Chord Req: Sea Dog (from Bob Zentz)

Subject: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Gazza2
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 04:25 PM

Can't get the song out of my head. Has anyone got the chords for it before I mangle it out of all recognition?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Rman
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 10:25 AM

If you supply an mp3 i will sort it for you!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 04:14 PM

Could you provide a verse and chorus?

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: GUEST,scuttlebob
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 11:20 PM

Greetings Folks,,,that cassette "It's About Time", is currently being remastered for CD,,,I'm currently in Solomons Md [doing a concert tomorrow at 3pm, then heading home] I'll try to make & send an mp3 on Monday, & send it along,...the poem is by Burt Franklin Jenness..Til then...I believe I played the song on the recording in G, capoed 2 or 3 frets=A or Bb.
All the Best,...
Scuttlebob Z
G                                                   C
I wandered up & down the quay today
         Am                D                G       D
and yesterday, and many days before
       G                                              C
In & out among the ships I made My way
       Am                               D                            G
and tramped their sunbaked decks, til feet were sore
            Em                      C                      G
    The shipping folk are often strange & quare,
            Em                      C                D
    and yet sometimes an old familiar face,
            G                                              C
    will greet me from a deck or from a pier,
             Am                   D                G
      and then I know I'm in a friendly place

there really isn't a chorus, though there is an
A part & B part

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Gazza2
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 08:42 AM

Hey! It's good this! Thanks to Rman and Charley Noble for your offers, and to Suttlebob Z for the chords. I was not too far away when I sang it at the club on Friday!I don't think they noticed but the guinness may have dulled critical edges by then. I'm a bit of a beginner at technology. What do I do with an mp3??

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 11:09 AM

"ScuttleBob Z" is the real thing, Bob Zentz posting in now and again.

His cassette recording BOB ZENTZ: It's About Time was produced in 1992.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: SEA DOG (from Bob Zentz)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 08:35 PM

Here's my best transcription from what I hear Bob Zentz singing on his recording (copy/paste into WORD/TIME/12 to line up chords):

SEA DOG

(Poem by Burt Franklin Jenness from (early 1900's)?
Adapted for singing by Bob Zentz as recorded on BOB ZENTZ: It's About Time, © 1992)

G-----------------------------------------C
I wandered up an' down the quay to-day
Am------------------------------D
Yesterday, an' many days be-fore,
G-------------------------------------------------C
In an' out amongst the ships I've found my way
Am-------------------------------------D---------G
Tramped their sunbaked decks till feet were sore,
-----Em-----------------C------------------G
The shipping folk are often strange an' queer,
----Em----------------------------D
Yet sometimes an old familiar face,
------G--------------------------------------C
Will greet me from the deck or from a pier,
-----Am---------------D-------------G
An' then I know I'm in a friendly place.

Oh, I like to watch those freighters come an' go;
The lazy tramps go easy down the bay,
The laden schooners straining at their tow,
An' shaking out their canvas on the way;
I'm happy when the cargo's from the East,
An' it fills the air with the scent of spice an' fruit;
The wealth of tree an' jungle, bird an' beast,
On ships may tell the story of their route.

An' I dream of ev'ry port they've touched or passed;
I can feel the tropic breezes blow once more;
I can tell just where they've reef'd or stepp'd the mast,
Or coasted by the lights along the shore;
An' I like to feel that I'm a part of it,
This great big open business called the sea,
An' there's a place in life for which I'm fit,
An' that somewhere there's a ship that's needin' me.

So I wander up an' down the pier;
I squat with sweating stevedores at noon;
Sometimes they might share their grub or beer,
As we talk ol' times outside the dock saloon.
Sometimes I'll board a tramp that's loadin' freight,
Ah, the biggest an' the best that I can find;
An' I'll tell my sailor story to the mate,
Sometimes, but not often, he'll be kind.

Or I might just meet some mate I used to know,
An' he'll offer his tobacci and his hand;
An' then we'll shake again, an' off he'll go –
Muttering low about them lucky dogs on land;
But I don't mind the jeerin' or their chaff,
Their laughin' at the stories I've told,
For there's a harder blow that strikes me like a gaff,
For when I try to ship they say, "Too old!"

But I'd like to feel that I'm a part of it,
This great big open business called the sea,
That there's a place in life for which I'm fit,
An' somewhere there's a ship that's needin' me.

I'm still trying to figure out what the tune reminds me of.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SEA DOG (Burt Franklin Jenness)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Feb 07 - 11:12 AM

Here's the original poem by Burt Franklin Jenness from a well-used book that I have just acquired:

Poem by Burt Franklin Jenness
From SEA LANES, edited by Burt Franklin Jenness,
The Cornhill Publishing Co., Boston, US, © 1921, pp. 16-17.

The Sea Dog

I wandered up and down the quay to-day,
And yesterday, and many days before,
In and out, aboard the ships I've found my way,
And tramped their sun-baked decks till I'm foot sore;
The shipping folk are mostly strange and queer,
And yet, sometimes an old familiar face
Will greet me from the decks or on the pier,
An' then I know I'm in a friendly place.

I like to watch the freighters come an' go;
The lazy tramps go easing down the bay;
The laden schooners straining at their tow,
And shaking out their canvas on the way;
I'm happy when the cargoes from the East
Fill the air with the scent of spices and of fruit
For the wealth of tree and jungle, bird an' beast,
On the ships may tell the story of their route.

I dream of every port they touched or passed;
I can feel the tropic breezes blow once more;
I can tell just where they've reefed or stepped a mast,
Or coasted by the lights along the shore;
I like to feel that I'm a part of it,
This great big open business of the sea,
That there's a place in life for which I'm fit;
That somewhere there's a ship that's needing me.

And so I wander up and down the pier,
And squat with sweating stevedores at noon;
Sometimes they'll share with me their grub and beer,
And talk old times outside the dock saloon;
Sometimes I'll board a tramp that's loading freight,
Ah, the biggest and the best that I can find,
And I'll tell a sailor story to the mate –
And sometimes, but not often, he'll be kind.

Then again I'll meet a mate I used to know,
And he'll offer his tobaccy, and his hand;
And then he'll shake again, and off he'll go –
Talking low about the lucky dog on land;
But I don't mind their curses and their chaff,
Their sneering at the stories I have told –
There's a harder blow that strikes me like a gaff,
For when I try to ship they say: "Too old!"

I like what Zentz has done with this poem. I think it's a keeper and I'll give it a try at the Press Room Shanty Sing this evening.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Chord Req: sea dog - bob zentz
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 05:31 PM

Here's a link to how I'm singing this song now, further adapting what Bob Zentz has done with this poem: click here and search for MP3 Sample

Cheerily,
Charley Noble