Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All

Subject: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:26 AM

The recording of Ye Mariners All/Oh Mariners All sung by Ray Driscoll: I can't get a word in the fourth stanza, and I'd like a check of the rest of my transcription. A thought to Malcolm Douglas, who so often helped me with songs. R

Oh mariners all, as you pass by
Come in and drink if you'd be dry
And always spend your money brisk
And put your gob to a jug of this

Oh mariners all with half a crown
You're welcome all, come in, sit down
Come, lads, spend your money brisk
And put your gobs to a jug of this

Oh tipplers all, as you pass by
Come in and drink and don't be shy
Come in and drink, think it not amiss
And put your gob to a jug of this

Oh all you lads with (…) to tell
Brave men we lost from shot and shell
But we'll raise a toast to the friends we miss
And put our gobs to a jug of this

Oh mariners all about to sail
Embark, betimes and do not fail
But one last treat we do insist
To put your gob to a jug of this

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:41 AM

Sorry, Roberto, can't help, I don't know this version. I suspect it is a modern re-write, and you'll need to contact the singer/author?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 10:44 AM

My reasoning is not only stylistic(though it clearly doesn't read like a totally old song). The fact is that key phrases in it are not locatable by google, and if this was an old version of such a very famous song, someone would have it online by now.

Subject: Lyr Add: A JUG OF THIS
From: curmudgeon
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 11:38 AM

Subject: LYR. ADD: A JUG OF THIS
From: Q - PM
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 11:04 PM

The ballad from the Bodleian Library linked by Malcolm Douglas.

Lyr. Add: A Jug of This

You tiplers all as you pass by
Call in and drink if you be dry
Call in and drink think it not amiss
To pawn my shirt for a jug of this.

You mariners all if you have a crown
You are welcome here to sit all down
Come spend my lads your money brisk
And pop your nose in a jug of this.

Now I am bound unto some Spanish shore
Where thundering cannons loud will roar
Crown my desire fulfil my wish
A pretty girl and a jug of tiis.

Now I'm grown old and scarce can crawl
With my grey beard and my head bald
Transform me now into a fish
That I may swim in a jug of this.

When I am dead and in my grave
And all my sorrows past and fled
Crown my desire fulfill my wish
Write on my tomb a jug of this.

J. Pitts, London. Between 1819-1844.
Harding B16(120c)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 11:46 AM

The words vary quite a lot. Possible options for the phrase in that verse might be :

Oh all you lads with tales to tell..

or

Oh all you lads, the truth to tell,

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:20 PM

Greg: Ray Driscoll was a traditional singer, from Mayo, but he spent most of his life in England. His recording of Meriners All was saluted as very important, being the first in the oral tradition since 1908.

MartinRyan: thanks, but Ray sings some different words than these...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:25 PM

Where is the recording? Don't think I've heard of the singer - but may be able to find out.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:30 PM

Roberto: very interesting, I have not heard of him. Where and when is meant to have picked it up, in England, or Mayo? Do we know? And what was the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:31 PM

Wild, Wild Berry - The Songs of Ray Driscoll - Field recordings of Traditional Song - Proper Job Productions, Artension CD 703. You can read something about this CD at Musical Traditions, the internet site by Rod Stradling. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:36 PM

The booklet in the Cd says he was first recorded by Mike Yates. The recordings in the CD were made between 1993 and 2002. Ray Driscoll died in Shropshire in 2005. There are many beautiful songs in the CD, among them a version of Lord Randall (Wild, Wild Berry) and a recording of Sir Patrick Spens. The tune to which Ray Driscoll sings Mariners All is quite similar to the one we know from many recordings inspired to the song that we can also know from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:40 PM

Ray Driscoll was recorded by Gwilym Davies (his email address is googlable). Suggest you contact him, Roberto, he will undoubtedly have transcribed the material he collected.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Tradsinger
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:47 PM

The word is 'yarns'. If you want to get a copy, see
http://www.cmarge.demon.co.uk/Properjob%20Publications.html


Cheers

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 12:51 PM

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Tradsinger
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 01:03 PM

Ray told me that he learnt the song whilst serving in the Royal Navy in the 50s. He couldn't remember where he'd learnt it but thought on one occasion it was Portsmouth and on another occasion thought it might be Scapa Flow (or perhaps somewhere in between!). I would think Portsmouth is more likely as other collected versions seem to be Southern England and not Scotland and the tune is very similar to that collected in Dorset. I was very surprised to find it in Ray's reportoire and wondered if it had filtered through to him from the folk revival, so I asked him if he knew a verse about 'transform me then into a fish', but this rang no bell with him. In the absence of other information, I take this to be a genuine survival in oral tradition. Ray was bemused at my interest in the song as he considered it 'a bit of a dirge'.

Cheers

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 01:22 PM

Tradsinger

Thanks for that. Very interesting.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:42 PM

Click here for the Musical Traditions website review of the CD, mentioned above.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:43 PM

Having met Ray and shared a few songs with him before he had recorded for any "collectors" I feel pretty sure that he was not influenced by the "folk revival" he seemed to be pretty much unaware that there was such a thing until the later years of his life. He was delighted when he was introduced to the "scene" to be able to sing and share with others the songs that he had been singing for years.

I am sure that Mike Yates or Gwylym would give you more detail.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: MartinRyan
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:51 PM

There's a Folkopedia entry HERE

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Driscoll's Oh Mariners All
From: Tradsinger
Date: 18 Apr 09 - 06:59 PM

Thanks, Hoot (who are you really?). Your view accords exactly with mine. But Ray was a very aware man and was a sponge for songs, some of which changed a little in his rendering of them. Although the folk ' 'scene' was new to him, he had an open mind for all sorts of music and song.

Tradsinger