The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #7177   Message #1992212
Posted By: Dave Hunt
09-Mar-07 - 10:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: The Herring Song
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Herring Song
A very long while ago in thai thread Tim Jaques asked

I left out one verse because I couldn't understand Foster's accent no matter how hard I tried. It sounds like:

And what do we do with the old herring's guts,
We'll make them into comic cuts,
Herring's cuts, comic cuts,
And all such things.

Which is quite correct! Comic Cuts was a weekly kids comic in the 1890 -1953 see http://www.bl.uk/popups/ccuts.html

Comic Cuts was also the term used in The Andrew (The Royal Navy) for a seaman's record sheet - as in Cyril Tawney's Chicken on a Raft

Jimmy's (short for Jimmy the One = 1st Lieutenant)laughin' like a drain
Been lookin' at me Comic Cuts again
etc...

Back to the original request - there is a terrific version recorded by the late Johnny Doughty on 'Round Rye Bay for More' (an LP on Topic)

What'll we do with the herrin's head
We'll Make it into loaves of bread
Herrin' head, loaves of bread an' all such things

Of all the fish that's in the sea, the herrin' is the fish for me
Sing wack fa doodle die-doe
Wack fa doodle day.

Then it's cumulative to:

What'll we do with the herrin's guts
We'll make 'em into Comic cuts
Herrin's guts, Comic Cuts,
Herrin's tail, ships that sail
Herrin's back, fishin' smacks
Herrin's belly, jams an' jellies
Herrins fins , needles an' pins
Herrin's eyes , puddin's an' pies
Herrin's head loaves of bread
An' all such things
Of all the fish....etc...

sunshine and smiles
Dave    www.sunshinearts.co.uk