Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story

Subject: Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story
From: mcgrathof altcar
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 07:34 AM

Not really a lyric request. I'm after a story that Louis Killen used to tell. It was a whaling tale and it featured a kind of "chorus"..
something like, " thar she blows, and spouts, and sperm at that!!!" It told of the battle of wits between in Whaling ship captain and one member of his crew.

It ended with the words, "All I want from you is a little common respect."

Anyone who had the prescience to write this tale down I'd be grateful if I could read it again. Maybe its on a CD somewhere.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks for your help and interest

M of A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story
From: kendall
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 09:09 AM

My good friend, the late Marshall Dodge recorded this on one of his BERT & I albums. If you have access to that it would save me a lot of typing!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 09:27 AM

The story can be found in B A Botkin, "A Treasury of New England Folklore," page 91-92, under the heading "Thar she blows."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story
From: GUEST,Pip
Date: 14 Dec 04 - 05:28 PM

A bit late to be replying, but I'm searching for it myself and found it at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/8386/saillore.htm
Hope that helps. It's also on the Mystic Seaport 21st annual sea music festival CD.

Subject: Lyr Add: THAR SHE BLOWS!
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 12:03 AM

Copied from http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/8386/saillore.htm :

THAR SHE BLOWS!

IT WAS the good ship Mozambique, Cap'n Symes commandin', his name bein' the same as mine but no kin, thank God. We wuz four months an' twenty days out o' New Bedford an' not a drop o' ile in the tanks. I'm standin' my watch when the man aloft calls out, "Thar she blows!"

"Where away?" sez I.

"Four points off the starboard quarter," sez he.

An' I goes aft.

"Cap'n Symes," I sez "thar she blows."

"Where away?" sez he.

"Four points off the starboard quarter," sez I. "Shall we lower away?"

Cap'n Symes sez, "It's blowin' right too pert. 'Tain't fitten fer to lower. Go for'ard an' stan' yer watch!"

An' I goes for'ard. Purty soon the man aloft calls out, "Thar she blows and spouts!"

An' I goes aft. An' I sez, "Cap'n Symes, thar she blows and spouts. Shall we lower away?"

Cap'n Symes sez, "I tole you once and I tell ya twice. By the left hind leg o' the Lamb o' God, it's blowin' right too pert, an' 'tain't fitten fer to lower. Go for'ard an' stan' yer watch!"

An' I goes for'ard. Purty soon the man aloft calls out, "Thar she blows an' spouts, an' breaches an' bellows!"

An' I goes aft. "Cap'n Symes" I sez, "thar she blows an' spouts, an' breaches an' bellows. Shall we lower away?"

Cap'n Symes sez, "I tole you once and I tole ya twice and I tell ye three times. By the twenty-three legs of the Twelve Apostles, it's blowin' right too pert an' 'tain't fitten fer to lower. Go for'ard an' stan' yer watch."

An' I goes for'ard. Purty soon the man aloft calls out, "Thar she blows an' spouts, an' breaches an' bellows, an' a sparm at that!"

An' I goes aft. "Cap'n Symes" I sez, "thar she blows an' spouts, an' breaches an' bellows, an' a sparm at that. Shall we lower away?"

Cap'n Symes sez, "By the forty-eight fat-cheeked Cherubim that flutter 'round the thrice-sanctified throne of the thrice sanctified Christ, it's blowin' right too pert an' 'tain't fitten fer to lower. But if yew want to lower, lower away an' be damned!"

Well, we chased that whale through the first watch an' 'long about eight bells we come alongside and I sez to the men in the boat, "shall I let 'er have the long dart?" An' they sez, "sock it to 'er." An' I socked it to 'er an' it tuk! Well sir, when we cut that whale up we took out eighty-six bar'ls o' the finest sparm ile an' forty-eight pounds o' ambergris.

That night I'm down in the fo'c'sle when Cap'n Symes comes down the lee gangway an' he sez to me, "Mr. Symes," he sez, "you're the best man out o' New Bedford with the long dart. Down in my cabin there's a box of fine Hay-vana seegars and a case o' Jee-maica rum. They're yours for the rest o' the v'ige."

"Cap'n Symes, sir," I sez. "I don't want none o' yer fine Hay-vana seegars an' I don't want none o' yer Jee-maica rum. Al I want out o' yew, Cap'n Symes sir, is a little Christian civility -- an' goddamned little o' that."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Louis Killen whaling story
From: kendall
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 08:31 AM

4 points would make it over 40 degrees, and that would make it off the stern...