Origin: The Pirate's Serenade (Kennedy)

Subject: RE: Origin: The Pirate's Serenade (Kennedy)
From: GUEST,my
Date: 09 Apr 13 - 05:26 PM

my verse along with the one about hundred shall serve was sung at Seattle Song Circle by John Dwyer...I think he said he got it from Burl Ives.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE PIRATE'S SERENADE (W. Kennedy)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Apr 13 - 01:45 PM

I have boldfaced the words that are different from Charley Noble's version. Note that this is presented as a poem, not a song, and there is no chorus or refrain designated as such.

From The Ant: A Selection of Pieces, Chiefly Narrative, in Prose and Verse (Glasgow: Robertson & Atkinson, 1827), page 17:


THE PIRATE'S SERENADE.
By W. Kennedy.

My boat's by the tower, my bark's in the bay,
And both must be gone ere the dawning of day;
The moon's in her shroud, but, to guide thee, afar
On the deck of the daring's a love-lighted star:
Then wake, lady! wake!—I am waiting for thee,
And this night, or never, my bride thou shalt be!

Forgive my rough mood, unaccustomed to sue,
I woo not, perchance, as your land lovers woo;
My voice has been tuned to the notes of the gun,
That startle the deep when the combat's begun;
And heavy and hard is the grasp of a hand,
Whose glove has been ever the guard of a brand.

Yet think not of these, but this moment be mine,
And the plume of the proudest shall cower to thine;
A hundred shall serve thee, the best of the brave,
And the chief of a thousand shall kneel as thy slave;
Thou shalt rule as a queen, and thy empire shall last
Till the red flag by inches is torn from the mast.

O! islands there are on the face of the deep,
Where the leaves never fade, and the skies never weep!
And there, if thou wilt, shall our love-bower be,
When we quit for the greenwood our home on the sea;
And there shalt thou sing of the deeds that were done,
When we braved the last blast, and the last battle won.

O haste, lady! haste! for the fair breezes blow,
And my ocean-bird poises her pinions of snow;
Now fast to the lattice these silken ropes twine,
They are meet for such feet and such fingers as thine;
The signal, my mates !—Ho!—hurra!—for the sea.—
This night, and for ever, my bride thou shalt be!

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: GUEST,Jozeevis Mosa
Date: 02 Apr 13 - 08:37 AM

The origin is a poem from 1827 by William Kennedy, published in Fitful fancies (www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/william-kennedy/fitful-fancies-poems-nne/page-4-fitful-fancies-poems-nne.shtml). Classical composer John Thomson composed the music, that differs by the melody that is usually sung in Holland - it is a shame that I cannot dispose on the music in Burl Ives songbook. In fact Thomson's music is used in the Jane Eyre movie, mentionnned earlier in this thread. Alexander Ball simplified Thomson's composition, did not mention Thomson's name on the music sheet, suggested a rather big part of the composition as his creation - shame on Alexander! Then there is a gap between Thomson's creation and Burl Ives Songbook (about 1953). The meter shifted from 6/8 to 3/4, the melody changed, some text was added (as shown earlier in this thread). I suppose the song was so popular, that soon after Ball's publication the song became 'public property' and was subject to 'traditional' improvements, additions and so on.

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 06:59 PM

Mary-

Where are those verses from?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 06:12 PM

The Frenchman and Don shall flee from thy path
And Englishmen cower below at thy wrath
And our sails will be gilt at the dawn of the day            
And sea robins sing as we sail on our way

words might be scrambled

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 03:15 PM

I do wonder where the song picked up this additional verse:

A hundred shall serve, the best of the brave,
The chief of a thousand shall kneel as thy slave,
And thou shalt reign queen, and our empire shall last
'Til the black flag, by inches, is torn from the mast.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 02:54 PM

I first heard "The Pirate's Serenade" on someone's 10" LP way back in prehistoric times (early 1950's), then later learned it from Burl Ives' paperback, Sea Songs of Sailing, Whaling, and Fishing.

Thanks for the original words, Charley!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 01:47 PM

So here my transcription of the original words to this song which appears to have a refrain rather than a uniform chorus:

My boat's by the tow'r, my barque's in the bay,
And both must be gone ere the dawning of day;
The moon's in her shroud, but to guide thee a-far
On the deck of the daring's a love-lighted star.
Then, wake, lady, wake, I am waiting for thee,
And this night or never, my bride thou shalt be.
Wake, lady, wake, I am waiting for thee,
And this night or never my bride thou shalt be.

Forgive my rough mood, unaccustomed to sue,
I woo not, perhaps, as your landlubbers woo,
My voice has been tuned to the notes of the gun,
Which startle the deep when the combat's begun,
And heavy and hard is the grasp of the hand,
Whose glove has been ever the guard of our band;
And heavy and hard is the grasp of the hand,
Whose glove has been ever the guard of our band.

Oh, islands there are on the face of the deep,
Where the leaves never change, and the skies never weep,
And there if thou wilt, our love bower shall be,
When we leave for the greenwood our home on the sea.
And there thou shalt sing of the deeds that were done,
When we loos'd the last blast and the last battle won.
And there thou shalt sing of the deeds that were done,
When we loos'd the last blast and the last battle won.

Oh haste, lady, haste, for the fair breezes blow
And my ocean bird poses her pinions of snow;
Now fast to the lattice these silken chords twine,
They are meant for such feet and such fingers as thine!
The signal, my mates, ho, hurrah! for the sea!
This night and forever my bride thou shalt be.
The signal, my mates, ho, hurrah! for the sea!
This night and forever my bride thou shalt be.

It's possible that I got lost in the sheet music as published. So someone else should check what I've posted.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: blinddrunkal
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 01:15 PM

thank you Georgiansilver Tim and all the rest - I had no idea!

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 10:55 AM

Thanks for the background info.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: MartinRyan
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 10:02 AM

Thanks Georgiansilver. Song seems to have gone feral - particularly in Canada, judging by Roud references - without changing its poetic character. One broadside reference also. Interesting one, alright.

Regards

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 09:37 AM

Check here for further info!....

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 09:33 AM

Composed by Alexander Ball in 1841 and written as 'The Pirates Serenade'.. dedicated to Balls friend John r Garland ..... used in 1973 film version of Jane Eyre..... Jane Eyre clip 1973 0n Youtube.   the song comes at the end of the clip at around 7.20...... and was referred to as The Corsair Song.

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: MartinRyan
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 08:34 AM

Thanks RTim - I wouldn't have expected to find it had a Roud Number!

Regards

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: RTim
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 08:25 AM

The Pirates Serenade - Roud #2698, recorded once by Jon Raven on Argo ZFB-29 Inn Folk.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: MartinRyan
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 08:18 AM

There's a set in the Digital Tradition - HERE but I don't see any earlier discussion on Mudcat unless buried in one of the general pirate song threads.

FWIW it sounds like a setting of a poem to me, rather than anything traditional.

Regards

Subject: RE: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 07:59 AM

Last time I heard it sung , aout thirty years ago , the singer called
it Traditional .

Subject: pirate song anyone know the origin
From: blinddrunkal
Date: 29 Jul 12 - 07:55 AM

anyone know the origin of this song - beginning "My boat's by the tower and my bark's on the bay"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkePWiuf4A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkePWiuf4A