Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty

Subject: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:11 PM

I would like the words to this Shanty

Sing me a Shanty is the first line of the Chorus - so I presume that's what it's called

One of Victory Morris sang this on Saturday at the Shanty Sesh in Woolpack at Tenterden Festival - would be pleased to hear from him ...


Any help gratefully received

Jo-Jo

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:17 PM

Try here:
thread.cfm?threadid=101594&messages=13

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: MMario
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:19 PM

I found this:

Sing me a shanty and whisper me a rhyme
and take my hand, turn me around.
Hum me a poem, something truthful,
Whistle me a painting, crisp and clean.

Dressed in a ballroom gown, she dances,
She dances strong and she dances fast,
On the edge of the tallest mountain,
One more step, and she'll break like glass.
Ballroom gown, and she'll break like glass.

A writer, a writer, married my young mother,
Offered her magic, and offered her charm,
A liar, a liar, married my young mother,
And carried her away in his liar's arms

Hidden beneath a mask, he dances,
He dances proud and he dances tall
On the tip of his own destruction,
One more smile and he falls, he falls.
'Neath his mask, he falls, he falls.

A child, a child, bore my young mother,
A girl with her eyes, her smile and laugh.
And the writer, the writer, her young husband,
Was gone for days, with each wind that passed.

So my mother, my mother, she took her child,
Wrapped me tightly in cloth, in cloth.
Climbed to the heavens, in ballet shoes,
And she whispered to me, as she danced, as she danced,

"Sing me a shanty and whisper me a rhyme
and take my hand, turn me around.
Hum me a poem, something truthful,
Whistle me a painting, crisp and clean."

Dressed in a ballroom gown, she dances,
She dances strong and she dances fast,
On the edge of the tallest mountain,
That last step, and she broke like glass,
Oh that last step, and we broke like glass

Subject: Lyr Add: CARRYING NELSON HOME (Mike O'Connor)
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:21 PM

Easier to post them:
CARRYING NELSON HOME
(Mike O'Connor)

Ease the bow spring, gently set the foresheets on the windward side,
Let go fore and aft then as she turns, sail her full and by to catch the evening tide.
Shake out those topsails, feel the seas roll under that she know so well,
Find a star to guide her to the dawn, and then let her greet the long Atlantic swell.
Chorus:
Sing me a chanty
Cantad del Cabo San Vicente*
Chantez des Marin de Nile
Sing a hymn of Trafalgar.

Stream the log now, for she's heeling with a land-breeze to inspire,
Orange-scented from the groves of Andalucia, and within my mind Cadiz still gleams with fire.
Give her sea-room, put Saint Vincent well astern by break of day,
Then you shorten sail and harden up the sheets, and close-hauled we'll make the Northings slip away.

One point to loo'ard, for the rolling seas are getting shorter now.
They remind me of the lights of (far Hiera)**, and they tell me Biscay's on the starboard bow.
Shake out your reef, for carried on the breeze that's setting fair
Are spices from the quays of Lorient you can sail her free to weather Finisterre.

Ease your mainsheets, for it's soon we'll see the harbour lights of home,
Anchor, make good every sheet and halyard, remembering just who you have on board.
Pipe me ashore, gently hoist aloft your keg of brandy wine
Make ready to receive the admiral's pouch, lower me easy, I'm going ashore one last time.


* Cape sao Vicente? (Portuguese rather than Spanish)
** Figuera (da Foz)?

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:22 PM

Mario,

dont think thats the one, its a SEA shanty I'm looking for . . .!!!

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 04:24 PM

And Sinsull, I'm not sure that its this "Carrying Nelson Home" either, but hope to hear from Victory Morris to confirm . . .

I did hear MWR sing "Carrying Nelson" at Whitby last year ... so dont think its that one ...

Jo-Jo

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Oct 07 - 07:57 PM

Jo-Jo-

"Carrying Nelson Home" is a likely suspect. It has circulated around the world this past year at warp speed.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Sue the Borderer
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 10:28 AM

Hi Sinsull - for the record, the place is 'Hyeres' (though pronounced He-air-a) It's just south of Toulon (between Marseille and Nice)
It's one of the bits I asked Mike O'Connor about, cos I couldn't work out where it was.

I think Mike also gave me the words
Canta del carbo San Vicente    (pr Can-tar del carbo San Vishentay)

Chanter des marines du Nile    (pr Shantay day ma-rans du kneela)

Jo, I'm still racking my brains for what you're actually after! Do tell us if you find it. Missed you at Whitby this year.

Sue

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: North/South Annie
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 05:23 PM

jojofolkagogo if this 'Carrying Nelson Home' is the one you want,then it was certainly sung by Victory man Pete (blonde and beard more apparent than hair)at Tenterdon. If you want to PM me with your details I can arrange for him to contact you. Alternatively you may seek me out at Banbury this week-end.

Annie

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: CET
Date: 10 Oct 07 - 07:50 PM

I would like to hear "Carrying Nelson Home". It's new to me, and I love the lyrics. I can't comment on the Spanish words, but the French line in the chorus, as quoted above, doesn't look right. The English translation would be "sing about the sailors of the Nile", and the French should be "chanter des marins (not marines) du (not de) Nil (no 'e' on the end, and pronounced 'neel' rather than 'neeluh').

Are there any recordings out there?

Edmund

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Rumncoke
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 08:51 AM

gently set the foresheets on the windward side?

I supose that means to back the fore sail.

That would make sense when sailing away from a quayside with a favourable wind - but it's an odd way to put it.

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: jacqui.c
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:43 AM

When you hear it sung it makes sense though.

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 11:06 AM

Regarding the questions ('*' and '**'):

Cabo San Vicente in Portugal. The Wiki page is a translation so may appear a bit awkward.

'Far Hiera'
Mount Cragos:
"Mount Cragus or Mount Cragos or Mount Kragos (Greek: Κράγος) – also recorded as Hiera Acra – is a mountain in Turkey, in what was formerly ancient Lycia, Asia Minor."

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 11:19 AM

I'll phone Mike [Crowdercref]and get him to look at the thread as soon as he can. He'll put us all right!

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 12:15 PM

Hi Edmund
John Roberts does a great job on this & he'll be at the getaway, so you could ask him to do it.
Barry

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 12:52 PM

...and both Barry Finn and John Roberts have wondrous CDs out recently of songs of the seas. I've got 'em both---and I know! ;-)

Art

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Barry Finn
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:52 PM

Geeze Art, thanks for the plug

Barry

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:13 PM

I picked up mine at Portsmouth, Barry. Great stuff! John's Sea Fever is his best CD yet.

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Cats
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:34 PM

Have phoned Mike. He has a poorly computer at the moment, but he'll try to answer any Q's about Carrying Nelson Home as sone as it is better. Get well soon, Mike's computer.

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Crowdercref
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:40 PM

Just in case it helps. I spoke to Mike this afternoon.
The words and music of 'Carrying Nelson Home' are in Mike's book, 'Something in the Soul', which is £7.50 plus £1 p&p.

The song has been recorded by Martyn Wyndham-Read on his last CD. It is beautifully sung (of course) but Martyn's pronunciation one or two of the French words is, shall we say, different.

The places mentioned are the sites of some of Nelson's battles: Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, Hyeres, Cadiz, and Trafalgar.

Mike relates that he once sailed a Nich. 55 off the outer pier at Gib. The land breeze was dead on the bow, so he gently set the sheets of the no.1 jib to windward, which backed the jib and so swung the bow around. Perhaps it was the same for the Victory.

oll an gwella,

Crowdercref

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Crowdercref
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:57 PM

Oh and by the way,in the last verse it's Admiral's barge, not pouch.

The chorus, as Mike wrote it, is:

Sing me a shanty,
Canta del Cabo San Vicente
Chantez des Marins du Nile   
Sing a hymn of Trafalgar.

Mike's pronunciations are,

hee-air-ah (hyeres)
maran du neeler (marins du Nile)

But, hey, this is folk.

oll an gwella,

Crowdercref

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 08:22 AM

Thanks So Very much everybody for all your input

BUT . . .

If it was Carrying Nelson Home, which seems to be the case, as stated by Annie above, (thanks Annie) then i dont wanna sing it !!!! sorry, not interested in singing about Nelson ...

It was sung very well at Tenterden, though, it will place a memory in my heart -

Sue, Hiya, thanks for "missing" me at Whitby, it's nice to be missed, you know, some times I stay away JUST to be missed !!!!! (just joking)

Thanks again one and all.

Jo-Jo

Subject: RE: LyrReq: Sing me a Shanty
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 09:29 AM

Jo-Jo-

Not a problem!

The rest of us have learned a whole lot more about this well put together song by the question you raised. That's part of the joy of monitoring Mudcat.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: GUEST,ICEFOREYES
Date: 18 May 15 - 04:12 AM

What your after maybe "Sing me a Shanty with a yo-heave-ho" it goes

I'd love the life of a jolly tar,
sing me a shanty with a yo-heave-ho.
To roam the world both near and far,
sing me a shanty with a yo-heave-ho.
A full rigged ship and a spanking breaze, to sail through all of the seven seas.
To come and go just when I please,
sing me a shanty with a yo-heave-ho.

Does that sound right?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 18 May 15 - 05:45 AM

Here is the author of Carrying Nelson Home singing it for Mudcatters Kendal and Jacqui C on board the Victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVF6sXMoT80

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 18 May 15 - 05:46 AM

The author Mike O'Connor.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 18 May 15 - 01:48 PM

Thanks for posting that, Keith.

I've not seen it before, though I heard all about the event at the time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 03:47 PM

Could anyone tell me when this song and tune were written, please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 03:47 PM

Could anyone tell me when this song and tune were written, please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 04:12 PM

I think it was written about 2005. That was certainly when it first came into circulation at festivals and folk clubs (lyrics were first requested on Mudcat in 2006) so it may have actually been written some time before that.

Anyone know more?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 04:15 PM

2005 was the 200th anniversary of the death of Nelson, which may be significant.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Jan 16 - 04:15 PM

2005 was the 200th anniversry of the death of Nelson.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Dennis the Elder
Date: 11 Jan 16 - 02:04 PM

Thanks Noreen for the date and the logic, it is indeed a great song, a credit to Mike O'Connor.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 11 Jan 16 - 03:13 PM

any landlubbers have a confusion about the word "Sheets" in this context, it has nothing to do with sails. A sheet is a rope, or line if you wish. Sheets control the bottom of the sails. Halyards are also lines; they raise and lower the sails.

I can not listen to this song without tearing up. Especially that last verse. Thanks again, Mike, you are one of my few heroes.

By the by, Jacqui and I have a few copies of our rendition of this gem.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sing me a Shanty
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Jan 16 - 03:54 PM

I understand Mike was sailing home from the Med when the conditions caused him to think wether there had been snything similar when Victory was on a similar course after Trafalgar .