The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #33761   Message #1863938
Posted By: Artful Codger
20-Oct-06 - 04:11 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: roll down
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roll Down
The captured version ("Around Me Brave Boys") differs in some surprising ways from the lyrics printed in the original album booklet. Respecting copyright, I won't reproduce the original version, but these are the most notable differences:

As Charly noted, the proper title is "Roll Down".

The first verse ("Sweet ladies of Plymouth...") is missing.

The anchor's aweigh, and the sails are unfurled.

The chorus lines run "Walk her round", not "walk around". Similarly, they take her (the ship) half-way round the world.

The Bay of Biscay is wide, and the coast of Africa, wild; neither is white.

The transports are described by varying adjectives that correspond to the sense of each verse: sickly, nervous, lonesome, simple, weary, stranded.

"They'll" should usually be "will", while "will" in the arrival verse should be "we'll" (different meaning.) "These" should be "the" throughout.

"old Engeland" rather than "Olde England"; the spelling reflects the extra syllable - it's not a shop window affectation.

They "arrive off Australia's strand" (though a change to New Holland is more accurate historically.)

There is no verse about arriving in England (the next to last verse in the harvested version - and a clubby one, IMHO.)

The last line starts "And go roving" (statement, not command.)