Lyr ADD: Valparaiso in a Rowboat

Subject: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Haruo
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 08:06 PM

I'm looking for the tune to this Zeke Hoskin filk chantey.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 08:39 PM

Well, Haruo, if I can find my tape, I'll give it a go at transcribing it. Give me a couple days, and I'll see what I can come up with.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 10:59 PM

I just posted it to Joe, so it should show up here soon. If you PM me your email, I'll send you the MIDI too. I didn't transcribe that grand finale where they sing "Bound for Valparaiso" three times in a row. If you need that, too, let me know, and I'll post it. (I thought it was self evident how to do that part, but I could making assumptions based on being an ear singer, so let me know.)
Blessings,
Barbara

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Click to play

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 01:44 AM

I uploaded the tune and put in the appropriate links, but I can't get the dang thing to play. I e-mailed Jeff and asked him to fix it.
-Joe Offer-

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Here are the lyrics, taken from http://www.zekehoskin.com/

Valparaiso In A Rowboat

The price of liquor is mostly tax. Unsold booze is often kept in a bonded warehouse, meaning the tax hasn't been paid. When you take whisky out of the warehouse, you have to pay the tax ... unless it's for export, of course.
During Prohibition in the U.S., there was a dockside bonded warehouse in Windsor, Ont. (Across the river from Detroit). Men would bring a rowboat to the dock and check out a few cases of whisky. The Customs officer would ask, Are you paying tax, or exporting?" "Exporting", they would answer. "Where to?" "Valparaiso." The Customs man would nod and write it down in his book, and away they'd row. Half an hour later, they'd do the same thing again.
This is a sea chantey for them. I wrote it on Canada Day, while returning from cross-border shopping for my Dusty Strings Harp. I left the verse about the cat off the recordings, on Reprieve! and Lethal Reprieve

VALPARAISO IN A ROWBOAT
Words and Music - © Zeke Hoskins

Windsor is a lovely port we're proud to sing about
There's a warehouse full of whisky, though the Yankees do without
And when Customs asks us where we're bound, we ship our oars and shout:
"We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat"

Pull your oars! We're on our way!
With a thousand quarts of whisky bound for Valparaiso bay
And we haven't no intention for to see the U. S. A.
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat

Some say that for an ocean trip our craft is very small
But we bold Canadian lads don't fear a little Cape Horn squall
And a deep sea schooner's just too big to shoot Niagara Falls
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat

Though Michigan is very near and Chile's very far
We are expert navigators, we can steer by any star
But the cat pissed on the sextant and we don't know where we are
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat

We've sailed for Valparaiso twenty seven times this week
But every time we've gotten to the mouth of Muddy Creek
We've had to jettison our cargo 'cause the oarlock sprung a leak
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat

Now some sing of Vancouver, of St John and Halifax
But those salty water cities, they have nothing Windsor lacks
We've a doryload of whisky and the muscles in our backs
We're bound for Valparaiso in a rowboat

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Click to play

(MIDI from Blessings Barbara)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 05:47 PM

Well, I guess the young still have that spirit of adventure!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, who thinks from anywhere to Valpariso is a mighty hard row.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Barbara
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 06:18 PM

Did you look at the words, Charley? Somehow (gosh darn it) every time they set out from Windsor with cases of whiskey they run aground in a little backwater across the river near prohibition afflicted Detroit.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 06:28 PM

So many Valparaisos to bootleg (row?) to:
Brazil
Chile
Mexico
Colorado
Florida
Indiana
Nebraska

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 08:52 PM

Barbara-

You're right of course. It's not the setting of the grand goal that's important, nor actually getting there, but the path that one takes, and the byways that one takes time to explore.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Haruo
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 09:59 PM

Thank you all, Barbara, Joe, Jeff, Charley & Q. In the meantime I actually called Mr. Hoskin up on the phone and he emailed me the tune in numerical transcription (but with one note missing, "Bay" in the chorus).

From an historical point of view the Valparaiso in question is probably the one in Chile, not that it matters when you have a chronically defective oarlock.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: Barbara
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 11:21 AM

That would be a "2" , Haruo. (for the word "bay")
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Lyr Add: Ni remas Valparajson remboate
From: Haruo
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 09:36 PM

Thanks, Barbara. Here's the first draft of my Esperanto translation of Valparaiso in a Rowboat:

Ni remas Valparajson remboate

Verkis Zeke HOSKIN, © 1992
Tradukis laŭ permeso de la verkinto ROS' Haruo, © 2004

La prezo de alkoholaĵoj estas plejparte imposto. Nevenditan likvoron oni ofte konservas en doganstaplo. Prenante viskion el la staplo, oni devas pagi la imposton ... krom (kompreneble) se ĝi estas por eksporto.

Dum la tiel nomata Prohibicio, kiam estis kontraŭleĝe distribui alkoholaĵojn en Usono, situis apudkaja doganstaplo en Vindsoro, Ontario (trans la rivero de Detrojto). Oni kutimis remi boaton al la kajo kaj elpreni kelkajn skatolojn da viskio. La doganisto demandas, "Ĉu vi pagas imposton aŭ eksportas?" "Eksportas," oni respondas. "Kien?" "Al Valparajso." La doganisto kapjesas kaj skribas tion en la libro, kaj jen ili remas for. Post duonhoro, ili ripetas la drameton. [Valparajso estas intenca, angleca misprononco de la nomo de urbo en Ĉilio, kiun oni pli ĝuste eldiru (kiel en PIV-S) Valparaiso (kun akcento Ĉe la "i"); kredeble mallongigo de "Valle de Paraíso", t.e. Valo Paradiza. En la malnovaj velŝipoj ĝi estis la unua civilizita haveno, kiun la maristoj el Eŭropo sopiris atingi post la kruela pretervelado pri Kabo Horna. - Haruo]

Jen marista kanto por ili. Mi verkis ĝin je Kanada Tago, revenante de translima butikumado pri mia harpo de Dusty Strings. Ĝi estas en Reprieve! kaj Lethal Reprieve.

(el la TTTejo de Zeke HOSKIN)

Ni laŭdas nian belan urbon, Windsor, Ontari'-
Dum sekas la jankioj, jen plenstaplo da viski',
Kaj se la doganist' enketas, "Kien velas vi?"
"Ni celas Valparajson remboate!"

     Rekantaĵo
Venu jam! Ekremu ni,
Kun mil kvartoj* da viskio por haveno en Ĉili',        
Kaj Usonon turismumi staras ekster la vizi'-                   
Ni celas Valparajson remboate!                                    

Laŭ onidir' maltaŭgas nia ŝipo por la mar'
Sed skualon Hornan ne pritimas brava kanukar',
Kaj por skuno nesalteblus la kaskad' Ĉe Niagar'-
Ni celas Valparajson remboate!

Jam Ĉi-semajne ni ekremas por la dudek-sepa foj'
Sed Ĉiam Ĉe la elfluejo de la Kota Roj'
Ni devas ĵeti nian kargon pro ekliko, ho malĝoj'!
Ni celas Valparajson remboate!

Do kantu pri Sen-Ĝan' aŭ Halifaks' aŭ Viktori',
Ol Windsor Ĉi salakvaj urboj ne imponas pli.
Per dorsa muskolaro, kun doriso da viski'
Ni celas Valparajson remboate!

* kvarto - malnova angla mezurunuo
iomete pli granda ol litro
= 2 pajntoj aŭ kvarono de galono

Hopefully the version we sing in Sidney next week will be a bit improved.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Valparaiso in a Rowboat
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Aug 22 - 11:07 AM

Sung last night at the FSGW Open Sing! I had not heard it before. I must learn this for the next out of town Sea Chantey I sing I go to.
--Linda Goodman Zebooker