Richard-

"...since this is a composed song with the author still alive I would suggest that you sing it the way it was written."

My position on this generally is that if I'm planning to use such a song for a commercial recording I will forward the composer a MP3 file of the way I am singing his song and let that person decide where it should go from there. If the composer objected to any new words, I'd respect that and reconsider whether I wanted to go back to the original words or drop the song all together. If I'm singing a composed song more informally, I generally experiment with the wording as I would with any "traditional" song and sing whatever pleases me. I do think that it is important for people such as me to acknowledge their changes up front; if any of these changes are adapted by other singers I would be pleased to have made my own contribution to the "folk process."

I am especially pleased to see Bill Lowndes' original words to this song, having wondered if what was recorded on my old Victory Sings Songs of the Seas CD was original or adapted.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble