Some nautical singers on this forum are familiar with some of the fine songs composed by Bob Watson (UK) including "Shantyman," Mollymauk," and "Neptune's Daughter." Another song that Watson kindly mailed me recently was his "Tasman Buster" and I think its another keeper:
Now the Tasman Buster's got a fair old blow, And he strikes so sudden that his teeth don't show, And his home is on the Tasman Sea; And it's no use waiting for the glass to fall, 'Cos you gets no warning when he comes to call. It's crash, bang, wallop, you can do damn all But batter down the Tasman Sea.
Chorus:
And it's blow, you Buster, blow! (and blow!) And it's blow, you Buster, blow! And it's rock on Tommy down the Tasman Sea, When the Tasman Buster blows!
Mister Abel Tasman was a Dutchman bold, And he sailed these waters in the days of old And his name is on the Tasman Sea; And somehow Abel must have riled Old Nick 'Cos he sent that Buster for to blow so quick, So that Abel's ghost would really cop some stick From Sailors on the Tasman Sea. (CHO)
Now the old-time sailors, how they carped and cursed When the Buster hit 'em with his blunt end first, Like a hammer on the Tasman Sea; It was lee rail under as they shipped it green, And the old sail-maker kept his needles keen, 'Cos a stitch in time can save nineteen When the Buster's on the Tasman Sea. (CHO)
There was a German schooner on an eastbound trip, Went to clear New Zealand round the southern tip; She went sailing down the Tasman Sea; And it's headfirst into Mr. Buster's blitz, And the German skipper, and his name was Fritz, Said, "Gott in Himmel! You get blown to bitz Ven ze Buster's on ze Tasman Sea." (CHO)
There's a girl in Sydney known as Big Butch Flo, And it ain't worth knowing what Flo don't know, 'Cos she's rougher than the Tasman Sea; And she'll call you Cobber and she'll call you Blue, And when that lady's got through with you You'll think you've been a-ridin' on a kangaroo, Or maybe on the Tasman Sea! (CHO)
Once I had a mucker, name of Harry Symes, He was a dozy beggar at the best of times, He could kip across the Tasman Sea; And I saw him often on his bunk crashed out, With a big fat grin all spread across his snout, No way of telling what he dreamed about, But it wasn't of the Tasman Sea. (CHO)
A "Tasman Buster" as explained in the song is a sudden squall prevalent in the Tasman Sea, between Tasmania and New Zealand.
The expression "cop some stick" is unfamiliar to me but I assume it's similar in meaning to "catch some shit."
At the present time I'm only singing the first three verses, and adding in one of the others as people grow more familiar with the song. Watson has a fine tune and thinks highly enough about my own MP3 recording that I sent him that he forwarded it to a shanty group in New Zealand whom I'm now swapping CD's with. Here's a link to my website where you can hear how this song sounds: Click here and search for lyrics!
I tried it out last night at our local coffeehouse and it went over quite well. We'll try it out today at the Press Room shanty sing in Portsmouth today.