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27 Aug 01 - 02:13 AM (#535934) Subject: The Raging Canal From: nutty Both these broadsides from the Bodleian Museum give "The Raging Canal" as the tune.Can anyone identify such a tune and has anyone heard either song sung or recorded? THE PHILADELPHIA FIREMEN YEWDALL'S MILL |
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27 Aug 01 - 03:01 AM (#535944) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Raging Canal From: GUEST,Ed Thr Raging Canal is in the DT (with a midi): click For the tune in various other formats try the excellent DT mirror: here Ed |
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27 Aug 01 - 03:08 AM (#535947) Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Raging Canal From: masato sakurai I don't know the tune, but Russell Ames gives us the lyrics and some info in The Story of American Folk Song (Grosset & Dunlop, 1960, p, 179), as follows:
The canal was opened in 1825, and by 1845 there were about four thousand boats on it, employing some twenty-five thousand men, women, and boys. One of the most widespread of their songs, "The Raging Canal," pretended that the voyage along the ditch, originally four deep, at a speed of about four miles an hour, was very dangerous. This was the canaller's favotie joke.
The winds came roaring on,
The cook she dropped the bucket,
The captain came on deck
The clouds were all upsot,
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25 Feb 03 - 03:25 PM (#898513) Subject: ADD Version : The Raging Canal From: GUEST,Q THE RAGING CANAL (1844) Come listen to my story, ye landsmen one and all, I'll sing to you the dangers of that Raging Canal, For I am one of many who expects a watery grave For I've been at the mercy of the wind and of the wave. When we left New York harbor it was the middle of the year, We put our helm hard a port and for Buffalo did steer, But when we gor in sight of Albany we met a heavy squall, And we carried away our mizzen mast on that Raging Canal. She minded her helm just like a thing of life, The mate got on his knees uttering prayers for his wife, We throwed the provisions over board it was blowing such a squall And we were put on short allowance on that Raging Canal. It seemed as if the Devil had work in hand that night, For our oil it was all gone, and our lamps they gave no light, The clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, And we had to reef our royals on that Raging Canal. Loud roared the dreadful thunder, the rain in deluge showered, The clouds were rent asunder, by lightnings vivid powers, The bowsman gave a bellow, and the cook she gave a squall, And the waves run mountain high on that Raging Canal. The Captain came on deck and then began to rail, He bellowed to the driver to take in more sail, The driver knocked a horse down and then gave a bawl, And we scudded under bare poles on that Raging Canal. The Raging Canal, a Comic Song, Sung by P. Morris, composer, lyricist and arranger. Pub. Horace Waters, NYC, 1844. Another copy pub. C. G. Christman, NYC, 1844. Levy Collection, sheet music. A song in the DT (Raging Canal) has the first verse, but the remaining five are different. It seems to be a rewrite with additional verses, or perhaps a combination of two versions. |
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23 Jul 08 - 04:13 PM (#2396219) Subject: RE: Origins: The Raging Canal From: Joe Offer Looks like this is another song that needs some sorting. Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song: Raging Canal (I), TheDESCRIPTION: "Come listen to my story, ye landsmen one and all, I'll sing to you the dangers of that raging canal." When the mules trip on a stormy night, the crew faces a wreck. The usual exaggerations, e.g. the cook's dress on a pole, are employedAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (Sandburg) KEYWORDS: canal storm humorous cook FOUND IN: US REFERENCES (3 citations): Sandburg, pp. 178-179, "The Raging Canawl" (1 text) Lomax-ABFS, pp. 464-465, "(Erie Canal)" (2 texts, the second of which goes here; the first is "A Trip on the Erie (Haul in Your Bowline)"); pp. 471-474, "The Raging Can-all" (1 text) DT, RAGCANAL* Roud #6611 CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "The E-ri-e" (theme) and references there Notes: The Erie Canal, as originally constructed, was a completely flat, shallow waterway. The barges were drawn along by mules. Thus, apart from getting wet, storms posed little danger. As for needing a distress signal, one could always step off onto dry land.... The Lomaxes, in American Ballad and Folk Songs, thoroughly mingled many texts of the Erie Canal songs (in fairness, some of this may have been the work of their informants -- but in any case the Lomaxes did not help the problem). One should check all the Erie Canal songs for related stanzas. - RBW File: San178 Go to the Ballad Search form The Ballad Index Copyright 2007 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. For the sake of discussion, here are the lyrics in the Digital Tradition. Can anybody verify that they are an accurate transcription of the lyrics from The Canaller's Songbook, Hullfish? THE RAGING CANAL (DT Version) Come listen to my story, ye landsmen one and all I'll sing to you the dangers of that raging canal. For I am one of many who expects a watery grave, For I've been at the mercy of the wind and of the wave. I left Albany harbor about the break of day, And if I rightly remember 'twas the second day of May We trusted to our driver, altho' he was but small For he knew all the windings of that raging canal. It seemed as if the Devil had his work in hand that night, For all our oil was gone, and our lamps they gave no light, The clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall And I wished myself off of that raging canal. The captain told his driver to hurry with all speed, And his orders were obeyed, for he soon cracked up his lead; With the fastest kind of driving, we allowed by twelve o'clock We'd be on old Schenectady right bang against the dock. But sad was the fate of our poor devoted bark, For the rain kept on pouring and the night it grew dark; The horses gave a stumble and the driver gave squall And they tumbled head over heels into the raging canal. The Captain came on deck, with a voice so clear and sound, Saying, "Cut the horses loose, my boys, or else we'll all be drowned The driver swam to shore, altho' he was but small While the horses sank to rise no more in the raging canal. The cook she wrung her hands, and she came upon the deck Saying, "Alas, what will become of us, our boat it is a wreck?" The steersman knocked her over, for he was a man of sense And the bowsman jumped ashore and he lashed her to a fence. The Captain came on deck with a spy glass in his hand But the night it was so dark he could not discover land; He said to us with a faltering voice, while tears began to fall Prepare to meet your death this night on the raging canal. The sky was rent asunder, the lighting it did flash The thunder rattled up above, just like eternal smash The clouds were all upsot, and the rigging it did fall And we scudded under bare poles on that raging canal. We took the old cook's pettycoat, for want of better dress And rigged it out upon the pole as a signal of distress We pledged ourselves hand to hand aboard the boat to bide And not to quit the deck while a plank hung to her side. At last that horrid night cut dirt from the sky, The storm it did abate, and a boat came passing by, It soon espied our signal as each on his knees did fall Thankful we escaped a grave on the raging canal. We each of us took a nip and signed the pledge anew And wonderful as danger ceased, how up our courage grew, The craft in sight bore down on us and quickly was 'long side And we all jumped aboard, and for Buffalo did ride. Now, if I live a thousand years, the horrors of that night Will ever in my memory be a spot most burning bright; For nothing in this whole wide world will ever raise my gall Except the thoughts of my voyage on the raging canal. From The Canaller's Songbook, Hullfish Note: Probably the most famous and popular canal song of the 1800s. Inspired The Aged Pilot Man, a parody by Mark Twain. See AGEPILT @canal @storm filename[ RAGCANAL TUNE FILE: RAGCANAL CLICK TO PLAY RG Note that there is a song in the Digital Tradition called The Raging Canal (Two in the Middle). This song was recorded by the Chad Mitchell Trio as "Hello Susan Brown," and by Gibson and Camp as "Two in the Middle" (Hello Sailor Brown). This is a completely different song. -Joe- |
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23 Jul 08 - 07:23 PM (#2396372) Subject: RE: Origins: The Raging Canal From: Q (Frank Staplin) The DT version does not differ from the lyrics given at www.traditionalmusic.co.uk, which has the note "From the Canaller's Songbook, Hullfish" "Note: Probably the most famous and popular canal song of the 1800s. Inspired "The Aged Pilot Man, a parody by Mark Twain. See AGEPILT" |
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