Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)

Subject: Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 12:32 PM

I just posted the original poem to the Old Sailor-Poet thread the other day and then began work on adapting it as a song. The result sounds promising to me.

Here's the original poem by Bill Adams (1879-1953):

By Bill Adams
From WIND IN THE TOPSAILS, edited by Bill Adams, published by George G. Harrap & Co., London, UK, © 1931, pp. 42-43.

Sea Cook

There ain't no "Tradesman's Entrance" wrote up above his door,
Like you sees on stylish houses on the stylish streets ashore,
So's the butcher an' the baker an' the grocer-man can tell
Where they'll find him when they wants him, an' there isn't any bell
For the butcher an' the grocer an' the baker-man to pull,
For there isn't any tradesmen wi' their baskets brimmin' full
O' fresh meats, an' veg'tables, an' bread an' cake, an' pie.
Ho, the sprays is drivin' over her! She's steerin' full an' bye!
She's plungin' an' she's rollin', an' she's flooded fore an' aft,
An' the sea cook hums a ditty while he's working at his craft.
The sea cook's arms is hairy, an' his hands is strong an' brown,
An' his bare breast is all covered wi' tattooin', up an' down,
Wi' flags, an' girls, an' anchors. Hoh, she's rollin' hard an' fast,
An' the big hailstones is bouncin' high from every spar an' mast!
She's leapin' like a wild stag; she's divin' to the seas.
Salt pork is on the galley stove, an' soup o' yellow peas.
The bright an' shiny mess-kids they are hangin' in a row,
As the cook looks from his galley door an' yells to her to go.
An' now the wind comes harder, an' the gale begins to roar,
An' he throws aside his apron, an' he leaps from out his door.
For the old sea cook's a sailor, an' there's canvas comin' in!
The chain sheets are a-clatterin' an' kickin' up a din,
An' it's time for stowin' tops'ls; the old cook's at his place,
With a downhaul in his fingers an' a grin upon his face.
Bye an' bye he'll serve out salt pork an' thick soup o' yellow peas;
Now he leads a throaty chorus, cryin' challenge to the seas!

Here's what I've done to it: adding in a chorus, dropping a couple of lines, and doing some other minor tinkering (copy into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up chords):

Original poem by Bill Adams
From WIND IN THE TOPSAILS, edited by Bill Adams,
Published by George G. Harrap & Co., London, UK, © 1931, pp. 42-43
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar, 6/28/07
Tune: Traditional

Sea Cook-2

G-----------C-----------------------G-------------------C--------------G
Now there ain't no "Tradesman's Entrance" nailed up above his door,
----------C----------------G----------------------------------D
Like you sees on stylish houses on the stylish streets a-shore,
-------C----------------G--------------C-----------------G
So the butcher an' the baker an' the grocer-man can tell
----------------C----------------------G----------------------D---------------G
Where they'll find him when they wants him, an' there sure ain't any bell;
----D----------------D7-------------G------------------D-G
No fresh fruits an' veg'tables, no bread, no cakes, no pies,
---------A----------------A7----------------D----------------D7
For the spray is drivin' o'er her an' she's steerin' full an' bye!
------------C-------------------G----------------C------------------G
Yes, she's plungin' an' she's rollin', an' she's flooded fore an' aft,
--------C---------------------G-----------------D--------- D7---G
An' the sea cook hums this ditty while he's working at his craft.


Chorus:

G-------C----------------G
An' it's haul away that salt pork,
-----C---------------G
Bile up them yeller peas;
---------C---------------G
It's be-yond compare, the bill of fare,
----D------D7-----G
Up-on the Seven Seas!


Now the sea cook's arms is hairy, an' his hands is strong an' brown,
His bare breast is all covered wi' tattooin' up an' down,
Wi' flags, an' gals, an' anchors. Hoh, she's rollin' hard an' fast,
An' the big hailstones is bouncin' high from ev'ry yard an' mast!
Yes, she's leapin' like a wild thing; she's divin' through the seas.
Salt pork is on the galley stove, with a pot o' yeller peas;
The bright an' shiny mess-kits they's all rattlin' in a row,
As the cook looks out his galley door an' yells "Now, let 'er go!" (CHO)

An' now the wind blows harder, as the gale begins its roar,
He throws aside his apron, an' he leaps from out his door;
For the old sea cook's a sailor, an' there's canvas comin' in,
The chain sheets are a-clatterin' an' kickin' up a din!
An' it's time for stowin' tops'ls; the old cook's at his place,
With a downhaul in his fingers, an' a big grin on his face;
Soon he'll serve out salt pork, an' thick soup o' yeller peas;
But now he leads a chorus, cryin' challenge to the seas! (CHO)

I'd best let this one ferment a while before I try to record it and post a link to a MP3 file.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Jul 07 - 11:51 AM

Going once!

Subject: Lyr Add: HARRIET LANE (Andrew McKay)
From: Crane Driver
Date: 01 Jul 07 - 11:58 AM

Nice one, Charley - it'd team up with my song "Harriet Lane", also about food on board ship. "Harriet Lane" was the sailors' nickname for an early tinned meat product much favoured on late Victorian merchant ships as an alternative to salt pork, named after the victim of a particularly gruesome London murder! The song is based on an account of food at sea written by Swansea sailor Jack Owens, who was apparently always complaining about his food!

Harriet Lane
Words & music by Andrew McKay
Recorded on 'Characters' by Andrew McKay & Carole Etherton
see Crane Drivin' Music for details.

Oh listen, you landsmen, I'll sing you a song,
How they feeds us at sea when we're out there so long,
The Board of Trade tells 'em the least we can get,
They could give us more, but they never has yet.
Oh Harriet Lane, oh Harriet Lane,
I'm telling you clear, and I'm telling you plain,
A blessing to sailors is Harriet Lane!

Well, biscuits like roof-tiles we gets every day,
They're baked out of sawdust and bulked out with clay,
You can smash 'em or hash 'em, or throw 'em away,
But with Harriet Lane you get meat every day!

Well, wet hash for breakfast, it works pretty well,
It slips down a treat if you don't mind the smell,
But oatmeal with treacle that tastes just like tar,
It goes over the side, it's a breakfast too far.

Dry hash for breakfast, that isn't so good,
It tastes like its made out of chippings of wood,
But pea-soup it fine, it'll warm you right through,
And if anything breaks, you can use it as glue.

Now, the beef that they gives us is leathery hard,
The pork that they gives us is mostly sour lard,
As a slurry with curry they calls it a treat,
But with Harriet Lane you gets close to real meat.

Oh listen, you landsmen, I'll sing you a song,
How they feeds us at sea when we're out there so long,
The Board of Trade tells 'em the least we can get,
They could give us more, but they never has yet.
Oh Harriet Lane, oh Harriet Lane,
I'm telling you clear, and I'm telling you plain,
A blessing to sailors is Harriet Lane!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Jul 07 - 04:41 PM

Andrew-

Thanks for you kind words about "Sea Cook" and for posting the words of your song "Harriet Lane." It's a pity there aren't some old shellbacks around to hear you sing this song. They would have loved it!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 05:53 PM

Here's a link to a MP3 sample of how I'm singing this song: Click here and search for lyrics!

I'm looking forward to singing this song in public. It fills a gap in songs about sea cooks. Most of them are disparaging songs and this one is more affirming.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sea Cook (Bill Adams)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jul 07 - 11:56 AM

Going twice!