This is another "outward bound" poem by a favorite nautical poet, Cicely Fox Smith, which cries to be transformed into a song. Here are the original words:

RIO GRANDE (C. Fox Smith)

(From SONGS AND CHANTIES 1914-1916, by Cicely Fox Smith, Elkin Mathews, © 1919, pp. 86-88
Previously published in SAILOR TOWN, © 1914)

There lies a ship at her moorings out there on yonder stream;
Her lines upon the water are lovely like a dream,
And like a dream she'll slip away with the first dawning gleam,
For she's bound for Rio Grande with the morning tide.
Yes, she's bound for Rio Grande, and it's there that I would be,
And every rope aboard her is singing to be free;
Oh, good-bye to your sweetheart dear and good-bye to your bride
If you're bound for Rio Grande with the morning tide!

I heard the seagulls piping round, and all seemed to say
Was, "Come you out, young sailorman, it's time to come away.
Oh, heave your donkey's breakfast in, there isn't time to stay
If you're bound for Rio Grande with the morning tide –
If you're bound for Rio Grande away, and oceans two or three,
And ports a plenty up and down for likely lads to see,
All across the seas, Johnnie, round the world so wide,
Going out to Rio Grand with the morning tide."

The lights in Paddy Ryan's bar they're shinning on the shore;
Bid your friends good-be, Johnnie, pay you now your score,
For you don't want the sight or smell o' the harbour any more,
When you're bound for Rio Grande with the morning tide.
And "Away My Rolling River" – for the sun's put out the stars
A-tangle in her royal yards, and the frost is on her spars;
Oh, the deep sea hunger's hold of her, and not to be denied,
Going out to Rio Grande with the morning tide!

Here is what I've done to it,adding a chorus from the lasr four lines of the first verse, and making a few minor word changes (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up chords):

Adapted for singing by Charles Ipcar, © 2005
Tune: Charles Ipcar
Key: F (5/C)

RIO GRANDE

G--------------D---G------------------------D--G
A ship lies at her moorings, out there in the stream;
----------------------------------C
Her lines upon the water are lovely like a dream,
-----G-------------D------G-----------------------D---G
And like a dream she'll slip away in the dawn-ing gleam,
----------C-----------------------------------G
For she's bound for Ri-o Grande in the morn-ing;
-----D----G--------------D-G-------------------------------D------G
Yes, she's bound for Ri-o Grande, and it's there that I would be,
-----------------------------------C
And every rope aboard her is singing to be free:
----G-------------D----G-------------------------------------D----G
It's good-bye to your sweetheart dear and good-bye to your bride,
----------------------------------------C
For she's bound for Ri-o Grande, with the morning tide!

Chorus:
G--------------------D-G----------------------------------D------G
She's bound for Ri-o Grande, and it's there that you would be,
------------------------------------C
And every rope aboard her is singing to be free:
----G-------------D----G-------------------------------------D-----G
It's good-bye to your sweetheart dear and good-bye to your bride,
----------------------------------------C
For she's bound for Ri-o Grande, with the morning tide!


I heard the seagulls piping, and all they seemed to say
Was, "Rise up, young sailorman, it's time to sail away;
Oh, heave your donkey's breakfast in, you can no longer stay,
For you're bound for Rio Grande in the morning;
Yes, you're bound for Rio Grande, and oceans two or three,
And ports a plenty up and down for lively lads to see,
Across the seven seas, Johnnie, round the world so wide,
For you're bound for Rio Grande, with the morning tide!" (CHO)

The lights in Paddy Ryan's bar, still shining on the shore;
Bid your pals good-bye, Johnnie, it's time to pay your score;
You don't want the sight or smell o' this harbour any more,
For you're bound for Rio Grande in the morning;
And it's "Away My Rolling River" – as the sun puts out the stars –
A-tangle in her royal yards, with the frost still on her spars;
Oh, the deep sea hunger's got her, and it's not to be denied,
For she's bound for Rio Grande, with the morning tide! (CHO)

The tune I'm using has a kind of hard driving gospel sound to it, very different from the usual mournful outward bound shanty, and I'll post a link to a MP3 sample as soon as it really settles down.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble