Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)

Subject: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 12:34 PM

Harry Kemp was a deep-water sailor who turned to poetry in the World War 1 period. His friends managed to get much of his poetry published for him but unfortunately his muse was drown in alcohol for his remaining 40 years. Kemp's "The Chantey of the Cook" is also posted in the Mudcat threads.

This poem is composed in the form of a traditional nautical work song or shanty where a leader, the shantyman, tells the story while the rest of the work crew choruses.

In the poem the work crew marches around the capstan, drawing the anchor cable in, prior to setting sail. With its reference to "sand dunes" the location could be some dusty Western South American or Southern Californian port in the late 19th century. The shantyman is waxing philosophical about their recent spree ashore.

GOOD-BYE! (a chantey to be sung at the capstan)

(From CHANTEYS AND BALLADS, by Harry Kemp, published by Brentano's, New York, US, © 1920, pp. 32-33.)

Good-bye to Dirty Kate's saloon –
Walk 'er round!
As we slither past the last sand dune –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

Good-bye to all our friends in town –
Walk 'er round!
Our friends – while we had half a crown –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

Good-bye to the rum that scrapes like wire –
Walk 'er round!
And whiskey with its claws of fire –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

Good-bye to the gravestones on the hill –
Walk 'er round!
Above the town where we got our fill –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

Our fill of the kind that cry "Give, give!" –
Walk 'er round!
Of the people that say "We've got to live!" –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

Good-bye, till we come to get trimmed again –
Walk 'er round!
For it's always the way with sailormen –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

For there's something about this going to sea –
Walk 'er round!
That makes a fellow big and free –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

So lean on your bars and walk 'er round –
Walk 'er round!
There's a good stiff wind, and we're outward bound! . . .
Thank God, boys, we're outward bound! –
Walk 'er round!
We're outward bound!

I believe this poem has some potential for folk-processing into a traditional style sea song. I'm not sure about a tune yet. Any suggestions?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 01:19 PM

Charley,

I put a tune to this poem some time ago asI also did the same with some of his other poems taken from the book, "Chanteys and Ballads".

Dave R.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 06 - 01:50 PM

Dave-

Excellent! We are working from the same poetry book. I've also begun posting Kemp's poems to the Oldpoetry website (where I and a friend have been posting C. Fox Smith poems). Feel free to add comments there.

Was your tune a traditional tune that nautical singers might be familiar with?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, from Maine

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 06:42 AM

I composed a tune very much in the traditional shanty style.

The other Harry Kemp poems that I have set to music are:

A Whaler's Confession
Clipper Days
The Endless Lure
The Remedy
Shanghai-ed.

A friend of mine gave me the book some years ago.

I shall certainly look at your "Oldpoetry" website.

Kind regards,

Dave R from Swansea, UK.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jul 06 - 10:35 AM

Dave-

We can compare notes in more detail when I visit Swansea in October. I do need to firm up my schedule which will take my wife and me from London to Bristol, Bristol to Swansea, Swansea north to Liverpool, and then back to London.

I should have known that an old sailor poet such as Kemp might have attracted your attention.

The five other poems you have worked on should be priority ones to post on Oldpoetry. What Jim Saville and I have been doing is posting the original poems, with their sources and notes, and references to any adaptations for singing that we're aware of. We do not include any modifications of the poems, unless done so by the poet. Mudcat is a more appropriate place to post poems as adapted for singing.

The poets Jim and I have been posting include C. Fox Smith (400 poems!), John Masefield, Hamish Maclaren, and now Harry Kemp.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 Jul 06 - 11:06 AM

Dave-

Would you provide more details about your adaptations of Kemp poems for singing, ideally with a link to a recording? If there is any part of this information that you would like to keep private, send me a PM.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 10:20 AM

Charlie,

Although I have set the aforementioned poems to music, I have not recorded them, nor yet performed them in public.

Perhaps now I have the incentive to put that to right!

I look forward to seeing you and your good lady in October?

Yours Aye,

Dave R.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 03:26 PM

Dave R.-

And I look forward to seeing and hearing from you again, having briefly met you at Mystic some years ago.

Here's a link to Harry Kemp's page at the Oldpoetry Website where I've been posting some of his other nautical poems: Click here for website

I'll be curious to learn what tunes you came up with and what modifications you may have made to better adapt the poems for singing.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 05:31 PM

Dave, Captain I'll not be at practice on Friday, am I going to miss your wondrous recitals?:>)
Mike

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Good-Bye (Harry Kemp Capstan Shanty)
From: Michael in Swansea
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 05:37 PM

Just re-set my cookie.