Lyr Add: Serafina-2

Subject: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 09:43 AM

There's a version of the sea shanty "Serafina" in the DT attributed to Stan Hugill in his fine book SHANTIES OF THE SEVEN SEAS. Stan acknowledged that in order to publish many of the songs he'd collected he'd had to camouflage some of the more obscene words; he collected this song from an Irish sailor named Jack Connolly. Some of these words with the help of Stan and others are restored in this version as sung by The Shanty Crew (UK) on their splendid CD STAND TO YER GROUND. This sea shanty would have been used at t'gallant halyards according to The Shanty Crew's fine notes:

SERAFINA-2

(After the singing of Dominic Magog of The Shanty Crew
On CD STAND TO YER GROUND, © 1989)


In Cal-ly-o there lives a gal whose name is Serafina,
Serafina! Serafina!
She sleeps all day an' works all night in the ol' Cal-ly Marina,
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!

She's the queen, me boys, of all the gals that live in the ol' Casino,…
She used to screw for monkey nuts but now she knocks for vino…

At robbin' silly sailor boys, no gal was ever keener,…
She'll make ye pay right through the nose, that lovely Serafina…

She'll guzzle pisco, beer and gin, on rum her mum did wean 'er,…
She smokes just like a chimney stack or a P.S.N.C steamer…

Serafina's got no drawers, I've been ashore an' seen 'er,…
She's got no time to put 'em on, that hard-worked Serafina…

She likes to lay down with the boys, when in the ol' arena,…
She'll bite and scratch and kick as well, and let the boys careen 'er…

When I wuz young an' in me prime, I first met Serafina,…
In Cal-ly-o we saw the sights an' then went up to Lima…

But the finest sight I ever saw wuz little Serafina,…
But the very next day as we sailed away, I wisht I'd never seen 'er...

For I wuz broke, me clothes wuz gone, an' so wuz Serafina….
She'd done me brown, she'd sunk me down, that dirty she-hyena!…

I used to love that little gal whose name is Serafina,…
But she's gone off with a Dago man who plays a concertina…

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 06:22 PM

Here's a couple of "modern" verses I often add when I sing it:

Now she don't wear no fancy gear, no kaftan nor pashmina
But when this gal she "kisses" you, it's like a vacuum cleaner.

Some day I'm going to get her drunk on Guinness and Ribena
And them I'll have my way with her in the back of my old Cortina.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 08:15 PM

Thanks, Snuffy! If Serafina were still around, she might like to take you up on your kind offer, and roll you in the process!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: GUEST,Trev
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 06:00 AM

Whenever I'm in Callio I think of Serafina
But she's run off with a folk singer who plays the ocarina

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 09:02 AM

Anotheralternative re-write of that last verse runs:

I used to love that little gal whose name is Serafina,…
But she's gone off with a Downeast man who plays a concertina…

But what YOU decide to sing depends on where you're singing and who you're singing to. I do think The Shanty Crew deserves credit for singing something closer to how the song used to be sung.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Oct 03 - 09:09 AM

If mudcatter Alanww is there when I sing it, I change "Dago" man to "shantyman"

Subject: Lyr Add: Serafina-non-bowdlerized
From: Abby Sale
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 11:56 AM

Most of the Bowdlerization is obvious.

                           Serafina

1. In Callao there lives a whore whose name is Serafina.    [in Peru]
        Serafina, Serafina.
    She fucks all night and sleeps all day at the old Calle marina.
        Serafina, oh Serafina.

2. She's queen of all the whores that work down at the old casino.
        Serfina etc.
    She used to screw for monkey nuts, but now she fucks for vino.
        Serfina etc.

3. Oh, Serafina's got no drawers, I've been ashore and seen her.
    She's got no time to put 'em on, that hard-fucked Serafina.

4. She guzzles pisco, beer and gin; on rum her mum did wean her.
    She smokes just like the chimney stack on a PSNC steamer.

5. She'll claw and bite and kick and scratch when in the old arena.
    She'll rob you blind if she gets the chance, that dirty she-hyena.

6. Oh, I was young and in my prime when I first met Serafina.
    But the next morning when I woke up I wished I'd never seen her.

7. For I was robbed, my gear was gone, and so was Serafina.
    She'd run off with a Dago man who played the concertina.

8. She stole my watch, she stole my cash, that lousy Serafina,
    She left me with an aching head and a dose of gonorrhea.

9. Well, I fucked the whores in Callao and then the ones in Lima.
    But the randiest whore I ever fucked was the lovely Serafina.

From Salty Dick's Uncensored Sailor Songs
Collected, researched and performed by Richard Docker, Ph.D
(Correlated by Jerry Bryant)                

See Hugill, Shanties from the Seven Seas, pp 302-3

Verse 8., Abby Sale & Sherry White Lea. Not sanctioned by Salty Dick.

Pisco= Peruvian national liquor distilled from fermented grape juice. Some concoctions of it said to be excellent paint remover.

PSNC: Pacific Steam Navigation Company, set up in 1840 to run steamer liners on the west coast of South America. Later ran cargo Australia-Peru and then oil. It shut down in 1985

Monkey nuts= peanuts (perhaps) [thanx GUEST,Johnnie L]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 03:28 PM

Some of my (Hulton Clint) lyrics:

Serafina plays the flute, trombone, and ocarina [hopefully you get what all those mean]
She flips like a Chinese acrobat and bends like a ballerina

Serafina's sweeter than the juice from Tropicana
She knows lots of fun parlour games, like Twister and Hide the Banana

Serafina's got a dog, that likes to eat Purina
And Serafina's got a "cat" that likes to eat men's penae

Forget them runway models, boys, and the gals of the Hollywood screen-a
They're scrawny and homely as a rule, including Angelina

Serafina es lo mejora, nunca fue una chica mas fina
And best of all, she never quits; chingas like a machina

xxxxx
She smokes just like a chimney stack, it gives her voice a fine "patina"

Beyonce's got a bump, my boys, some swear there's nothing finer
Till they've laid hands on this handy hump, the hyney of this jaina (hyna)

Japani gals are small, you know, likewise the Fillipinas
But they cannot measure up [down?], my boys, to this Red-light Thumbelina

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Amos
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 03:31 PM

And if the lads complain the crop
Of gals is getting leaner
We'll offer them our own Big Mick
Dressed up as Serafina!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Joe_F
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 05:48 PM

Is this the same lady as in Edmund Blunden's "Report on Experience"?

I knew Seraphina; Nature gave her hue,
Glance, sympathy, note, like one from Eden.
I saw her smile warp, heard her lyric deaden;
    She turned to harlotry; -- this I took to be new.

I have always wondered who that one was.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Oct 10 - 10:58 PM

Nice to know this old shanty has life in it yet!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 07 Oct 10 - 07:13 PM

Her curly hairs were raven-black, her labios were rojo
She smelled of chopped cilantro, boys, that fine "taco de ojo"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Oct 10 - 07:22 PM

We had a brief Bawdy period in Peace on Saturday - Its ALL Folk , but I still feel a bit uncomfortable singing the serious bawdy stuff with the ladies present , even the ones who have been enthusiastic Floozies at the Blues session !

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: GUEST,A new version...
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 05:24 AM

Here's my version ye ol shipmates, let me know what you think.

Serafina

She's the Queen, me boys, of all the gals that live in the ol'Casino
She used to kiss for monkey nuts but now she works for vino,

At robbin' silly sailors, boys, no gal was ever keener,
She'll make ye pay right through the nose, that lovely Serafina.

For a coupla bucks, this Queen, me boys, will let ye do some feelin'
But it's more me boys, to get good sucked and scream 'sweet Serafina!'

She'll guzzle pisco, beer, an'gin, on rum her mum did wean'er,
She smokes just like a chimney stack, or a P.S.N.C. steamer.

Serafina's got no shoes, I've bin ashore an' seen'er,
She's got no time to put 'em on, that hard-worked Serafina.

On a bed, all night, she spends her time, weavin' all kind'a no-good.
She's a master – that witch – she knows it all, every. Sorta. Wood.

That girl, my sweet Serafina is a mighty good tricky whore
Ye kin pay top price, hav'er all night and still be wanting more.

When I wuz young an' in me prime, I first met Serafina,
In Callyo I saw'er sights, head ta' toe, my god, you shoulda seen'er!

It's the finest sight I ever saw, that little Serafina,
Although I wish, the next day and this, that -God!- I'd never seen'er.

For I wuz skint, me clothes wuz gone, an so wuz Serafina,
She'd done me brown, she'd sunk me down, that fuckin' she-hyena!

Now if I ever again meet that devil-Queen of all lovely gals
You know fur shure I'll beat'er down with all me pissed poor pals!

But, truth be told, I know'er ways, those eyes, those hips, her hair.
She'd turn us all, on ourselves, each provin' that he cares.

I used to love that little gal whose name is Serafina
But she's gone off with a dancin' gal whose name was 'Turn'em Tina'!

verses 3,6,7,11 & 12 are my own and 3 of them I rewrote from Stan Hugill's version. I think I'm happiest with the rewrite on the last verse.

J.Baketel

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: Mo the caller
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 07:41 AM

Leadfingers. I'm less prudish than I used to be, but somehow it makes me more uncomfortable hearing a woman sing this, than a man.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From: breezy
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 12:12 PM

Parafina anyone ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Serafina-2
From:
Date: 02 Jul 13 - 07:55 PM

Aye Breezy, I've been hoping for that one for a few years now