Lyr Req: Diego's Bold Shores

Subject: diego's bold shore
From: GUEST,kit
Date: 04 May 02 - 04:19 PM

I heard a rendition of "diego's bold shore" (think I have the name correct) by waterson/carthy. It was gotten by them from the "songs the whalemen sing".. I'm looking for the lyrics to it. any help, please send to [e-mail] with "diego's bold shore" in the subject line. Thanx

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 May 02 - 04:50 PM

I found CD's with it by the Morgans......no lyrics, though.

Subject: Lyr Add: DIEGO'S BOLD SHORES
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 May 02 - 09:21 AM

I have that book by Gale Huntington (Dover reprint), but can't find it at present. I'll post another version, instead, from Joanna C. Colcord, Songs of American Sailormen (1938; Oak, 1964, pp. 191-193; with tune & chords).

DIEGO'S BOLD SHORES
(Forecastle song)

"Sperm-whalers of the south latitudes sang the following song, which was doubtless of shore composition. 'Diego' meant the Diego Ramirez rocks off Cape Horn--in sailor's lingo 'Dago Rammerees,' or simply 'The Rammerees.' (Cf. Masefield's 'Song of Shipwreck.') The air was furnished by Joseph McGinnis, and the words are a combination of his version and that of R. M. Davids." (Colcord)
Did the love of adventure, the promise of gold,
And an ardent desire for to roam,
Ever tempt you away o'er the watery world,
Far away from your kindred and home?
With a storm-beaten captain free-hearted and bold,
And a score of brave fellows or two,
Enured to the hardships of hunger and cold,
A fearless and jovial crew.

Have you ever cruised off Diego's bold shores
That are washed by the Antarctic wave,
Where the snowy-plumed albatross merrily soars
Over many a poor whaler's grave?
Have you ever roamed in the evergreen glades
That are teeming with dainties so rare?
Did you ever make love 'neath the cocoanut shade
To the dark island maids that dwell there?

Did you hear from the mast-head the shout "There she blows,"
See the boats gaily leave the ship's side,
See the mighty fish quiver 'neath the harpooner's blows
As the water with crimson is dyed?
Have you seen the foam fly from the mighty sperm whale
That when boldly attacked in his lair,
With one sweep of his mighty and ponderous tail
Sends the whaleboat so high in the air?

Did you ever join in with a boisterous cheer
Ringing high over Heaven's blue dome
When rich with the spoils you have purchased so dear
You hoisted your topsails, bound home?
And after the voyage, when Columbia's coast
Loomed proudly from out the blue main,
Have you felt that joy that you longed for the most
Of meeting your loved ones again?

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: GUEST,Mary Katherine
Date: 06 May 02 - 03:35 PM

I think the lyrics are printed in the booklet to the new Waterson:Carthy CD "Dark Light" on which the song appears. But the CD is at home and I'm at work. Will check for you later tonight.

Mary Katherine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: MMario
Date: 06 May 02 - 04:16 PM

masato - you are incredible!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: Sorcha
Date: 06 May 02 - 04:44 PM

I hereby pass the Crown I Never Wanted to Masato-sama. Wear it with pride.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: masato sakurai
Date: 06 May 02 - 08:17 PM

This version (the title being in the plural) is also on THIS PAGE, with the same notes (and with a typo in the text). Still looking for the Huntington book.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: masato sakurai
Date: 06 May 02 - 09:07 PM

Thanks, Sorcha. It was in these indexes: Brunnings' Folk Song Index (Garland) and Ferguson's Song Finder (Greenwood).

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: DIEGO'S BOLD SHORE
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 May 02 - 10:21 AM

DIEGO'S BOLD SHORE

(Text: log of the Bark Midas, New Bedford, 1861. Tune: Joseph McGinnis)

Has a love of adventure a promise of gold
Or an ardent desire to roam
Ever tempt you far o'er the watery world
Away from your kindred and home
With a storm beaten captain free hearted and bold
And a score of brave fellows or two
Inured to the hardship of hunger and cold
A fearless and jolly good crew

Have you ever stood watch where Diego's bold shore
Looms up from the Antarctic wave
Where the snowy plumed albatross merrily soars
O'er many a mariner's grave
Have you heard the masthead'sman sing out there she blows
Seen the boats gaily leave the ship's side
Or the giant fish breach 'neath the harpooner's blows
Till the blue sea with crimson was died

Have you seen the foam when the mighty right whale
Thus boldly attacked in his lair
With a terrible blow of his ponderous tail
Sent the boat spinning up in the air
Or where the green isles of the evergreen glades
Are teeming with dainties so rare
Have you ever made love neath the coco's green shade
To the sweet sunny maids that dwell there

Let those who delight in the comforts of home
And the joys of a warm fireside
Who dream it a peril the ocean to roam
In the cots of their fathers abide
But not a day nearer we reckon our death
Though daily we sport o'er our graves
Nor sweeter they'll slumber beneath the green sod
Than we in the boisterous waves

Have you ever joined in the boisterous shout
Reaching far through the heaven's blue dome
When rich in the spoils you have purchased so dear
You have hoisted your topsails for home
Or when the dark hills of Columbia arose
From out the blue waves of the main
Have you ever relived the unspeakable joy
Of meeting with loved ones again

Text and tune from Gale Huntington's Songs the Whalemen Sang (1964, reprinted Dover, 1970). Punctuation as quoted. Huntington comments:

"This seems to have been one of the best loved of the traditional whalemen's songs. Joanna Colcord in Songs of American Sailormen has a version very similar to this except that it lacks the fourth stanza. It is her melody that I have used here."

Roud Folk Song Index number 2006.

A midi of the tune as quoted in Huntington will in time find its way to the Mudcat Midi Pages, and can for now be heard via the South Riding Folk Network site:

Diego's Bold Shore (midi)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: masato sakurai
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:25 PM

Malcolm, thanks. But where's my Huntington book?

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: diego's bold shore
From: GUEST,Kit
Date: 09 May 02 - 10:01 PM

thank you all.... you're amazing. I will now endeavor to learn it.

Subject: Incredible - The Book of Eli download
From: GUEST,KellyLamb
Date: 16 Feb 10 - 08:20 AM

I watched it at t b o e . i n f o worked great after I did a short survey!

Subject: Lyr Add: WHALEMAN'S SONG (By one of them)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 11:35 PM

This copy has one more verse than the 2 versions above, and a few differences in the other verses, so I'll post the whole thing.

From Die Arktische Fischerei der deutschen Seestädte [The Arctic Fisheries of the German Seaports] 1620-1868 by Moritz Karl Adolf Lindeman (Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1869), page 54:


WHALEMAN'S SONG.
(By one of them.)

1. Has a love of adventure, a promise of gold
Or an ardent desire to roam
Ever tempted you far o'er the watery world
Away from your kindred and home,
With a storm beaten captain, free-hearted and bold,
And a score of brave fellows or two,
Inured to the hardships of hunger and cold,
A fearless and jolly good crew?

2. Have you ever stood watch where Diego's bold shores
Loom up from the Antarctic wave,
Where the snowy plumed albatross merrily soars
O'er many a poor mariner's grave?
Have you heard the masthead man sing out: "There she blows!"
Seen the boats gaily leave the ship's side,
And the giant fish writhe near the harpooneers blow,
While the blue sea with crimson was dyed?

3. Have you seen the foam fly, when the mighty right whale,
Thus boldly attacked in his lair,
With a terrible blow of his ponderous tail
Sent the boat spinning up in the air?
Or where the fair isles of the evergreen glades
Are teeming with dainties so rare,
Have you ever made love 'neath cocoas' shades
To the sweet sunny maids that dwell there?

4. And have you e'er joined in the boisterous cheer
Ringing far through the heaven's blue dome,
When rich in the spoils you had purchased so dear
You hoisted your topsails for home?
Or when the dear hills of Columbia rose
From out the blue waves of the main,
Have you e'er realized the unspeakable joys
Of meeting with loved ones again?

5. Let those who delight in the comforts of home
And the joys of a warm fireside,
Who deem it a peril the ocean to roam,
In the cots of their fathers abide!
But not a day nearer we reckon our death,
Though we daily sport over our grave!
Nor sweeter they'll slumber the green sod beneath
Than we in the boisterous wave.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Diego's Bold Shores
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 10:46 AM

Colcord, Joanna (ed.) / Songs of American Sailormen, Norton, Bk (1938/1924), page195

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=b5nIDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT190&lpg=PT190&dq=diego%27s+bold+shore&source=bl&ots=ZzR8CJYz0k&sig=792ignW

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Diego's Bold Shores
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Oct 18 - 09:21 PM

The 1869 text appeared earlier in the Honolulu temperance newspaper "The Friend" (Nov. 1852), p. 69, titled "Original Whaleman's Song" and credited to "One of Them."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Diego's Bold Shores
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 30 Oct 18 - 06:53 AM

John Roberts sings Diego's Bold Shore