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PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs
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PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs |
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Subject: Lyr Add: DRINK TO THE MEN WHO'VE GONE ASHORE From: Charley Noble Date: 30 Sep 11 - 01:47 PM Here's a newly composed Singapore sailortown song inspired by a poem by marine engineer and writer William McFee, referred to above. There wasn't a lot to the original verses but I liked the chorus and with the help of Stan Hugill's description of Singapore from his book Sailortown I've composed a tale which I hope is infused with the right spirit (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up the chords): By William McFee, 1909 From Songs of the Sea and Sailors' Chanteys, edited by Robert Frothingham, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Cambridge, US, © 1924, p. 208; first published in The New York Evening Post. Verses by Charles Ipcar, © 2011 Tune: Charles Ipcar, © 2011 DRINK TO THE MEN WHO'VE GONE ASHORE Dm--C--Dm-------C---F-----Dm--C---- Dm Now the Skipper and Chief have gone ashore -----------------F----C-Dm They're off to Sail-or-town, --------Gm--------------------Dm---F-Dm So I'll tell you a tale of Old Sing-a-pore, -------------C---Dm-C-----Dm While we pass the bottle round. ---Gm----------------------Dm-F-Dm I'll tell you a tale of Old Sing-a-pore, ----Gm-------------Dm Of famous Malay Street, ------Gm---------------Dm-F--Dm With its samshu dives by the score, -----------C---Dm-C------Dm And the rick-sha girls so sweet. Chorus: Dm-------C------F----Dm--- C-----Dm So drink to the men who've gone ashore, --------------------F-------C----Dm With a one-two-three – rum-tum! Gm--------------------------Dm--F------Dm Half a dozen men on the mess room floor, C-----------------------------F----C-Dm Drink to the men who've gone a-shore, Gm-------------------------Dm-----F--Dm Six good men with their throats all sore – ----C--Dm-C---------Dm Yo ho for a bottle o' rum! As I was cruising down the Street, After a drop or twa, I spied a girl just like a pearl, Alone in a Jin-rick-sha. So pretty and neat with long black hair, Dressed in silks so fine, She smiled at me and waved her hand, And her jade green eyes did shine. (CHO) So I climbed aboard and off we rolled, Through the shadows of the night; Till we fetched up to her compound gate, Gleaming in the pale moonlight. She pulled the cord and a gong did sound, The dragon gate swung wide; She took my hand and led me on To her chamber deep inside. (CHO) She brought me a glass of samshu wine, And smiled at me again; She knelt beside me on the mat And my head began to spin; Now when I awoke, late next morn, My head was still aflame; I was lying naked on the quay, Bruised and in great pain. (CHO) So heed my warning, one and all, If you cruise Old Singapore, Don't cha spend your nights with the rick-sha girls, They'll rock and roll you sure; Don't cha spend your nights with the rick-sha girls, Don't cruise Old Singapore, But get married, lads, and settle down, And go to sea no more, And go to sea no more! Here's a link to an MP3 sample of how I sing this song: click here for MP3 sample! By William McFee, 1909 From Songs of the Sea and Sailors' Chanteys, edited by Robert Frothingham, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., Cambridge, US, © 1924, p. 208; first published in The New York Evening Post. Drink to the Men Who Have Gone Ashore (original poem) The Skipper and Chief have gone ashore And each is a married man, So I'll tell you a tale of Singapore, Of the ladies of old Japan; The Second Mate's guitar will twang And everyone must sing While Geordie Muir o' Cambuslang Will gi' ye a Hielan fling: – O drink to the men who have Gone Ashore With a one-two-three – rum-tum! Half a dozen men on the Mess Room Floor, Drink to the men who have Gone Ashore – Yo ho for a bottle o' rum! I told the tale of Singapore And they laughed till the tears ran down, So I told another (they asked for more) Of dear old London Town: Then Geordie Muir, who'd been to Japan, He told us a tale or twa Of a little brown woman and a big brown man Alone in a Jin-rick-sha: – O drink to the men who have Gone Ashore (I 'spect they're drinkin' some). Half a dozen men on the Mess Room Floor, Six good men with their throats all sore Drinkin' to the men who have Gone Ashore – (Both of 'em married – O dear, O Lor!) Yo ho for a bottle o' rum! Notes from a contemporary reporter: Karayuki-san The development of the Japanese enclave in Singapore was connected to the establishment of brothels east of the Singapore River, namely along Hylam, Malabar, Malay and Bugis streets during the late 1890s. The Japanese prostitutes or Karayuki-san dubbed Malay Street as Suteretsu, a transliteration of the English word "street". A Japanese reporter in 1910 described the scene for the people of Kyushu in a local newspaper, the Fukuoka Nichinichi: Around nine o'clock, I went to see the infamous Malay Street. The buildings were constructed in a western style with their facades painted blue. Under the verandah hung red gas lanterns with numbers such as one, two or three, and wicker chairs were arranged beneath the lanterns. Hundreds and hundreds of young Japanese girls were sitting on the chairs calling out to passers-by, chatting and laughing... most of them were wearing yukata of striking colours... Most of them were young girls under 20 years of age. I learned from a maid at the hotel that the majority of these girls came from Shimabara and Amakusa in Kyushu. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: Lyr Add: TO BOMBAY From: Charley Noble Date: 06 Feb 12 - 04:23 PM There's a number of merchant mariner songs of recent vintage on the British India Ship website (http://www.biship.com/song). Here's a sample: By Douglas Boyd TO BOMBAY Both tugs are in attendance, one astern and one ahead, And the order comes from our Clan's bridge to let go, "She's off the berth now, Sir", and the Master nods his head, And the Third Mate at the engine telegraph rings "Ahead Slow", Pilot leaves at the Bar and "H" flag is pulled down, Log streamed, and we're now full away, Goodbye wintry Britain and cold Birkenhead town, As we voyage, Across the world, To Bombay. Cape Finisterre's light, flashing bright in the night, The coast of Portugal slips swiftly away, Past Rock of Gibraltar, British emblem of might, And heading East, towards dawn of day, The climate becomes warm, with the sky clear and bright, And Master has decided that we change uniforms to white, On balmy days like these, it's a delight to be, On a fine British ship, on a cobalt blue sea. Three lights ahead, on a reciprocal course, "Dig out the Signal Lamp" and let's practice our Morse, "What Ship, Where Bound ?", probably a Dutchman or Greek, but she's Bibby's "Warwickshire", with holds full of teak, Five days through the Med to Egypt's Port Said, Past Algiers, and Malta, Cape Bon, To drop some parcels of cargo, have fresh water supplied, And top up the bunkers before going on. In the Great Bitter Lake, we stop and drop our port hook, And lean on the bridge rail and have a good look, The Northbound convoy is stirring, and, picking up speed, BI's splendid white "Uganda" is taking the lead, With "Floristan, Salsette, City of Brisbane, Elpenor, Helenus , Mahronda, Martaban and Benmhor", A funnel we know, two red bands on black, "Clan MacLaren" from Colombo, full of tea, and heading back, What a magnificent stately procession, The pride of Britain's fleet, Bringing Chalnas' jute for our carpets, And Australian apples for us to eat. We pass out of the Canal at Suez, into searingly hot Red Sea, This is now petroleum country for, as far as you can see, A long long line of tankers, hauling oil to the West, Over there is Shell's three island "Haminella", and a smart blue-painted Maersk, There's BP's pristine "British Kestrel", and "Caltex Mozambique", And another Shell, "Achatina", and an unknown rusty Greek, All very low in the water, Full of products or Arabian crude, They are our European lifeline, Carrying machinery's liquid food. Aden's Navy stores over the side into lighters, For the Aircraft Carrier and her fighters, And some Destroyers and Frigates in the bay, Put the engines on stand-by, slip the buoys, a glorious orangey- pink-red sky, Goodnight Arabia, full speed ahead, and now we're away, Ship steering North East, in a strengthening breeze, Everything well battened down, as we expect heavy seas, Windscoops retracted, and all ports screwed tight, We pitch and roll constantly, to the Indian Ocean's might. There's Strick's colourful "Khuzistan", going very fast, We pass about a mile apart, and she salutes us with a blast, Attractive Gulf-run "Dwarka", far away to port, Hain's "Tremorvah" and Reardon Smith's "Welsh City", And a Liberian war-built Fort, A Scindia Jala-boat crosses, much closer than a cable, And there's no doubt in our minds what's on HER dinner table, She's moving really quite slowly, in no particular hurry, The following wind carries to us, a strong aroma of their curry. Ten days to discharge our heavy cargo, railway lines, industrial parts, Then clean the holds, consult the loading plan, correct the Navigational charts, Evening visits to the B.I. Club, enjoy an ice-cold beer, Talk shop in elegant surroundings, lots of news and gossip to hear, Meet friends from "Karanja" and "Kampala", "Clan MacInnes, Santhia", See "City of Karachi" arrive, and departure of "Sangola", We're loading cloth and carpets, tea and sisal, coir mats, Manganese for industry, fish meal to feed the cats, Our ship is now ready, pilot aboard, and rigged for sea, Until next time, "Al-vee-dah", India, Land of spice and rice, rupee. (Contributed by Douglas Boyd, who wrote it originally for Clan Line, from British India Ship website: http://www.biship.com/song) Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 06 Feb 12 - 08:59 PM Corrected British India link:- http://www.biship.com/song.htm |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 06 Feb 12 - 10:05 PM Ross- That version of the link certainly is more reliable. Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,Clan Line Photos Date: 01 Mar 12 - 05:16 PM Hi again all, I have ordered Tony Blacklers book of photographs of Clan Line ships from '45 to '76 from Amazon UK. No new copies available but some used, I should get it this week. Rod Fountain |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 06 Mar 12 - 03:48 PM From the Liverpool Folk Song a Week blog (with many thanks to Richard from Liverpool for the compliment of picking up one of these songs):- MV Statesman Some commentators reckon "Parental Guidance" advisory on this one. Maybe so - sadly nothing you wouldn't hear on the street these days. It's posted above (29th April 2008) as it came to Ron. From my notes at the time:- "Ron submitted songs and notes to Roy Palmer when he was revising the Oxford Book of Sea Songs (republished as Boxing the Compass). Receiving a complimentary copy from Roy with thanks for his contributions, Ron was looking forward to showing off the book with his collected songs in print at last. He was a bit dismayed to find Roy had included the above song unexpurgated, thus severely limiting the range of sisters, cousins and aunts to whom the book could be shown!" Ross |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Charley Noble Date: 06 Mar 12 - 05:11 PM Ross- I posted the above link with a warning on my Facebook page for friends. That song certainly clears the decks, not to mention the maiden aunts. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Ross Campbell Date: 06 Mar 12 - 10:36 PM Matthew Edwards (Port Sunlight ) posted there too. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Sailor Ron Date: 07 Jan 13 - 05:52 AM Here's one of mine, tune by Chris LOck [of Fore & Aft] Title: Tramps or Shanty for steam She's a long haul, black hulled British tramp sir CH. Fire! Fire! Shovel in the coal Owned by Ropners, KIng or Bank Sir-- Or LOndon Greeks. Shovel in the coal. With five hatches, a woodbine funnel CH. Her Plimsole line's above her gun'al. Her ash pit's full. Shovel in the coal. With a fire tube boiler, a condensing, CH Triple expansion compound engine Smash the clinker. Shovel in the coal She's no greyhound, no Cunarder CH Firing her is a damn sight harder. Watch on, watch off. Shovel in the coal. Carries grain or coal or bricks sir CH Would even sail the River Styx sir If the charter's right. Shovel in the coal. Cheap coal foll of shale and slate sir CH It wont fire and clogs the grate sir The strum box's choked. Shovel in the coal. Flies a smoke blacked old Red Duster CH She keeps going 'cause we trust her-- Her 'black gang' who shovel in the coal. notes. Ropners[pronounced Rope ners], King & Bank were 'tramp'outfits. Watch on watch off, many pre war tramps worked on a 2 rather than a 3 watch system. Black gang... firemen & trimmers |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,Phil L Date: 16 Jul 13 - 07:49 AM Phil L to Guest Ian Wallace dated 08 Dec 08. My father taught me some of this song (my mother freaked)... Now down in the stoke hole there forty foot deep the chief caught the firemen their all fast asleep get up you lazy bastards get on with the job especially (some name) you're a lazy ol sod And there in the galley a god damn disgrace With bottles of beer all over the place The second cook's drunk and the galley boy too Just like the rest of the whole god damn crew I will try and remember some more of this and add in due course... p_lovering@hotmail.com |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,sailor ron Date: 10 Oct 13 - 11:41 AM CH. Her 'old man's ' the lavy man on the Elder Dempster LIne He wears a nice blue uniform with brass buttons o so fine He mops,and cleans, and polishes, his toilet bowls they shine Yes,her'old man's 'the lavatory man on the Elder Dempster Line. When first she saw his uniform she thought he was the Chief, The Captain, or Chief Steward, at the very least But it was on their honeymoon the trouble it began When she found her 'old man' he was the lavatory man 'Cause she'd all her friends he had an impotant role, And of course that was correct, he's in charge of the toilet rolls! But she knew that they would laugh if the truth they'd find That her 'old ma's' the lavatory man on the Elder Dempster Line One day as he was working he opened a toilet door But looked on in horror when a lady there he saw "I'm very sorry madame, didn't mean to cause distress" "That's alright" a bass voice replied, 'twas a steward in a dress! Now all the first class passengers after every trip To the bar staff, and the stewards, they give generous tips. But if they forget him, still he shakes their had 'Cause he knows where his hands have been,'cause he's the lavatory man! Adapted & expanded from song collected from Captain Peter Woodworth of Fleetwood, who 'served his time' with Elder Dempster's The tune, of course, is My Old Man's a dustman. |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: Lighter Date: 10 Oct 13 - 12:27 PM Phil L's song looks like it goes to "Strike, Strike the Bell," yes? |
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Subject: RE: PermaThread: Merchant Navy Songs From: GUEST,sailor ron Date: 14 Oct 13 - 10:12 AM Yes! Fits it perfectly doesn't it!
-Joe Offer- |
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