The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #173610   Message #4210202
Posted By: GUEST,Julia L
21-Oct-24 - 09:38 PM
Thread Name: The wreck of the Ramillies Song/ Website
Subject: RE: The wreck of the Ramillies Song/ Website
Here's a version from Maine. It apears in our book "Bygone Ballads of Maine- Songs of Ships & Sailors"

THE FATED RENA LEE
Text from the Kneeland Miscellany 1914 / James Kneeland Searsport, ME
Tune as sung by his son Frank Kneeland Recorded Oct 1941
Helen Hartness Flanders, Middlebury VT

The miscellany transcript says "fated", Frank sings "fate of" and pronounces Rena as "renna"

1
Come ye bold seamen, pray now attend
To read these few lines that have lately been penned
Concerning the dangers of the salt sea
And the sad destruction of the Rena Lee
-Oh, the fate of Rena Lee

2
Seven hundred and seventy bold seamen had we
And ninety brass cannon to bear us company
And as we were a sailing to our sad surprise
A most terrible storm did begin to arise
-Oh, the fate of Rena Lee

3
The waves looked like fire and rolled mountains high
While over the rigging the salt seas did fly
Bear away, said our captain, and do the best you can
For if the storm increases, we're lost, every man
-Oh, the fate of Rena Lee

4
A few moments later, to our sad shock
Our good ship, the Rena Lee, she struck upon a rock
Had you heart like a Turk, I am sure you'd lament
To have heard the sighs and groans as to bottom she went
-Oh, the fate of Rena Lee