Lyr Req: Mollymauk / Mollymawk (Bob Watson)

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Oct 00 - 11:50 PM

How very wonderful, Jeri!! I am pleased for you!! What a rush!

Subject: Serendipity
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Oct 00 - 11:47 PM

Not only is it Friday the 13th, but there's also a full moon. The Portsmouth Maritime Festival starts tomorrow, and a bunch of the performers came to our session tonight. Before things got too rowdy, I decided to do a the above song. I only learned it yesterday, and knew I was probably going to make mistakes.

Well it happened - halfway throught the first verse, I lost the words. A voice from another table quietly got me started again. I messed up one more time with the same result.

I'd said something earlier to Jeff Warner about the song - that I'd learned it from the radio and didn't have the name of the author handy, but he just had to hear it because it was a great song. When I got finished, Jeff, who'd been sitting next to my savior, came over. He squatted next to my chair, pointed at the man and said "that's your source." It was Danny McCleod, who's in both the Keelers and Salt of the Earth. (I think maybe Salt of the Earth was the group that recorded the song.) He was pleasantly surprised to hear the song in a pub in the US, and said he'd be sure to tell the author, Bob Watson. Said Bob would be tickled to hear his song had made it across the pond.

Oh, and the last purple word, in the line " Let my bones sink better___" should be "let my bones sink to the bottom."

All in all, a very weird and wonderful night!

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 09:13 PM

I appreciate your help very much. Cheers, Martin. Ickle Dorrit, thanks for the title and recording.

Still trying to figure out that last bit, and no matter how many times I listen, I can't make sense of it.

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: MartinRyan
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 07:24 PM

"weary" rather than "weedy"?

Regards

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 06:41 PM

Thank you! I thought it was "morg" because the singers had accents. (Or I was hearing with an accent.)

Any help on the last verse?

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: MartinRyan
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 05:37 PM

Yes- both -hawk and -mawk are used. "mawk" is better since the word seems to come from the Dutch "mok" for gull.

regards

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 05:03 PM

It's a song that is sung by the Keelers to great effect, and is recorded on their album On the north Sea Ground. (Keel Music 1998). the song was written by Bob Watson and is called Mollymauk- another name for the Albatross. The Keelers are an excellent group from the North East of england and headed up by Jim Magean who also performs with Johnny Collins.

Subject: RE: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: MartinRyan
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 04:53 PM

"molly-morg" is probably mollyhawk - type of albatross?

Regards

Subject: Song Help: Southern Ocean
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Oct 00 - 12:53 PM

I got the lyrics and tune from a radio broadcast. I'm missing a great deal of information, and hope someone can help.

Title?
Any known recordings?
Old song or new? Author?
See the purple bits in the song - am I close?
Any other information?

Oh the southern ocean is a lonely place
Where the storms are many and the shelter's scarce
Down upon the southern ocean sailing
Down below Cape Horn
On the restless water and the troublin' skies
You can see that mollymauk(molly-morg) wheel and fly
Down upon the southern ocean sailing
Down below Cape Horn

Won't you ride the wind and go, white seabird
Won't you ride the wind and go, molly-morg
Down upon the southern ocean sailing
Down below Cape Horn

See the molly-morg floatin' on his wide white wings
And lord, what a lonely song he sings
And he's got no compass and he's got no gear
And there's none can tell ya how the molly-morgs steer

He's the ghost of a sailor-man as I've heard say
Who's body sank, and his soul flew away
And he's got no haven and he's got no home
He's bound evermore for to wheel and roam

When I gets too weary (weedy) for to sail no more
Let my bones sink to the bottom (better___) far away from shore
You can cast me loose and leave me driftin' free
And I'll keep that big bird company