The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #166643   Message #4008925
Posted By: Lighter
15-Sep-19 - 08:53 AM
Thread Name: Tune Req: Derry Down
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Derry Down
"The United States Army and Navy Journal" (Jan. 28, 1882, p. 573) prints a topical, anonymous 16-stanza naval "Derry Down" song from a manuscript of ca1830.

The song bears at least a generic resemblance to "La Pique."

Stanza 1:

Come all you young sailors that are full of fun,
Come listen to this and I will sing you a song;
And if these few verses should happen to please
I will sing another about the salt seas.
                                          Derry down - down, derry down.

More samples:

We sailed from the States in the month of July,
And of course everything had for to fly,
Such as bending and reefing and furling likewise;
It was lay out G-d d--n you - lay in d--n your eyes! ...

And when that the hammocks were all stowed away,
I heard a few words, just as I say -
Such a damnable ship I never got in,
And I hope to be d-----d if they get me again. ...

While laying at rest there was work for all,
Such as cleaning brightwork - rigging up for a ball;
Our quarter-deck guns were run forward so close,
Which brought our ship four feet by the nose. ...

On this foolish subject I shall say no more,
But where this came from there is enough more;
So let us all join in the chorus to sing,
And we'll sing it so loud as to cause it to ring.