Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim (Bert Lee, R. P. Weston)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 08:27 PM

Blimey, a blast from the past for me. This was sung by the estimable John and Cheryl Maughan, who ran the Tree Inn Folk Club at Stratton, near Bude, until the mid-90s. I wonder whether they ever look in here. There's no folk club at The Tree any more but there's one at the Falcon in Bude, run by our Hawker (aka Lucy). We've kept up the tradition this last (almost) 20 years at The Tree with our own little hairy-arse band, the Tree House Band. Can't let stuff die, eh!

Subject: Lyr Add: SWIM, SAM, SWIM (Bert Lee, R. P. Weston)
From: GUEST,Tony Reddin
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 07:46 PM

here's our version:

Swim Sam, Swim   [Bert Lee and R.P.Weston]
Sammy was a sailor, a sailor big and broad
Shipped on board a whaler and tumbled overboard
Shouted: "Someone save me!" Someone said: "Oh Shame!
The sharks are sniffing round you!" Then his shipmates sang:

Chorus:   Swim Sam, Swim            Show them you're some swimmer
        Swim just like a swan swam         You know how the swan swam,
        Six sharp sharks                Are sure to snap your limb
        So swipe them swiftly when they swoop        and Swim Sam, Swim!

Sammy swam with vigour, the race had just begun
Sharks all eyed his figure,"jellied sugar!" whispered one
One big portly porpoise, sporting in the foam
Shouted : "If you wants to catch the last ship home just..."

Sharks all sang the chorus and said splashing in the brine
"Ragtime ditties bore us, but Snoogums!* this one shines!"
They spluttered with their "S's", until they got lock-jawed
And Sammy left them singing as he slipped back on board


* see http://www.cuppycake.com/cuplyric.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: ClaireBear
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 12:09 PM

My band always sang, in verse 2 "Some old portly porpoise sporting in the foam" (better alliteration) and in verse 3 "Sharks all sang in chorus, splashing in the brine" (marginally better cadence)--and both of these are how I remember Regal Slip singing it, though that was a long time ago...

Oh, and I think it's "lockjawed" -- a better rhyme with "board."

We also sang "Six sharp shivering sharks are sure to snap your limb" even though that's not how Regal Slip sang it, because we thought "sure to" sounded better than "gonna" (also it's another sh sound, so it increased the tongue twister factor).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: GUEST,Helen
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 04:01 AM

Who'd have thought two people would be making the same correction at the same time!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: GUEST,Helen
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 04:00 AM

I have a slightly different last verse with an additional line ...

Sharks all sang the chorus and said 'while in the brine
Ragtime ditties bore us but by gum, this is fine'
They spluttered with their S's until they got lockjaw
And Sammy left them singing as he climbed on board ...

(and yes, Joe Clone, the last line of the previous verse is complete. It makes more sense when you carry on into the chorus!)

Hope that helps

Helen.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: Lucius
Date: 31 Jul 07 - 03:57 AM

Thanks for clearing it up. The second stanza is complete, but I must have chopped some off if the third, which should read: Sharks all sang the chorus and said while in the brine "Ragtime ditties bore us, but By Gum! this is fine! They spluttered with their "S's", until they got lock-jawed And Sammy left them singing as he climbed on board.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 04:25 PM

Previous thread with lyrics:
thread.cfm?threadid=38640#544055

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 03:54 PM

Lucius-

A very excellent transcription, caught on the fly I assume.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr Add: Swim, Sam, Swim
From: Lucius
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 02:20 PM

I saw that David Jones was posting here lately. He did a beautiful job on this song at NEFFA, though he forewarned us that he did not recall the final verse (I usually wait until I'm in the midst of it). Oh' I hope that my formatting work.

Swim Sam, Swim - Bert Lee and R.P.Weston

Sammy was a sailor, a sailor big and broad
Shipped on board a whaler and tumbled overboard
Shouted : "Someone save me!"
Someone said : "Go Hang!
The sharks are sniffing round you!"
Then his shipmates sang:

Swim Sam, Swim Sam, Swim Sam
Show them you're some swimmer
Swim like a snow-white swan, Sam
You know how the snow-white swan swam,
Six sharp shivering sharks
Are gonna snap your limb
But a swim well-swum is a well-swum swim
So Swim Sam, Swim Sam, Swim!

Sammy swum with vigour, the race had just begun
Sharks all eyed his figure,"All jelly!" shouted one
Some old portly porpoise, bobbed up in the foam
And shouted : "If you want to catch the last boat home:(is this the whole of this line? el joe clone)
Sharks all sang the chorus and said while in the brine
"Ragtime ditties bore us, but By Gum! this is fine!" And Sammy left them singing as he climbed on board.

line breaks added, hope I got them in the right places
- el joe clone -