The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #147564   Message #3421043
Posted By: Gibb Sahib
16-Oct-12 - 08:46 PM
Thread Name: Req: Tommy's Gone Away-Short Sharp Shanties
Subject: RE: Req: Tommy's Gone Away-Short Sharp Shanties
There aren't really "versions" of "Tommy's Gone Away" with respect to the solo lyrics. It's a structure on which one hangs lyrics, in the moment or in the spirit, as it were.

The chorus is a constant, but the lyrics of the solos are merely filler of stock couplets. One would think that in "authentic" contexts, a wider varied of more personal, topical, and/or improvised couplets would be sung. One reason why Sharp provides just one verse--i.e. because the others are non-essential.

Oates simply did what a chanty singer would do, and fleshed out the song to a specified length. Since she wasn't a 19th century sailor, she probably selected some "typical"/idiomatic couplets from the widely accessible collections, or what had been sung in revival sessions.

I'm unwilling, however, to call this (i.e. with respect to lyrics) "Oates' version." Moreover, I'd recommend against singing it verbatim, because that is contrary to the method and style of chanties.

If you're not confident about singing "in the moment," and even if you feel that making up your own verses is somehow non-traditional (though it really is), then the best thing to do, in my opinion, is what Oates presumably did: cull some lyrics from various sources.