Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew - 1845

Subject: RE: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: JeffB
Date: 19 May 10 - 12:26 PM

Hi Norman D,

I've always assumed that Lady Franklin's Lament was the older song, simply because it's more developed and a lot of its phrases are in Lord Franklin, but never had any proof. Do you know when they appeared?

While on the subject, can you tell me where the tunes come from? I sing the Lament to the the melody of Lord Franklin because I don't particularly enjoy the Lament's sturdy hymn-like tune. I wonder how many others do the same.

In 1984 the graves of several sailors were re-discovered on Beechy Island, which is just off the SW tip of Devon Island, by a team from the University of Alberta. One grave was opened for forensic examination. By an astonishing co-incidence, the scientist flown in to supervise the operation was a direct descendent of the sailor.

Subject: RE: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: Charmion
Date: 19 May 10 - 11:34 AM

Har, har.

Relics of the Franklin expedition still turn up occasionally in the Arctic Archipelago. People who should know better bring them south as curiosities despite strict laws against disturbing archaeological sites.

Years ago, I was shown a shoebox containing, among other things, shreds of boot-leather and rusted food cans with their lids and bottoms swollen from decomposition gases. The cans had all been opened with a crude tool, probably a spike.

These items were recovered from a cache on King William Island, and kept as a grisly trophy. They sure gave me the shudders.

Subject: RE: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 May 10 - 11:19 AM

FRANKLIN [Stanley Accrington 1993]

I was in a folk club the other week
Someone sang Lord Franklin and I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream, and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew

From Baffin Bay where the whale fish play
쳌ecross the frozen ocean in the month of May
For a North west passage his course was fixed
That's in Canada not up the M6

The expedition had limited means
The only food they had was tins of beans
Even the Eskimo in his skin canoe
Had baked beans and frozen fish fingers too

With all those beans the winds began to blow
The fate of Franklin no man doth know
The fate of Franklin no man can tell
All that was left of him was a funny smell

In those days the tins were made with lead
They should have been made from steel instead
The crew grew sick and wished they'd never started
And as for Franklin ....... he simply departed

But now my story it gives me pain
I just can쳌ft listen to that song again
Without thinking of that blunder alimentary
Which I heard about in a documentary

I was down at a folk club where the admission's cheap
Someone sang Lord Franklin and I fell asleep
Dreamed ten thousand pounds was freely given
By Lady Franklin, who'd not seen the television

Franklin didn쳌ft die from the effects of lead
I think the beans did for him instead
I think he exploded in the arctic air
And punched a big hole in the ozone layer!

Subject: RE: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 19 May 10 - 11:11 AM

My preferred version by the Duncan McFarlane Band has Stan Rogers' chorus added. Terrific. I doubt it will be featured on this radio programme though!.

Subject: RE: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: NormanD
Date: 19 May 10 - 04:17 AM

Also the inspiration for Bob Dylan's "Bob Dylan's Dream", on 'Freewheelin'. He uses the melody, and some lyrics, and acknowledges the source in the sleeve notes. It later led me to this far older song, "Lady Franklin's Lament" - lots of discussion here in the past.

Subject: Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew
From: Rain Dog
Date: 19 May 10 - 03:22 AM

BBC Radio 3 19.50 Thursday 20.5.10

Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew

It was on this day, 20th May in 1845, that Lord Franklin's ships the Erebus and Terror cleared the mouth of the Thames on their voyage to find the Northwest Passage. A traditional song recounts the story 'of Franklin and his gallant crew' and through this Julian May explores Franklin's fateful, indeed fatal, voyage, and reveals how folk song, as well as beautiful and inspiring, can be history.

You can read more about it here

Concerning Franklin and His Gallant Crew

Hopefully it will be on the iplayer