Subject: Lyr Req: Onboard a 98: Peter Bellamy From: Peter Kasin Date: 05 Aug 03 - 01:17 AM I checked the DT and forum. Does anyone have the lyrics to Onboard A 98, as sung by Peter Bellamy, or any other setting of this? I've been listening to Wake The Vaulted Echoes, which I just bought from CAMSCO, and have been transfixed by this song and his singing. I'm missing, though, some of what he's singing. Many thanks. Chanteyranger |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Onboard a 98: Peter Bellamy From: Leadfingers Date: 05 Aug 03 - 03:06 AM I dont have the lyric but have a nice bit of back ground.Peter found this song in the library at C#Ho and couldnt understand why no one was singing such a good song,so he got a friend who could read music to play the tune for him(Peter did not read music)He then knew why,cos the tune given was terrible,so Peter took the words and wrote his own tune for it.That was what he said the first time I heard him sing On Board a Ninety Eight.That was at The High Wycombe Folk Chamber in the late sixties if my memory is working today. |
Subject: Lyr Add: ON BOARD A NINETY-EIGHT (from P Bellamy) From: GUEST,MCP Date: 05 Aug 03 - 05:46 AM The lyrics have been posted in the forum at: Lyr Add: On Board A 98. They're not from Peter's singing, but give him as source. As there are a few minor differences I give below Peter's version from Wake The Vaulted Echoes. The thread I've just referred to has one other verse not here. (The Echoes version was originally released on Songs And Rummy Conjurin' Tricks, the song was originally released on Tell It Like It Was and that version there has only minor textual differences from the version given below (although Peter's singing possibly a bit more mannered there). Neither version has the extra verse from the other thread). The words were collected By Vaughan Williams from a Mr. Leatherday and, as mentioned elsewhere, Peter put his own tune to it, not liking the collected one. Mick ON BOARD A NINETY-EIGHT Oh, when I was young and scarce 18 I drove a roaring trade, And many a sly trick have I played on many a pretty maid. My parents saw that would not do, I soon would spend their store So they resolved that I should go on board a man-of-war. Well, a bold press gang surrounded me, their warrant they did show. They vowed that I must go to sea and face a daring foe Then off they lugged me to the boat, and then I cursed my fate Oh then I found that I should float on board a 98. Now when first I put my foot on board, how I did stand and stare For our Admiral, he gave the word, "There is no time to spare". So we raised our anchor, shook out sail, then off they bore me straight To face the French in storm and gale on board a 98. But as time a-fled I bolder grew I hardened was to war. I could run aloft with my ship's crew and value not a scar And right well I did my duty do, till I got Boatswain's mate And blast me soon got boatswain too on board a 98. So the years rolled by and at Trafalgar brave Nelson he fought and fell As when they capsized that hardy tar I took a rap as well. So to Greenwich College I come back because I'd saved my pate; They'd only knocked a wing off Jack on board a 98. So now I can my cocoa take, my pouch with baccy stored All in my blue coat and my three-cocked hat, I'm as happy as a Lord Cos I've done my duty, served my King, and now I bless my fate But blast me, I'm too old to sing, I'm nearly 98 Source: Peter Bellamy on Wake The Vaulted Echoes |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Onboard a 98: Peter Bellamy From: GUEST,Chanteyranger Date: 05 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM Thanks VERY much! Very interesting background info, too. I don't know why my DT search for it came up empty. Maybe because I wrote "onboard" instead of "on board." Now I'll learn this song and bring it into the monthly sea music sings in S.F. I recently became a Peter Bellamy convert after Radriano played me this song a few weeks back. While I'm at it, I have to sing the praises of CAMSCO, as this CD arrived across country, along with some hard to find CDs, only two days after Dick Greenhaus took my credit card info. Thanks again! Chanteyranger |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Onboard a 98: Peter Bellamy From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 05 Aug 03 - 01:30 PM Peter made various alterations of his own to the text as originally published in The Journal of the Folk Song Society (vol. II issue 8 1906 176-7). The text posted in the other thread (with some typos) is the Journal one, as re-printed in Dan Milner's Bonnie Bunch Of Roses, where presumably it was given with Mr Leatherday's tune. In fact, the Journal text was only partly from Mr Leatherday. Either he didn't remember it all, or Vaughan Williams only noted down part of it (a common practice of his, unfortunately); the text was expanded from a broadside issued by F. Paul of Spitalfields. Three broadside editions can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads: On board of a ninety-eight The song is number 1461 in the Roud Folk Song Index. |
Subject: Lyr Add: ON BOARD OF A NINETY-EIGHT (from Bodleian From: Jim Dixon Date: 21 Aug 06 - 05:10 AM Here's my transcription from the broadsides at the Bodleian â€" see Malcolm Douglas' link above. There are many minor differences between this version and Bellamy's, and one whole verse that he didn't use. I have modernized the spelling and punctuation. ON BOARD OF A NINETY-EIGHT When I was young and scarce eighteen, I drove a roaring trade, And many a sly trick I have played with many a pretty maid. My parents found that would not do; I soon should spend their store, So they resolved that I should go on board of a man-of-war. Fol de rol, &c. A bold press-gang surrounded me. Their warrant they did show. They swore that I should go to sea and face the daring foe. Then off they lugged me to the boat. O how I cursed my fate! 'Twas then I found that I must float on board of a ninety-eight. When first I put my foot on board, how I began to stare! Our Admiral he gave the word: "There is no time to spare". They weighed their anchor, shook out sail, and off they bore me straight To watch the foe in storm and gale on board of a ninety-eight. Before we reached America, they gave me many a drill. They soon learnt me a nimble way to handle an iron pill. In course of time, a fight begun when bold Jack-tars laid straight. What would I give if I could run from on board of a ninety-eight! But as time flew, I bolder grew, and hardened was to war. I'd run aloft with my ship's crew and valued not a scar. So well I did my duty do, till I got Boatswain's mate, And damn me, soon got Boatswain too, on board of a ninety-eight. So years rolled by. At Trafalgar, brave Nelson fought and fell. As they capsized that hardy tar, I caught a rap as well. To Greenwich College I then came because I saved my pate. They only knocked one wing off Jack on board of a ninety-eight. So now my cocoa I can take, my pouch with 'bacco stored. With my blue clothes and three-cocked hat, I'm as happy as a Lord. I have done my duty, served my King, and now I bless my fate; But damn me, I'm too old to sing. I'm nearly ninety-eight! |
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