seasongs/widows walks

Subject: seasongs/widows walks
From: seasongs
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 07:37 PM

i am an artist doing research on sea shanties for a new project.
i am mostly interested in love stories between sailors and women on shore. i have found scraps here and there but if anyone could help me out, lead me somewhere that would be so appreciated.
thanks.

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 07:53 PM

Brendan Nolan, Dublin man living and working in Florida, wrote a beauty.

THE WIDOW'S WALK
Am2 – ¾


^AmShe stood by the window, as the ^Gwaves crashed the ^Emshore,

To watch him come home, as he ^Amhad times be^Emfore.

CHORUS:
Oh, ^Amcarry him ^Ghome to me,
^CBreak the sea ^Gdown for him,
^AmCarry my ^Glove home to ^Fme. ^G

It's ^Amlate in the year, and the ^Gstorm winds a^Emwaken,

To the hardiest of sailors, the ^Amsea does not ^Embeckon

CHORUS

At their shady cove moorings, the small boats rock gently,
Safe from the sea winds, till the new season's plenty

CHORUS

This room is my refuge from the toils of the day,
It's here I find peace, and it's here I can pray, that you'll

CHORUS

If the sea take my love, to his grave in the ocean,
God make me a silkie, that I might lie with him................

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 07:58 PM

There are thousands of such songs, but they aren't "shanties," which are specifically work-songs. The latter do sometimes contain references to love (more usually just sex) but they rarely tell coherent stories. It's common enough for people to assume that all songs dealing with sailors or the sea are shanties, but that's a complete misunderstanding.

Do you really mean shanties, then, or just songs about sailors? Songs found in oral tradition, or songs by popular writers like Dibdin? Or modern stuff like the above? Let us know. Otherwise, well-meaning people will just guess wildly at all sorts of things, and you may end up none the wiser.

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Big Mick
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 08:07 PM

Thanks, Malcolm. I have never heard a shanty that was a love song, so I assumed that what s/he really meant (based on the title) was sea songs about love, widow's, widow walks, etc.

Mick

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 08:13 PM

That's what I'd guess, too; but given the enormous amount of material that might be what he or she is looking for, it would help to have it narrowed down a bit!

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 08:37 PM

Another contemporary song by Jez Lowe, "The Bergen," might interest you: Click here!

If you're interested in more traditional sea songs or poems, there's really a wealth of material to draw on here. Tell us a little more about your project.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: DonMeixner
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 08:37 PM

Hi Seas, (Don chuckles at his own sparkling wit!)

Do you want strictly traditional stuff or can recent songs fill the bill?

Don

Subject: RE: seasongs/widows walks
From: Bert
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 01:04 AM

My friend has a house with a Widow's Walk, which is fine 'cept that it is in Colorado Springs!!!