Lyr Add: Bound Away (Bill Adams)

Subject: Lyr Add: Bound Away (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 10:00 AM

Here's a recent adaptation of a poem by sailor-poet Bill Adams that I've worked up as a forebitter:

BOUND AWAY-2
(Poem by Bill Adams
From WIND IN THE TOPSAILS, edited by Bill Adams, published by George G. Harrap & Co., London, UK, © 1931, pp. 76-77.
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar, 3/3/07
Tune: after Bill Morrisey's "Snow Outside the Mill")

C-------------------------------------------F-------------------C
There's a three-skys'l-yarder with her hatches battened down,
-----F-------------C--------------------G
The grey skies a-bove her, and the Mersey running brown,
------F------------------C----------F-----------G-C
She's anchored in the river, the tug's waits a-head;
----------------------------------------F-------------G/G7
The chanteyman's singing would wake up the dead –

Chorus:

G---------F---------------C
Bound a-way! Bound a-way!
F---------------------G-C
Boys, we're bound a-way!

Hear the windlass a-pawling as the mate shouts, "Heave away!
Heave a pawl an' lift 'er or they'll be hell to pay!
Lower away Blue Peter!" The anchor's off the mud,
There's cheering, there's laughter, and the tide's at full flood. (CHO)

"Loose tops'ls!" he shouts, "Haul away, stamp and go!"
And we haul away together in the rising sun's glow;
Her lofty spars shining through the smoke blowing past,
"Up aloft!" shouts the skipper, and we race up the masts. (CHO)

We're out on the footropes, we're casting loose sail,
The pilot shakes hands, clambers over the rail;
"Haul in the hawser!" Just see her sails draw,
Her white wake trails behind her, she's running from shore! (CHO)

There's a three-skys'l-yarder with her hatches battened down,
The grey skies above her, and the Mersey running brown;
There's a three-skys'l-yarder, with her holds jammed full,
Hear the cheer from the pier for the pride o' Liverpool! (CHO)

I think the poem captures the spirit of the young apprentice lads bound away on their first voyage. The older crew members were probably still too hung over from their last spree ashore in sailortown to care much about anything. I've taken some liberties in changing the poem, to better adapt it for singing. The original poem is included in my thread titled "Old Sailor-Poets": Click here for thread!

I went through several tunes, including the traditional "Dreadnaught" bound away forebitter, and then settled on this one inspired by Bill Morrissey. I'll post a link to my website to a MP3 sample file as soon as I get time to record it.

I would welcome comments.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bound Away (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 05:52 PM

I'm trying out a traditional "bound away" chorus with this song as an alternative to what's above (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up chords):

Chorus:

G---------C
Bound a-way!
---------------F--------------C
Through the ice, sleet and snow
---------F-----------C
She's a Liverpool packet,
----G---------G7-C
Oh, Lord, let 'er go!

This whole song should be sung with youthful spirit rather than as a nostalgic dirge, and I think this chorus keeps it going better, with the aditional advantage that some nautical singers would even be familar with it.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bound Away (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 04:57 PM

Here's a slight revision of this song as I'm singing it now (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up the chords):

BOUND AWAY-2

Poem by Bill Adams
From WIND IN THE TOPSAILS, edited by Bill Adams, published by George G. Harrap & Co., London, UK, © 1931, pp. 76-77.
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar, 3/8/07
Tune: verse after Bill Morrisey's Snow Outside the Mill/Chorus: Liverpool Packet
Key: F (5/C)

C-------------------------------------------F-------------------C
There's a three-skys'l-yarder with her hatches battened down,
-----F-------------C--------------------G
The grey skies a-bove her, and the Mersey running brown,
------F------------------C----------F-------G-C
She's anchored in the river, the tug's up a-head;
----------------------------------------F-----------G/G7
The chanteyman's singing would waken the dead –

Chorus:

G---------C
Bound a-way!
---------------F--------------C
Through the ice, sleet and snow
---------F-----------C
She's a Liverpool packet,
----G---------G7-C
Oh, Lord, let 'er go!

Hear the windlass a-clanking as the mate shouts, "Heave away!
Heave a pawl an' lift 'er or they'll be hell to pay!
Lower Blue Peter!"; the anchor's off the mud,
There's cheering, there's laughter, and the tide's at full flood. (CHO)

"Loose tops'ls!" he shouts; "Haul away, stamp and go!"
And we haul away together in the rising sun's glow;
Her lofty spars shining through the smoke blowing past,
"Up aloft!" shouts the skipper, and we race up the masts. (CHO)

We're out on the footropes, casting loose sail,
The pilot shakes hands, clambers over the rail;
Then it's "Haul in the hawser!" Just see her sails draw,
Her white wake behind her, she's running from shore! (CHO)

There's a three-skys'l-yarder with her hatches battened down,
The grey skies above her, and the Mersey running brown;
There's a three-skys'l-yarder, with her holds jammed full,
Hear the cheer from the pier for the pride o' Liverpool! (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bound Away (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 10:55 AM

And here's a MP3 sample of how this song sounds when I'm singing it: Click here and search for lyrics!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble