Lyr Req: Our Jack's Come Home Today

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 May 98 - 08:23 PM

The 2 verses I have are from Doerflinger's Shantymen & Shantboys. Such a great song, I'm hoping for more, what I've got is as follows;

Oh, Jack's come home from from sea today
All brown & bronzed was he
For many years he's been away
From his home across the sea
But his heart's as true as it was of yore
His spirit's light & gay
Little know the joy we felt when he came home today
Chorus
Our Jack's come home today (2x)
The good ship Jane's in port again
Our Jack's come home today

Our Jack's come home from sea today
To make his Nell his bride
With loving heart she ne'er despaired
Though all hope within her died
Her eyes grew dim, her cheeks grew pale
She slowly pined away
All danger's past, he's safe at last
For he came home today
Chorus

Begger's Velvet did a version of the prisoner Jack coming home today but I'm looking for more of sailor Jack, any help? Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Any more verses
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Jun 98 - 07:20 PM

I'm trying again. Barry

Subject: RE: Any more verses
From: Barry Finn
Date: 22 Aug 98 - 06:24 PM

Still looking. Barry

Subject: Tune Add: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 98 - 01:51 AM

No verses, Barry, but I typed the tune from Doerflinger:

MIDI file: OURJAC~1.MID

Timebase: 192

Name: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY
Text: By traditional
Key: A
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Start
0384 1 64 110 0336 0 64 000 0048 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 61 110 0094 0 61 000 0002 1 62 110 0256 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 64 110 0256 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 62 110 0256 0 62 000 0032 1 59 110 0094 0 59 000 0002 1 57 110 0528 0 57 000 0048 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 68 110 0046 0 68 000 0002 1 69 110 0046 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0256 0 71 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 61 110 0256 0 61 000 0032 1 63 110 0094 0 63 000 0002 1 64 110 0528 0 64 000 0144 1 59 110 0046 0 59 000 0002 1 61 110 0046 0 61 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 68 110 0160 0 68 000 0032 1 68 110 0256 0 68 000 0032 1 66 110 0046 0 66 000 0002 1 64 110 0046 0 64 000 0002 1 61 110 0160 0 61 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0528 0 71 000 0048 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 73 110 0256 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 61 110 0094 0 61 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 73 110 0256 0 73 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0256 0 71 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0528 0 69 000 0048 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 66 110 0528 0 66 000 0048 1 66 110 0160 0 66 000 0032 1 71 110 0256 0 71 000 0032 1 73 110 0094 0 73 000 0002 1 71 110 0256 0 71 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 68 110 0528 0 68 000 0048 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 73 110 0256 0 73 000 0032 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 61 110 0160 0 61 000 0032 1 62 110 0256 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 66 110 0256 0 66 000 0032 1 74 110 0094 0 74 000 0002 1 73 110 0256 0 73 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0256 0 71 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0336 0 69 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Our Jack's Come Home Today
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:A
E8|A3AA3C|D3EF3F|E3ED3B,|A,6D2|AA3A3G|F3=FF3G/2A/2|
B3AC3^D|E7B,/2C/2|D2G2G3F/2E/2|C2E2A3G|F3FA3B|
B6E2|c3BA3C|D2E2F3d|c3AB3A|A6E2|A3GA3G|F6F2|
B3cB3A|G6E2|c3BA2C2|D3EF3d|c3AB3A|A7/2||

Subject: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 06 Nov 98 - 05:02 PM

Been trying to transcribe this, and some of the words I just can't get. Thanks in advance. Also if anyone knows more about this song, I'd like to hear.
Blessings,
Barbara
OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY

Our Jack's come out of jail today
To Bantridge(?) he had been
For many's the day he'd been away
And his face we ne'er have seen
Buck(?) Menamie(?) arrested Jack
And with a gentle jerk
Pounced down upon our old friend Jack
With jammy, hard at work.

CHO:
Our Jack's come home today
Our Jack's come home today
Quite wan and pale
From out of jail
Our Jack's come home to day.

When Jack came out of jail today
It made his Bonny glad
She counted (tatted?) up the things he took
And found that she'd been had(?)
The price she got it weren't enough
To keep her for a day
But (all it was?) She's right at last,
Our Jack's come home today.

Cho

When Jack came out of quod today
We had a glorious spree
We did a tour of Melbourne pubs
As jovial as can be
When evening time it came around
We started out (ad lib?)
When Jack proposed a partnership
To crack another crib.

Cho

Wi' jammies and wi' skellington keys
For cribs we went in search
But seein' Dave O'Donnell there ,
We left Jack in the lurch
Undaunted, Jack, he set to work
Another crib to crack
O'Donnell, like a ton of bricks
Came down to lumber Jack

Last Chorus:
Our Jack's gone back today (2x)
Quite wan and pale
Back into jail,
Our Jack's gone back today.

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 06 Nov 98 - 06:28 PM

Doerflinger has it as "Our Jack's Come Home Today" & says it's reguarded by John O'Brien of Sailors' Snug Harbor as an old sea song despite it's shore origins. The music is in his "Shantymen & Shantyboys". I've been looking for ages for anymore of the sea version, than the one verse I have (Hint,Hint,Hint). On the LP, Beggers Velvet, they have a real nice version (not the Australian version). In their notes they say that an earlier unparodied version was found in Sussex (sea version) went to Australia & then came back as Our Jack (which is the version they do). Sorry I can only offer so little on such a great song. Good Luck. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 06 Nov 98 - 08:15 PM

Sorry, Barry, but I transcribed the above off Beggar's Velvet. That is what the notes say, and this is the song. I will look around and see if anyone I know has the Sussex version.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 06 Nov 98 - 10:15 PM

Barbara, you are right, I just had it spinning. From the notes (that I read reversed at the end) I had thought it was the English version, until listening closer & a few times over. I listened particular to the parts you questioned. Try & see if this may not be what their singing.

To Bantridge he (has) been

To keep her for a day
But all (is fast), she's right at last

The rest sounds like what you have, except I can't make out the part in line

She (counted) (tatted) up the things he took.

Good Luck with it, it's a beautiful song. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 07 Nov 98 - 02:12 AM

You're right, it's
To Bantridge(?)he has been
For many the day he has been away...

I wondered it it was maybe 'totted' or 'toted' up, and also if it was 'shook' rather than 'took'

And I suppose the third verse they could be 'at lib' as in 'at liberty.' In these repeated playings, I'm starting to suspect that there is no apostrophe and s on the end of Jack as well. That is to say, the chorus goes: "Our Jack come home today..." What do you think?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 09 Nov 98 - 01:13 PM

refresh
Maybe the Aussies in the crowd can give me hand with the slang?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 09 Nov 98 - 04:48 PM

G'day Barbara,

I will look up my books at home tonight. This is a Melbourne version of the song (which, of course, has many variants) and the gaol referred to is Pentridge. I should have several copies of the song, probably including the first published source of this variant. I'll post the lyrics (and MAYBE the ABC) tomorrow.

I've been away from this computer with a broken wrist ... occasioned whilst cleaning a camping site (at a friend's property in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney) for a Bush Music Club weekend camp. Still in plaster for another three weeks!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 09 Nov 98 - 10:53 PM

Bob if you have the sea version (more than the first verse) could I beg you to print that too. Thanks, Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 12:45 AM

Do you think maybe we should go a bit gently on him, Barry, because, unless he's got a scanner, it's going to be hard work wiggling the fingers on the plastered side, hmmmm?

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 05:01 AM

G"day, I'm not familiar with this song so can't help much apart from the obvious Pentridge. The "tatted up" is probably "totted up", a pretty commonly used term here meaning totalled up.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From:
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 12:54 AM

G'day all,

There are two diferent Australian gaol versions and the text above is a commbination of both, tarted up with a bit of "dialect" pronunciation.

I will post them both to a new thread LYR ADD: Our Jack's Come Home - Aussie versions.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY (Victorian)
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 12:58 AM

Our Jack’s Come Home Today (Victorian version) This version was collected by Joy Durst and Ron Edwards, in August 1956, from Mr. R. Ure, of Gembrook, Victoria, who learned it late last century. He was unaware of the the 1889 Queensland version.

Our Jack’s come out of quod today,
To Pentridge he has been:
For many a day he’s been away,
His face we ne’er have seen.
MacManmany arrested Jack
And with a gentle jerk
Pounced down upon our old friend John,
With jemmy hard at work.
Chorus:
Our Jack’s come home today,
Our Jack’s come home today,
Quite wan and pale from out of gaol,
Our Jack’s come home today,

When Jack came out of quod today,
We had a glorious spree,
We made a tour of Melbourne pubs
As jovial as could be.
And then when nightfall once again,
We started in ad lib,
Till Jack proposed a partnership,
To crack another crib.
Chorus:
Our Jack’s come home today,
Our Jack’s come home today,
Quite wan and pale from out of gaol,
Our Jack’s come home today,

With Jemmies and with skeleton keys,
Of cribs we went in search,
But seeing Dave O’Donnell,
I soon left Jack in the lurch.
But Jack undaunted set to work,
A blooming crib to crack;
O’Donnell, like a ton of bricks,
Swooped down and lumbered Jack.
Final chorus:
Our Jack’s gone back today,
‘Set up’ he’ll be they say;
A grand record he’ll get from Ward,
Our Jack’s gone back today.

Our Jack’s Come Out Today (Queensland version) This version was published in 1889 in The Native Companion Songster, in Queensland. Both songs are parodies on the sailor’s song and share the same tune.

Our Jack’s come out today, my boys,
And very glad is he;
He got six months in Brisbane gaol,
But now at last he’s free.
His hair’s cut short, he had to work,
For which he got no pay,
But all is past, he’s out at last,
Our Jack’s come out today.

Our Jack’s come out today, my boys,
And it would make you stare,
To hear the yarns he spins about
The coves he met in there.
Some in for life, which he thought hard,
Some screwed up for a day,
But all is past, he’s out at last,
Our Jack’s come out today.

Our Jack’s come out today, my boys,
And isn’t Polly glad;
She had to pawn the things he shook,
And found out she was had.
The price she got was not enough
To keep her for a day,
But all is past, she’s right at last,
Her Jack’s come out today.

Here is the ABC (from a MIDI save of my MusicTime file):

MIDI file: our_jack.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 128 (468750 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0720 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0288 0 67 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0576 0 60 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0192 0 72 064 0048 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 72 080 0048 0 72 064 0012 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 67 080 0576 0 67 064 0264 1 62 080 0048 0 62 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 71 080 0192 0 71 064 0048 1 71 080 0288 0 71 064 0072 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 74 080 0576 0 74 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0576 0 72 064 0144 1 67 080 0192 0 67 064 0048 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0576 0 69 064 0144 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 76 080 0096 0 76 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0576 0 71 064 0144 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0144 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 72 080 0288 0 72 064 0072 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 65 080 0288 0 65 064 0072 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0288 0 69 064 0072 1 77 080 0096 0 77 064 0024 1 76 080 0288 0 76 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 74 080 0288 0 74 064 0072 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0576 0 72 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=128
K:C
G8|c3cc3E|F3GA3A|G3GF3D|C6G2|c2ccc3B|A3GA3B/2c/2|
d3cE3F|G7D/2E/2|F2B2B3A/2G/2|E2G2c3B|A3Ac3d|
d6G2|e3dc3E|F2G2A3f|e3cd3c|c6G2|c3Bc3B|A6A2|
d3ed3c|B6G2|e3dc3E|F3GA3f|e3cd3c|c19/4||

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 01:14 AM

G'day again ...

OK ... so it's not 100 wpm / error free!

Barry: I didn't see the sailor's version when I looked these up ... but I wasn't looking for it, I was after the Australian variants. I'll rattle about and see what turns up.

I notice that, in my enforced absence, i seem to have been converted back into a 'lurker' - no longer a member! All my Trace/Untrace and Personal Pages have vanished and, unless I remeber to type in my name, thread entries go uncredited. I popped off an email to enquire whereof but it came back "user unknown" ... It all makes me a little paranoid.

Anyway, Alison has suggested an alternative site for checking irregularities with Mudcat, so I might give it a try.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barbara
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 01:20 AM

Thanks ever so much Bob for the words and tune.
Looks like I had most of it right, but you sure spell "jail" funny. (grin). A number of us, myself included vanished from Mudcat's ken during its various crashes, so you needn't feel special. I used the help page and dropped Max a note, and after a couple days I was back on again.
I'll give the tune a play and see how close it is to the one I had.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Our Jack's Come Home - Aussie versio
From: Barbara
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 03:06 PM

G'day, Bob, I do appreciate this. There's just one word in the version I transcribed that isn't covered in either of these. (Mine is sung by Dave Webber and friends on Beggar's Velvet). It's in the verse about Polly:
"She ****** up all the things he took, and..."
It sounds like 'cant' or 'cat' or 'tat'. Are there any Aussie slang words for hock or pawn that sound like that? (Mind you the whole phrase sounds like 'cant up all' so it could be a polysylabic word instead)
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Our Jack's Come Home - Aussie versio
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Nov 98 - 04:44 PM

G'day Barbara,

I started to say that I don't know any Australian term that matched the sound you heard, but then I looked back at the other thread and you had typed:

She counted (tatted?) up the things he took And found that she'd been had(?).

I would guess that the word is 'totted' (a corruption of totalled) and your guess of "counted" as the meaning is correct. I think Beggar's Velvet have done a fairly free reconstruction from the two versions and not a word for word repetition.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 02:09 PM

Thanks for all this stuff! A friend, now dead, used to sing this - the Victorian version - and I'm glad to get both words and (through the reference given here) music.
Question:The cop in verse 1 is McManmany; in verse 4 he's Dave O'Donnell. Why isn't he the same guy? I think when I sing it I'll use O'Donnell in both places.
Elizabeth Block, Toronto

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY
From: Barry Finn
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 04:14 PM

If there's a sea version out there that's different than the 2 that Doerflinger give's in his Shantymen & Shantyboys I'd sure be greatful. Still looking after all these years.
Doerflinger's got: "Our Jack's Come Home Today"

Oh, Jack's come home from sea today,
All brown & bronzed was he.
But his heart's as true as it was of yore,
His spirit's light & gay
You littlr know the joy we felt
When he came home todat
Our Jack's come home today

CH: Our Jack's come home today,
Our Jack's come home today.
The good ship Jane's in port again
Our Jack's come home today

Our Jack's come home from sea today
To make his Neil his bride
With loving heart she ne'er despaired
Though all hope within her died
Her eyes grew dim, her cheeks grew pale,
She slowly pinned away.
All danger's past; he's safe at last,
For he came home today.

Thanks
Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 04:49 PM

Thank you Barry. Looks like a good one.
"to make his Neil his bride". Nell? maybe is it? Maybe not he is a sailor after all.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 04:59 PM

Just off the top of my head -I wonder if this song was ever a part of an old melodrama. Tony Hancock did a piece called, "Jack's Return Home" that used ideas from several plays (eg. lines from Pinter) but was based on a sailor returning home and was done in the style of an old melodrama. Just wondering. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: asirovedout
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 02:01 PM

Barry, these three verses came from the notebook of a Victorian Sussex shepherd named Michael Blann. I find them more singable than the Doerflinger version (although one or two lines still need a bit of 'allowance' as it says on broadsides, in order to scan).

Our Jack's come home from sea today,
How brown & bronzed is he.
For many a year he has been away
From his home and his love and me.
Though his heart's as true as it was of old,
His spirit light & gay
You little know the joy we feel
When our Jack come home today

CH: Our Jack's come home today,
Our Jack's come home today.
The good ship Jane's in port again
Our Jack's come home today.

Our Jack's come home from sea today,
What a jovial tar is he!
For many a tale of storm and gale
He recounts with tireless glee.
Though the sights he has seen, many lands he has been
In, so strange so far away,
You little know the joy we feel
When our Jack come home today.

Our Jack's come home from sea today
To make his Nell his bride
But love and faith she never despaired
All hope within her had died
Her eyes grew dim and her cheeks grew pale,
She was slowly pining away.
But the lovely bloom came on her cheeks again
When her Jack came home today.

@

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: nutty
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 02:31 PM

No date on this sheet music unfortunately but it can be found in the Levy Collection .....

CLICK HERE

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 03:18 PM

Thanks asirovedout
It's nice to see Nell(not Neil, thank you, joybell)blooms well,again.
I have this on Begger's Velvet but on an LP & not CD & my record player is not set up. BUT.....
Thanks Nutty, I've printed the sheet music & my daughter's home from college, so when see gets in I'll ask her to read it & put it to the panio. Great.
Thanks all
Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 03:43 PM

Number 1863 in the Roud Folk Song Index. Beside the example in the Blann MS, Dr George Gardiner noted a fragment from a Mr Keely at Bath, Somerset, early in 1906: neither of those have their tunes. There is what may be a Nova Scotia example (unpublished) in the Helen Creighton collection.

The song appeared on broadsides; one can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

Our Jack's come home to-day

Nutty has already pointed out a set at Levy; there are a further two there (search for "our jack"). Written and composed by W J Devers, and -judging by such date information can be found via resources like COPAC- apparently dating from the 1880s. It was evidently widely published (the University of Melbourne has sheet music printed locally) and presumably popular, so the early date of one of the parodies quoted above is not inconsistent.

See also the related thread Any more verses "Our Jack's Come Home Today"

Subject: RE: Lyr help: Our Jack's Come Home -Aussie song
From: Barry Finn
Date: 05 Mar 06 - 04:55 PM

Thanks Malclom
Great to have recieved all this in such a short time & after so long.
Barry

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 02:34 PM

I have found an original advertisment (for Bromo-Seltzer) with sheet music for piano & organ that has "Our Jack's Come Home To-Day" the sea version.

It's the same as Malcolm gives in his link to the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads & very close to what asirovedout gives except for the repeating lines at the end of each verse. But in my sheet music copy it gives W J Devers the credit as author. I believe from all that I can find online that this perticular version is a turn of the last century popular song???

Any one know Devers is the true author? It seems that there are older versions or more history to this one.


OUR JACK'S COME HOME TODAY (sea version)

1. Our Jack's come home from sea to-day,
And brown and bronz'd is he.
For many a year he's been away
From his home, his love, and me;
Yet his heart is true as it was of old,
His spirits light and gay.
You little know the joy we felt
When he came home to-day.
You little know the joy we felt
When he came home to-day.

CHORUS: Our Jack's come home to-day.
Our Jack's come home to-day.
The good ship Jane's in port again.
Our Jack's come home to-day.

2. Our Jack's come home from sea to-day,
And a jovial tar is he.
Full many a tale of storm and gale
He recounts with careless glee;
And of sights he's seen in lands he's been,
So strange, so far away.
All danger's past; he's safe at last.
Our Jack's come home to-day.
All danger's past; he's safe at last.
Our Jack's come home to-day.

3. Our Jack's come home from sea to-day
To make his Nell his wife [sic; should be "bride" to rhyme].
With loving faith she ne'er despair'd
Tho' all hope within us died;
Yet her eye grew dim; her cheek grew pale;
She slowly pined away,
But the lovely bloom's on her face again.
Her Jack's come home to-day.
But the lovely bloom's on her face again
Her Jack's come home to-day.


Thanks all
Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Our Jack's Come Home Today
From: cloudstreet
Date: 11 May 11 - 11:15 PM

This parody was published in Queensland in 1889 if that helps with the dates:

Our Jack's Come Out Today.

Our Jack's come out today, my boys,
And very glad is he;
He got six months in Brisbane gaol
But now at last he's free
His hair's cut short, he had to work
For which he got no pay,
But all is past, he's out at last
Our Jack's come out today

Our Jack's come out today, my boys,
And it would make you stare
To hear the yarns he spins about
The coves he met in there
Some in for life, which he thought hard
Some screwed up for a day,
But all is past, he's out at last
Our Jack's come out today

Our Jack's come out today, my boys,
And isn't Polly glad
She had to pawn the things he shook
And found out she was had.
The price she got was not enough
To keep her for a day
But all is past, she's right at last
Our Jack's come out today!



Published in the Native Companion Songster.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Our Jack's Come Home Today
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 May 11 - 11:14 PM

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has 3 different editions of the sheet music. These are all the "sea" version. I suspect this is the original and the "jail" version is a parody of this one.

Box 182, Item 136
OUR JACK'S COME HOME TO-DAY. New Sea Song. Fourth Edition.
Written & Composed by W.J. Devers.
London : Reid Bros., 189 Oxford Street
No date.

Box 097, Item 277
The Bromo-Seltzer Collection of 54 Popular Songs. Complete and Unabridged. Full Music Size With Piano & Organ Accompaniment. OUR JACK'S COME HOME TO-DAY.
W.J. Devers.
Baltimore : Emerson Drug Co.
No date.

Box 176, Item 007
OUR JACK'S COME HOME TO DAY. Song.
Written and Composed by W.J. Devers.
No publisher
No date

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