In answer to PoohBear's request for the words and music to Take Me down the Harbour, here are both the 'original' (1908 or earlier) popular song words - and the version remembered by Ina Popplewell and collected from her in 1953 … and an ABC version of the tune sung by Ina Popplewell.

Take me Down the Harbour from the 199(?)7 Jacaranda Publication The GI Years, where the song is attributed to The Imperial Songster No 83 of 1908.

TAKE ME DOWN THE HARBOUR

Now Gertie's a girl, a sweet little pearl.
She works down in the city;
And she has a beau, his name it is Joe,
So handsome and so witty.
On each Saturday, when he gets his pay,
A message soon he's reading,
I feel so alone, ring me up on the 'phone,
You're just the one I'm needing."

CHORUS
Take me down the Harbour
On Sunday afternoon -
To Manly Beach or Watson's Bay,
Or round to Coogee for the day;
Call around to Clifton.,
Or Mosmans, it will do.
Dear old Harbour, Sydney Town,
They can't beat you.

Way over the tide, how softly they glide,
Out on the Harbour Ferry,
Whilst music so sweet makes life feel complete,
Their hearts are light and merry.
Then homeward once more, they part on the shore,
And Joe says to his girlie,
"If you feel alone, ring me up on the 'phone,
And call me quick and early."

CHORUS
Take me down the Harbour
On Sunday afternoon -
To Manly Beach or Watson's Bay,
Or round to Coogee for the day.'
Call around to Clifton,
Or Mosmans, it will do.
Dear old Harbour, Sydnev Town,
They can't beat you.


TAKE ME DOWN THE HARBOUR
As collected by John Meredith, from Mrs lna Popplewell (1953)

Take Me down the Harbour on a Sunday afternoon
To Manly Beach or Watson's Bay
Or round to Coogee for a day.
Call around at Clifton, or Mosman, it will do;
Good old Harbour Sydney Town,
They can't beat you.

CHORUS
Way over the tide, how softly they glide,
Out on a Harbour ferry.
If you feel alone,. ring me up on the 'phone,
You're just the girl I'm needing,

Take me down the Harbour on a Sunday afternoon
To Manly Beach or Watson's Bay
Or round to Coogee for a day.
Call around at Clifton, or Mosman, it will do;
Good old Harbour Sydney Town,
They can't beat you.

This is the version sung by Skedaddle on their 1994 CD Take me Down the Harbour. They treated the verse and chorus as simply an "A" part and a "B" part of the song tune. They obviously thought Ina's words were a bit short, so they wrote four more modern verses (I had better try to explain some of the local Sydney references!:

TAKE ME DOWN THE HARBOUR
As collected by John Meredith, from Mrs lna Popplewell (1953)

Take Me down the Harbour on a Sunday afternoon
To Manly Beach or Watson's Bay
Or round to Coogee for a day.
Call around at Clifton, or Mosman, it will do;
Good old Harbour Sydney Town,
They can't beat you.

Way over the tide, how softly they glide,
Out on a Harbour ferry.
If you feel alone, ring me up on the 'phone,
You're just the girl I'm needing.

Whenever you're near, come up for a beer,
You'll find your friends are waiting.
We'll say to the man: "Come, we'll drink all we can
'Cos you're the one who's shouting!"

The hydrofoil's fun, you can sit in the sun
And bring along the family.
We'll all sit in rows, and we'll take off all our clothes
And then we'll see who's manly!

We'll gather at lunch and we'll all take a bunch
Across to green Taronga.
We'll all sneak away ,when we've had a nice day
- But leave the kids for longer!

Glossary:
Manly Beach, Watsons Bay, Coogee, Clifton and Mosman's (Bay): are (were) all beaches or pleasure gardens reachable by Harbour Ferry.

Shouting: paying for this round of beers

Hydrofoil: A more modern Sydney Harbour Ferry

Take off all our clothes: … Well, it (Manly / manly)is a beach … of a pun!

Taronga: Sydney Zoo


Here is the ABC (extracted from the no longer Mudcat-supported MIDItext program):

ABC format:

X:1

T:

M:6/8

Q:1/4=192

K:C

G6|GEGG2G|GEGG2G|c2BA2F|Bd4A|AFEDEF|AFED2A|

A2GA2B|dG4G|GEGG2G|GEGG2G|c2BA2F|Bd4A|AFEDEF|

AFED2A|A2GA2B|d2G4|G2EG2c|e3d2c/2c/2|A2FA2F|

A5A|B2AB2A|B2AB3|A2GA2G|A2GE3|G2EG2c|e3d2c|

A2FA2F|A6|B2dc2A|B2AG2G|c3d3|c5G|GEGG2G|GEGG2G|

c2BA2F|Bd4A|AFEDEF|AFED2A|A2GA2B|dG4G|GEGG2G|

GEGG2G|c2BA2F|Bd4A|AFEDEF|AFED2A|A2GA2B|d2G4|

G2EG2c|e3d2c/2c/2|A2FA2F|A5A|B2AB2A|B2AB3|

A2GA2G|A2GE3|G2EG2c|e3d2c|A2FA2F|A6|B2dc2A|

B2AG2G|c3d3|c5G3/4||

Enjoy!

Bob Bolton