Subject: Lyr Add: ROLLER BOWLER + YANGTZE RIVER SHANTY etc.
From:
Barry Finn
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 11:49 PM
For anyone that's interested here are the old CD notes & lyrics which I'll try & put up on my site when I can.
1. Roller Bowler;
I got this from Polish shanty singer Marek Siurawski, who was something of a first mate of the Polish wishbone schooner Zawisza Czarny during the 1992 tall ship's parade in Boston Harbor. Hugill has this in his "Shanties of the Seven Seas", though slightly different. It was used at the capstan. Hugill says it's a "Negro-Irish type of sailor work-song". Cecil Sharp also collected a version of this. I also have to thank John Townely for reacquainting me with Marek's version years later.
Roller Bolwler (Alternate title: Good Morning, Ladies All)
As I roved out one mornin'
Ch: Away, you roller bowler!
As I roved out one mornin'
I met a dou-dou fair
Ch:Timme, hey-rig-a-jig, a jig-jig-a ha-ha
Good morning ladies all
Full Chorus: Away, you roller bowler
Timme, hey-rig-a-jig, a jig-jig-a ha-ha!
Good mornin', ladies all
Oh, the first time that I met her
Oh, the first time that I met her
That saucy gal of mine
She winked and flipped her flipper
She winked and flipped her flipper
She thought I was a Mate
But when she found that I was a skint
But when she found that I was a skint
She left me standing there
The last time that I saw her
The last time that I saw her
Was down the waterside
Oh, you ladies short and ladies tall
Oh, you ladies short and ladies tall
I love you one and all
2. Yangtse River Shanty;(words:Hamish Maclaren, Sailor with a Banjo,©1930) 3:08(Barry)
I got this from Charlie Ipcar of Maine. It comes from the pen of Hamish Maclaren and his 1930 folk opera "Sailor With A Banjo". Charlie adapted this to make it more singable and gave it a better life by setting it to a great tune for which he's too modest to take credit. I adapted it a bit further to be sung at the capstan.
Yangtze River Shanty
My lotus lady, I'll see no more,
Ch: Away, boys, a-way-o!
Since I left her on the China shore,
Ch: A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!
Gand Chorus: Away boys a-way-o blow
Blown me down that Yangtze River
A-way boys lift and walk away
When we first met, she was like a queen,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Prettiest little thing I'd ever seen,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way! (CHO)
She'd flashing eyes and long black hair,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
All I could do was stand and stare,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!
(CHO)
I bought her silks and a golden comb,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Trouble's over now, the anchor's home,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way! (
CHO)
I blowed my silver for to win her,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Now there's nothing left but donkey's dinner,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!
(CHO)
We're homeward bound, cookie's in the galley,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Farewell, Young Moon, of the Yangtze Valley,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!
(CHO)
3. Heavy Cruiser
Written for the Cruiser, the USS Salem, where we spent the weekend in Boston Harbor during a Tall Ship's parade. The reference to "we were a "4.0 war machine" refers to the ships inspection & performance, in this case making it a perfect war machine.
Heavy Cruiser
Oh, when I was young & in my prime
I wanted to sail on a ship of the line, (2X)
So I signed on a heavy cruiser
Chorus: So gunners spin your turrets round
And let me hear that battle sound
We'll meet the enemy & we'll take him down
With the guns of a heavy cruiser
When I was a lad just like you
I proudly wore the navy blue (2X)
When I served on a heavy cruiser
Though we were only 17
We were a four-0 war machine (2X)
And the crew of a navy cruiser
For many yrs we sailed the seas
Preserving peace & liberty
A mighty force for all to see
The mighty heavy cruiser
And now I'm old & turning grey
Long ago I stowed my blues away
But I still stand tall & proudly say
I served on this heavy cruiser
4. Schooner Industry
My friend, great singer/musician & writer of sea songs & shanties, Jerry Bryant dug this up from the log of the Industry & culled it down from 40 verses to eight. Jerry put this to a traditional tune, without the chorus, as he found it. The tune here is from Neil Downey as well as its new chorus. Historically I've found the song very accurate & from the report of the Commissioners of Fish & Fisheries where in the remarks column it has the crew as "manned wholly by blacks" as well as the brig Traveler also mentioned in this song. Absalom S. Boston a Nantucketer, land owner, inn keeper & merchant put to sea at the age of 15 in 1800 & retired from sea after this voyage. He was married to the granddaughter of the famous Black/Indian sea captain Paul Cuffe who also commanded & owned a brig by the same name of Traveler only 7 yrs earlier, most likely they are one in the same although I've yet to verify this. Interestingly enough the Bostons were also no strangers to litigation. His uncle Prince Boston, a slave sailor was the first on Nantucket to sue for his ships pay & won. Absalom himself sued the state of Massachusetts on behalf of his daughter & niece for school integration of the state school on Nantucket & won, this being a first time in the nation. I'd like to thank Jerry for his blessing to record this gem.
Schooner Industry
Come all you noble colored tars, that plow the raging main
Come & listen to my story boys, a thing that is quite strange
It was on the 8th of May, me boys, 1822
A schooner from Nantucket, boys with all a colored crew
A.S. Boston was commander & him we will obey
We took our anchor on the bow intending to go to sea
We hauled out for the Great Point Light till we got our barings on
Then hauled about for east south east till the daylight did dawn
Chorus; So it's hauling away for Boston boys & I do not mean the town
You can cheers a ring as we sail into the sound
They say this whaling's slavery but we are freemen all
So haul for Captain Boston boys, haul on your mainsail haul
We haul out for the westward were we intended to cruise awhile
Thence for the western Islands in the hopes to get some oil
A whaling voyage intended that we did mean to pursue
On board the schooner Industry, 14 was all our crew
O the 4th day of July, my boys, as you will understand
It was off between the isles, my boys, we had a noble gam
There were brigs & ships & schooners, the captains all dandy men
They all dined aboard the brig Traveler, Joseph Warren in command
Chorus
We agreed to cruise together, boys until some else prevailed
On the 10th day of July, my boys, we raised a noble whale
We lowered away our boast, my boys, to the leeward we did row
Our second mate having the chase, up to her we did go
Our consort's boat, the next came up hoping to get a lance
She flew & fought at such a rate, they did not get the chance
The whale now being pretty played out she then began to lag
The other boats just turned about when we raise the bloody flag
Chorus
Now to conclude my ditty boys, bring an end unto my song
A set of better sailors to a whaler, ne're belonged
Here's a health to Captain Boston, his officers & crew
And if he gets another craft to sea with him I'll go
5. Ida Lewis
I wrote this after reading about Ida Lewis in the book 'Women Who Kept The Lights' by Mary L & J Candace Clifford. I give thanks to them for the inspiration for this song.
IDA LEWIS
Ida Lewis left Newport at the age of 15,
Moved onto Lime Light Rock in the 1850's
Her father was a captain, now keeper of the light
Soon the duties fell on Ida to keep the lamps burning bright.
Her sisters & brother she'd row to school every day
In a small open lifeboat across the rough bay
From his wheelchair her father would watch through the storms
In horror as Ida would row the children back home.
Renowned for her skills no matter the weather
At swimming or rowing no man was her better
At the age of 16 she had saved 4 men's' lives
By the time she retired she had saved 25
There are saints on the water & demons in the sea
One & all they praised Ida for her great bravery
On the very night this women died, who had lived on the shoals
Every bell on every boat in Newport did toll
Now they've renamed that rock the Ida Lewis Rock Light
And in her honor today the lights are still burning bright
But sometimes at night when it's rough & it's cold
Some claim to see Ida pulling boys from the foam.
6. Fine Time of Day
A British West Indian rowing shanty that Neil found in the Roger D. Abraham's collection "Deep The Water Shallow The Shore".
FINE TIME 0' DAY
Hur-rah hur-rah me bully boys
Ch:Fine time o' day
We pull for St Thomas, boys
St Thomas have them pretty boys
Nancy Gibbs & Betsy Braid
Hur-rah hur-rah me bully boys
We pull for St Thomas, boys
Massa come from London Town
Massa he's a handsome man
Massa chase the pretty girls
He catch 'em in the cane break
Catch 'em an' he squeeze 'em
Hur-rah hur-rah me bully boys
We pull for St Thomas, boys
7. London Julie
Another shanty I got from Marek Siurawshi during the same tall ships parade in Boston Harbor. He was playing concertina & the schooner was motoring from the dockside while the cadets were making ready to set sail. This is the first shanty he sang as work got underway and the crew was quite comfortable performing their duties to this shanty. This can be found in both the Carpenter & the Gordon collections. I rewrote the verses, originally I had only some of the usual filler verses from Marek and felt it needed better than just the usual floating filler verses. I believe this came to Marek from Roy Harris by way of a woman shanty singer, whose name I can't find.
London Julie
We went for a loving walk
Ch: Aha, me London Julie!
And we had such a loving talk
Ch: Aha, me London Julie!
Grand Chorus: Julianna, Julianna, where do you go?
Aha, me London Julie!
Julianna, Julianna, where do you go?
Aha, me London Julie!
She took me to her favorite park
And we stayed there 'til after dark
Full Chorus
She said that she'd be true to me
She spent me money fast and free
As soon as I put out to sea
A soldier took her on his knee
8. Hard Times in Ol Virginia
I got this from the Georgia Sea Island Singers CD on Lomax's Southern Journey collection "Earliest Times vol.13. Lydia Parrish in her "Slave Songs of the Georgia Sea Islands" has a version of this and says what she has is a combination of the shanty 'Hard Times in Ole Virginny', the religious song "Aye Lord, Budding on the Fig Tree" and a dance song, "My Ole Missus Promise Me".
Hard Times In Ol Virginia
Hard Times In Old Virginia
My ol misses is a rich ol lady
Ch: Hard times in ol Virginia
Seven servants around her table
Ch: Hard times in ol Virginia
Grand Chorus: Oh, in ol Virginia
Hard times in ol Virginia
Oh, in ol Virginia
Hard times in ol Virginia
My ol misses is a rich ol lady
Ch: Hard times in ol Virginia
Seven servants to care for the baby
Ch: Hard times in ol Virginia
Go to the well gonna draw some water
Get a bucket gonna go tomorrow
My ol misses, now she promised me When she die she gonna set me free
9. Main Royal Yard
My ol misses now she grow so old All the hair on her head go bald
Get some corn lay it down by the fire
Get some corn watch the fire grow higher My ol misses is a rich ol lady
seven servants to roll the baby round, sir
9. Main Royal Yard This gem is another familiar story, from Neil, of a woman having her way with a sailor in port only in this case the mutual consent and out come has an agreeable ending.
The Main Royal Yard
As I walked out one morning down by the Boston Docks
I met a pretty young Judy there & after a line of talk
She throws her arms around me waist & says me jolly tar
How I'd like to see your lofty ship & her main royal yard
Refrain: The main royal yard & her main royal
(repeat the last line of each verse as the refrain)
How I'd like to see your lofty ship & her main royal yard
Says I to me self such a strange request has never been put to me
What interest would this Judy have in a ship that sails the sea
Excepting for me six months pay for which I've worked so hard
And what's this silly fascination with the main royal
So as we walked aboard the ship watch he winks at we
Are you sick of the shore so soon me lad are you looking to go to sea
To sea your ass says I with a grin but don't be laughing to hard
For this lassie is wanting to climb aloft to the main royal yard
So it's off with her petty coats one by one & her velvet slippers too
Then up aloft as sure as hell exposing a lovely view
And soon she's up to royal shrouds as soon as any tar
And a prettier sailor I never did see on the main royal yard
Says I to myself I must be daft to allow such a thing to be
When all of a sudden this lassie aloft starts spitting down at me
She give to me a saucy wink likewise a saucy nod
And she hollers now Jack come frolic with me on the main royal yard
Now the moon was so romantic a shinning on the bay
And the wind was blowing east nor' east as she let me have me way
Soon we'll have a little baby & he'll be a jolly tar
For you know he was conceived up on the main royal yard
10. One More Day
I got this great capstan shanty from Susanne Friend formely of San Francisco. Her version would be much more suited to the capstan than some other versions I've heard as this makes use of the full chorus & it's tempo matching the required work. I'm still grateful for her gift of this song and her patience in teaching it to me. My gift of a bottle of wine I'm sure, didn't get as much mileage as I've received singing this song.
One More Day
Oh row me 'cross the river
I heard a maiden say
Oh row me to me lover
One more day
Chorus: Only one more day, my Johnnys
One more day
Oh rock and roll me over, one more day
I'm nearly broken hearted
I can no longer stay
Once more must we be parted
One more day
I see the sea birds flyin'
Ashore from o'er the bay
I felt they were all cryin'
One more day
The sea birds take the warnin'
Which one and all obey
The tempest now is stormin'
One more day
Oh do not fear my beauty
I can no longer stay
For love makes way for duty
One more day
It's many seas I've roamed love
Er'e I return to say
To say with you my beauty
One more day
11. Hell of a Wedding
Or Monkey Married the Baboon's Daughter is a BWI used at the oars. It originated out of the 19th century music hall tradition. This here, according to Roger D Abrahams "is a parody, at least in part, of 'The Frog And The Mouse. Another one Neil got from Roger Abrahams's collection "Deep the Water Shallow the Shore".
Hell Of A Wedding
Hell of a Wedding on the Congo River.
Oh, what a hell of a wedding over Congo River
Monkey married to the Baboon's daughter
Chorus: Way, hey, hey, me bully boys
What do you think they had for their dinner (rest, no chorus)
Mosquito, gull and sandfly liver
Who do you think do the ceremony
Black fish King do the ceremony
Who do you think do the music for them
Cavalie band and the drum fish playing
Monkey get up to take the rice (rest, no chorus)
Baboon say, ``Leave the rice alone'' (rest, co chorus)
Baboon get up to stake the cake (rest, no chorus)
Monkey say, ``leave me might take along''
Where do you think they take holiday
Out on a raft on Montigo Bay
What do you think that they do on the water
Monkey & Baboon fight to the slaughter
What do you think that they have for supper (rest, no chorus)
Black fish tail and a dip in the scuppers
What a hell of a wedding on the Congo River
Monkey married to the baboon's daughter.
12. Good Ol Brig
I collected this rarely sung shanty while acting as honorary shantyman and a sometime volunteer aboard the brig Carthaginian at Lahina, Maui in 1979. There I met George Herbert, an old Cape Horner who had stopped to visit friend Drake Thomas who was working on the Carthaginian. He sang this shanty as well as others during his stay. I believe he picked this up while working the Baltic trades as a boy just prior to WWI. Hugill has a Norwegian version of this pump shanty in his "Songs of the Sea". You'll find in listening to this, that the lead voice alternates the third line some of the time. The reason is because when I first recorded George he sang it one way and 15 years later sent me a home recording of him singing it slightly different.
Good Old Brig
From London to Denmark we shipped aboard a brig Her timbers all were holy, pulp it was her rig
Chorus: So let the breezes blow, she's old & slow
We'll float across to Germany & shirk & lay below
Our foresail was all torn, we hadn't any thread
We grabbed the skipper's pants & hoisted them instead
We hadn't got a compass, we knew our way by smell
And if we went off course, the skipper would ring a bell
We hadn't got a lantern, to see us through the dark
The skipper's nose was bright enough to scare off any shark
The wheelhouse it was rotten, it made the rats amused
The only thing we had to spin was granny's spinning wheel
We should've sighted Hamburg a week ago it seems
When the lookout shouted strike me pink we've sighted Barbary
So we got ourselves a tugboat, we towed that brig astern
And if we ever reach Hamburg some day we will return
13. Bowline
This version comes from the Bahamas & can be found on the Lomax's collection 'Deep River of Song Bahamas 1935. Roy Harris also recorded a similar version.
The Bowline Haul
So long, my boys, you been to sea
You cannot tie a bowline
Ch: Haul on the bowline the bowline haul
So long, my boys, you been to sea
You cannot tie a bowline
Ch: Haul on the bowline, the bowline haul
Grand Chorus: The bowline, the bowline, you cannot tie a bowline
Haul on the bowline the bowline haul
Well, breeze & storm & sun & rain
I never seen/find a girl like Lucy Jane
I pulled her dress above her knee
She says "young man now let me be"
I'll tell me Ma when I get home
These Windward gals won't leave me 'lone
They spend me money so quick on shore
Pack me bags, to sea once more
You say you've been to sea long time
You ain't worth a bloody dime
14. Ranzo Rae
I first heard this halyard shanty by sung Dick Holdstock & Alan MacLeod & later had to swipe it off their CD "Deep Water Shanties". Hugill has this as Afro American in origin. This version's verses come from a variety of sources.
Ranzo Rae
I'm bound away to leave you, I never will deceive you,
Ch: Ranzo ranzo, hurray hurray!
I'm bound away to please you, my half-pay I will leave you.
Ch: Hilo my Ranzo Rae
We're bound for Yokahama with a load of grand pianos,
We're bound for Bonas Airees with a bunch o' green canaries
We're bound for Valpariser with a load of rusty razors,
We're bound for Venezuela with a crew of drunken tailors,
We're loaded down with curios from China and the Indgo-s
We're bound for Santiager with a load of German lager,
We're outward bound from Rio, with a load of stinking guano
We're going past Giberralterr an' our carger's bricks an' mortar
We're heading into London, with a load of soggy cotton
We'll pass the cliffs of Dover, and then we'll be in clover
We've sailed the oceans over like a proper deep sea rover,
The next time that I meet you, it's with kisses I will greet you
15. Coal Black Rosie
Neil got this double pull halyard shanty from Tommy O'Sullivan while recording at sea on the Unicorn back in the early 80's. It was collected by both Bullen & Hugill, who says it's a pure"Negro ditty".
Coal Black Rose
Oh, me Rosie, coal black rose
Ch: Don't ye hear the banjo
Ping-a-pong-a-pong?
Ch: On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Up aloft this yard must go
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Strung up like a banjo, Taut an' long,
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
The yard is now a-movin', Hauley-hauley ho!
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose
The Mate he comes around, boys, Dinging an'a dang.
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose
Back in into it, boys, Rock an roll her high
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
One more pull boys Rock & roll her high
On, me Rosie, Coal Black Rose!
Oh, me Rosie, coal black rose
Don't ye hear the banjo
Ping-a-pong-a-pong?
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Skipper's on the beach An he can't get none
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Up aloft this yard must go
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,
One more pull, boys, And then belay
Oh, me Rosie, coal black Rose,.
16. Good-Bye My Lover Good-Bye
I got this off friends Peter Kasin & Richard Adrianowicz's CD "Boldly From the Westward-Songs of the Sea". Versions of this Great Lakes capstan shanty can be found from Colcord, Tozer & Hugill, who sees it as probably being of "Negro" origin.
Good-Bye My Lover Good-Bye
He came on board in his Sunday clothes
Ch: Good-bye, my lover, good-bye
In his Sunday hat an' his Sunday hose
Ch: Good-bye, my lover, good-bye
Grand Chorus: Good-bye, good-bye my love
Good-bye, my, good-bye
A farmer boy stood on the deck
He's eatin' peanuts by the peck
He should a'stayed with his mules and plow
He thinks the rudder's in the bow
He walks the deck with farmer's feet
He don't know a halyard from a sheet
He thinks himself a hell of a tar
As he pushes around the caps'n bar
When the night winds blow and the seas do roar
He'll curse the day he left the shore
When the green seas roll across our deck
He'll pray for the Lord to save his neck
When the old ship rolls all day 'n' night
It'll turn his face green, blue and white
When he has to go aloft at night
He'll soil his drawers in his awful fright
He'll know aloft from down below
Before we reach Buffalo
17. Feeny Brown
I got this shanty in the early 1980's from Talithia (Nelson) MacKenzie, a friend formely of the Boston area & now of Scotland, with whom I'd occasionally sing with. Talithia is quite the shanty singer who has this shanty, I believe, from Roger Abrahams collection.
Feeny Brown
Fenny Brown is the belle of Bermuda
Ch: Hy-o Feeny
Fenny Brown is the belle of Bermuda
Ch: Spend my money on Feeny Brown
Grand Chorus: Give her a dollar an' she ask for another
Hy-o, Fenny
Give her a dollar & she ask another
Spend my money on Feeny Brown
Feeny Brown was a worldiest mulatta
Feeny Brown was a worldiest mulatta
Feeny Brown always chew tabacco
Feeny Brown always chew tobacco
Fenny Brown was a bright mulatta
Feeny Brown was a bright mulatta
18. Good-Bye My Riley-O
A shanty from the Georgia Sea Island Singers that can be found in Lydia Parrish's collection. Frankie Quimby tells me that "Riley's" the nickname of a slave driver who was leaving but being better than most of the drivers he was preferred by many and therefore would be missed. The nickname she said, was to hide his identity.
Good-Bye My Riley-O
Riley, Riley, where are you
Ch: Oh, Riley, oh, man
Riley, Riley, where are you
Ch: Bye, bye my Riley, oh man
Riley's gone to London Bay
London Bay so far away
Riley's gone to Liverpool
Riley's gone & I'll go to
Wish I was Captain Riley's son
I'd stay at home & I'd drink good rum
I thought I heard the captain say
Tomorrow be our sailing day
Riley, Riley, where are you
Riley, Riley, where are you
19. Albertina
Another rarely sung shanty that I collected from George Herbert. Hugill has this in his 'Songs of the Sea' as a Scandinavian capstan and pump shanty. Another version can be found in Hugill's 'Shanties of the Seven Seas'. George's version is sung as a pump shanty rather than at the capstan. Again I believe George picked this up while in the Baltic Trades as a youngster.
Albertina
They are building a ship in the northlands
Albertina they will call her when she's done
Ch: pump away
Ch: Albertina, she will serve us,…. Albertina will preserve us,….
Albertina they will call her when she's done (repeating last line as refrain)
pump away
They say that she is ready & waiting
She's loaded down with golden ale & wine….pump away
They say that's is ready & waiting
To take us all around the Horn
They say she lies waiting at anchor
To take us or'e the bounding main
On the shore there are many hearts a weeping
As we sail into the harbor safe & snug.
They say that there's a sailors grave a waiting
Beneath the ocean wide & blue
20. Priest & Nuns
A pumping shanty from Jerry Bryant. Jerry resurrected this pump shanty from Frederick Pease Harlow's book, 'Chanteying Aboard American Ships'.
Priests & Nuns
A priest in Austria thought one day
Ch:Ho,Ho,Ho He'd go to France without delay
Ch: Hal-ler-al-le-rye. hal-ler-al-le-ray
He'd go to France without delay Ch: Hal-ler-al-le-ray, Ho, Ho
So when this father came to France
Seven sick nuns he found by chance
He saw these nuns in the convent yard
All laying down on benches hard
He gave these nuns his calling card And asked may I come in your yard
To one he asked what he could
I'm both priest & doctor too
A sick nun then made quick reply
Said father treat me ere I die
With cane in hand a walking stick
And he touched that nun so very quick
The others ran that they could see
And asked the priest what could that be
A medicine stick in my hand I hold
To cure all sick nuns in my fold
Another nun that lay close by
Cried father none so sick as I
He treated all the nuns alike
And said he'd call another night
Their treasures gone they looked in vain
For the priest that carried the medicine cane
21. Georgie, Me Neck A Broke
This is a BWI shanty used more for lifting or shoving either a boat or house. Again, Neil got it from Roger D Abrahams's collection "Deep the Water Shallow the Shore".
Georgie Me Neck –A- Broke
Georgie, me neck –a-broke
Ch: Hold 'em George I think me neck-a-broke
Georgie, me neck-a-broke
Ch: Hold 'en George I think me neck-a-broke
Pull on the oar now
Ch: I think me neck-a-broke
Cut through the water
Ch: I think me neck-a-broke
Black fish rising
Pull on the oar now
Georgie, me neck –a-broke
Hold 'em George I think me neck-a-broke
Georgie, me neck –a-broke
Hold 'em George I think me neck-a-broke
Put in the stick now
Put it on the loggerhead
Pull on the oar now
Don't you lose him
Don't let him take you
Georgie, me neck –a-broke
Hold 'em George I think me neck-a-broke
Georgie, me neck –a-broke
Hold 'em George I think me neck-a-broke
22. Saltpeter Shanty
I picked up the first verse & chorus in 1981 from a recording of the Critics Group, their version was called "Slav Ho". Unable to find more than the one verse I wrote a few more verses over the years. I came across David Parry singing this version at the Mystic Sea Music Festival in 1997, David led me to Hugill's version, which is the one pretty much sung here with an additional verses from Pint & Dale and some verses I'd had kept that I had written. Joanna Colcords book 'Roll & Go' has the version called "Slav Ho" which she in turn has from Captain Robinson's 'The Bellman'
Saltpeter Shanty
For the Spanish main we are bound away
Chorus: Oh roll
For the Spanish main we are bound away
Chorus: Oh roll
We are sailing away at the break of day
Where the swift bonnitos and dolphin do play
Grand Chorus: Oh roll, rock her bars
Heave her high, oh, rock her, roll
From Liverpool Bay we are sailing away (2x)
We are sailing away from Liverpool Bay
To the flash girls o' Chile who'll take all our pay
A lashing of liquor the old man gives us (2x)
If he keeps it up we'll bust a gut
And drive this ship through hell if we must
When the order comes round for to shorten more sail (2x)
Well call for more ale in a full blown gale
Or up aloft you'll not see our tails
For two weary weeks we beat round the horn (2x)
To push us on till the break of dawn
Salt spray we drank from night until morn
Old Pedro the Crimp, boys, we know him of old (2x)
He's primin' his vino, he's dopin' his beer
To the Chinchas he'll ship us if we don't steer clear
Them flash gals o-Chile they're so hard to beat (2x)
They'll greet us an love & treat us to wine
But the bastards are robbin' us most of the time
When the order comes round for to sail away home (2x)
From some old seaport on the west coast of hell
We'll sing adios and say fare thee well
22. St. Peter Down at Courland Bay
Saint Peter's Day is June 29, during the Fishermen's Fete. Neil, again lifted this & adapted it from Roger D Abrahams's collection "Deep the Water Shallow the Shore" - "the beach singers feels that he must make up a song for the visiting fishermen who come from all over the island. They commonly sing of the beauties of the fete, using a traditional tune but introducing topical subjects and an appropriate chorus line. Here is a pattern, for instance, which was improvised upon by one of the singers".
St. Peter Down at Courland Bay
St Peter, St Peter down at Courland Bay
Ch: St Peter, St Peter down at Courland Bay
An the water very fresh & fell fresh & gay
I'm going to take you to St Peter's on that day
I'm going to buy you silks & laces on that day
St Peter, St Peter down at Courland Bay
I'm going to drink rum & be dancing on that day
St Peter, St Peter down at Courland Bay
An the water very fresh & fell fresh & gay
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sj
