Lyr Add: Cruising For Sperm / New Zealand Whales

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cruising For Sperm / New Zealand Whales
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 12 Jan 14 - 02:18 AM

Hi Robyn!
Nothing gets lost on the web!
I just recorded my version of this song, hoping that I could still remember the melody from Val's performance 45 years ago! How's that for musical memory? :)
I'm still in contact with John and Susan Sutherland, who continue to be active on the NZ folk scene. I'm sure they'll know Phil Garland, and vice versa.
Alas, my old mate, Bruce King died a couple of years ago in Nelson. I learnt quite a few songs from Bruce in the mid sixties, when he lived in Christchurch.

Cheers, and regards from Germany!
Peter

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cruising For Sperm / New Zealand Whales
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 Jan 14 - 04:11 PM

Wow, this thread is almost 15 years old!
Yes, Phil Garland is still around and singing - touring and putting out CDs and recently, a new songbook.
Phil's home page is here.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Cruising For Sperm / New Zealand Whales
From: GUEST,Peter Herring
Date: 10 Jan 14 - 07:49 AM

I heard this song in A New Zealand folk club in Wellington or Christchurch, way back in 1967, sung by Val Murphy.
Happy Days!

Peter

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Alice
Date: 15 Aug 99 - 03:24 PM

This thread title made me imagine that it was about a "new" (!?) folk song about Looking For Mr. Goodbar.

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Margo
Date: 15 Aug 99 - 02:23 PM

I'm glad you mentioned the Coast of Peru, as I have a CD with that one on it and am familiar with it. That's what's so great about folk music, it "morphs", and there's no one song that is the "right" one.

Margie

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Art Thieme
Date: 15 Aug 99 - 01:05 PM

no comment!

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 15 Aug 99 - 02:34 AM

Matthew, please keep trying with your Midi notation. I've indicated in a couple of other threads that I'll be pursuing other music interests for a while. What sort of package/approach do you use- maybe one of us can offer a few clues to make life easier? Like anything else lots of practice helps. I'd be keen to hear your comments. Regards, John.

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Matthew B.
Date: 14 Aug 99 - 10:48 AM

150 tunes? Maybe you and I should collaborate. I've put together about 400 sea songs, but it takes me forever to make the MIDI files to go with them.

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 06:54 PM

Thanks Dick and Matthew. Thanks for the feedback, with the exception of Australian whaling songs I don't have a lot of experience with this genre. At the end of the day I am always confident that Dick will use his sound judgement as to what gets added to the database. Until further orders I will try to keep submitting new tunes to the DT - I expect to pass my personal goal of 150 tunes in the next day or so. Regards, John.

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Matthew B.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 05:52 PM

Oops. I screwed that one up. here's how it should read:

...the Queen must have seamen
For to bring her more sperm
So Johnny must come...

You can't get much more, uh, seminal than that.

- Matt

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Matthew B.
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 05:50 PM

John -

The song you posted above is one of many variations (and only a slight variation at that) of the song Coast of Peru, a popular favorite of sailors in the days of whaling.

As for the double entendre with the word "sperm," there are zillions out there. I've even run across this one:

...the Queen must have sailors For to bring her more sperm So Johnny must come...

Now if that's not a thought provoking choice of words, I don't know what is.

- Matt

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 09:52 AM

(yet more bad taste warning!): "I used to think Moby Dick was a social disease till I read Herman Melville" (with apologies to Smirnoff Vodka, their ad agency and anyone else who needs apologies)
From one who always says in restaurants when it is on the menus: "I'll have spotted dick, I haven't had spotted dick, since taking the medication". My shins are scarred from the kicks under the table my everloving bestows on such occasions. Is this a form of Tourette's Syndrome?

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 05:57 PM

For two other versions, try a search for [coast of Peru]

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Blake Diamond
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 05:12 PM

Several tiny pieces of gritty material found on those last two posts have been positively identified as cat litter. The cops say an indictment is imminent.

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: worse taste
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:09 PM

and I thought this was the gay men's song thread

Subject: RE: NEW TUNE & LYRICS: Cruising For Sperm
From: Bad Taste
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 06:33 AM

NOT the reason for Ms Lewinsky's recent automobile accident.

Subject: Lyr/Chords/Tune Add: NEW ZEALAND WHALES
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 12:56 AM

Better known as New Zealand Whales as sung by Phil Garland. Is he still around? A late friend used to sing a number of his songs. I'll try and post a few more. Regards, John.

NEW ZEALAND WHALES

       D            G                 Em A         D
  Come all of you whale men who are cruising for sperm,
                   G               A            D
  Come all of you seamen who have rounded Cape Horn,
   D
  For our captain has told us and he stays out of hand,
            Dmaj7           G             Em  A7     D
  There's a thousand whales off the coast of New Zealand.

'Twas early one morning just as the sun rose
That a voice from the mast-head cried out "There she blows".
Our captain cried, "Where away, and how does he lay?"
"Three points on our lee, sir, scarce two miles away."

"Then call up all hands and be of good cheer.
Get your lines in your row-boats and tackle-falls clear."
We sailed off the west wind and came up apace.
The whaleboats were lowered and sent on the chase.

We fought him alongside. Harpoon we thrust in.
In just over an hour, he rolled out his fin.
The whale is cut-in, boys, tried-out and stowed down.
He's worth more to us, boys, than five hundred pound.

Our ship it is laden. For home we will steer.
There's plenty of rum, boys, and plenty of beer.
We'll spend money freely for the pretty girls ashore,
And when it's all gone, we'll go whaling for more.

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

ABC format:
X:1
T:New Zealand Whales
M:2/2
Q:1/4=120
K:D
A,8|D4E2F2|G2B,4EE|D3CB,2A,2|D6A,2|D4E2F2|
G2B4BB|A2E4G2|F6BB|A2F4E2|FED4BB|A2F4E2|F6A,A,|
D2E4F2|G4B,E2D|-D3CB,2C2|D8||