Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)

Subject: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Feb 13 - 09:11 PM

Well, the Coast Guard hearings on the sinking of the HMS Bounty are over and I've been thinking about that ship and her crew since last October when she went down. Here's a link to the lyrics and a MP3 sample of the first verse and chorus: Click here for lyrics and MP3 Sample!

This song is largely based on the testimony provided at the recent Coast Guard inquiry into the sinking of the tall-ship Bounty in October of 2012. I've been following the testimony live and the summaries by retired Coast Guard officer Mario Vittrano at the Facebook g-Captain forum; I find his summaries compassionate to the crew members but critical when it comes to safety and good judgment. I resisted composing the song until the hearings were complete. I think a message needs to be sent out to our friends in the tall-ship community, while this event is still fresh in our minds. It's true that the message won't be welcome by some, and painful to others. I regret that. But we should do all we can to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 23 Feb 13 - 11:11 PM

Nice job, Charlie! Mind if I snag it?
J

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 10:12 AM

Julia-

You are more than welcome to sing it. I'd love to hear you do it!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 03:14 PM

Good work!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 05:12 PM

Thanks! The hard work was done by the Coast Guard Inquiry panel, questioning the surviving crew members and other tall ship captains. I was told it will be weeks, if not months, before the Panel issues their conclusions.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 May 13 - 10:04 AM

Here's the latest version of my new song "Never Turn a Blind Eye to the Storm" about the Bounty's sinking, with guitar backup and harmonies: click here for lyrics and MP3 Sample!

Jeff Logan is providing guitar back-up and high harmony; I'm also providing a low harmony.

I've sung nautical songs for years and after the sinking of the Bounty last October I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to say. I watched the video from the 8 days of the Coast Guard Inquiry and read the summaries of the testimony from the surviving crew members, the Boothbay Shipyard workers, and other tall-ship captains. So what we have is a song about lessons to be learned, and hopefully lessons that will not be forgotten by those who sail these beautiful but vulnerable ships. I'd be interested in any comments you might have about this song.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Levana Taylor
Date: 26 Oct 21 - 03:20 AM

For a year or so I've been singing this song with great pleasure. I learned it from the video of Charlie performing it live in 2018. So I'd like to contribute a transcription of the melody based on that performance. I've also made a few changes to the lyrics which I think add clarity at some points -- so first I'll post Charlie's original lyrics and then my comments on them. Charlie, apologies in advance if I misrepresent anything!

NEVER TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE STORM
Charlie Ipcar, 2013

Now she went down in October in a massive hurricane,
The waves were running mountain high with driving wind and rain;
Ninety miles off Hatteras, she couldn't take no more:
And the H.M.S. Bounty she rolled o'er.
There were sixteen souls aboard her, Captain Walbridge and his crew;
He'd sailed that ship nigh twenty years and knew just what to do;
But her frames were filled with rot, and her pumps were known to fail—
Should such a ship ever have set sail? (2X)

CHORUS:
Never turn a blind eye to the storm, I say;
The sea is unforgiving, she'll snatch your life away.
Learn your trade, weigh the risks, and you'll see better days.
Never turn a blind eye to the storm,
Never turn a blind eye to the storm!

What was that captain thinking to leave port that day,
With a fast approaching hurricane directly in his way?
But he reassured his crew, "We'll be safer out to sea!"
And who were they to question his decree?
They refit the ship in Boothbay, so much rot was found;
Planks and frames ripped out, replaced, but still more were unsound;
"Caulk her up and paint her; I'm sure she'll do just fine;
We've got to reach St. Petersburg on time!" (2X)

CHORUS

The ship was working hard, as she beat into the wind,
The captain shifted course southwest to save more time again;
But the only time he saved was the cruelest kind of pause,
As the great storm snatched the ship into its mighty claws.
The engine room was flooded as the seams gaped open wide;
The pumps were overwhelmed as the diesel engines died;
For the captain and his crew, it was their final trip,
They prepared the life rafts to abandon ship. (2X)

CHORUS

Fourteen souls the Coast Guard saved on that fateful day;
The captain, he's still missing since he was swept away.
One deckhand was found dead, the newest member of the crew;
She'd always dreamed of sailing out into that endless blue.
Now there's nothing left to fathom but the questions and the pain;
The Bounty's on the bottom, she'll never rise again;
Ye mariners take warning, heed the sea in all its forms,
And never turn a blind eye to the storm,
Never turn a blind eye to the storm!

----------

EXPLANATORY NOTE: In verse 3, line 1, "working" is the term for the constant movements of the planks of a wooden ship pushed and pulled by the waves, which worsens the problem of water coming in through the caulked seams between planks.

NOTE 2: Here are the most significant changes I make when I sing this song:
* Verse 1, line 4: "the tall ship Bounty she rolled o'er" (the replica didn't have the designation H.M.S.)
* Verse 2: I swap the two halves to be chronological, instead of inserting the shipyard visit as a flashback to explain the condition the Bounty was in after she sailed.
* Verse 3, lines 2-3: Rewritten for clarity -- "'West of the storm we'll catch a wind to save more time again,' but the captain's change of course put an end to a cruel pause..." The Bounty had originally headed southeast to get away from the storm, but Walbridge apparently changed his mind and tried to cross in front of the storm to the west side of it where there would be southerly winds (instead of the opposing ones on the east side that forced the ship to beat into the wind). The change of course put them right in the midst of the hurricane.

-----------------------

And here is my attempt at transcribing the melody from the video... I've tried to write down a generalized melody despite the constant rhythmic and melodic variations. I'd welcome anyone improving it.

K:F
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=75
cc | dd dd c<c cB | AA AG (F<D) z>c |
dd dd cc c>B |A>B AF G z z A/2A/2 |
dd dd c2 z c/2B/2 | A<A AG (F<D) z>A |
BB BB c<c cc | A4 z2 Ac |
dd dd c<c cc | AA AG (F<D) z>c |
dd dd c>c cB | AB AF G2 z c |
dd dd c<c z B | AA AG (F<D) z>A |
BB BB c<c cc | A4 z2 z>A |
BB BB B<c AG | F4 z4 ||
d<d d>d cc c>B | A2 (AG) (F<D) z>A |
BB BB c<c z c | A>B AF G2 z2 |
dB B2 c>c cc | AA A<G (F<D) z2 |
B<B B>B cc c>c | A4 z4 |
d<d d>d dc A>G | F4 z2 z ||

LAST VERSE

BB B>B cc G2 | AA AG (F<D) z>G |
w:Four-teen souls the Coast Guard saved on that fate-ful day_ The
BB BB c<c- c c | A>B AF G2 z G |
w:cap-tain he's still mis-sing_ since he was swept a-way One
B<B BB c2 z/2 G/2G/2G/2 | AA A>G (F<D) z>G |
w:deck-hand was found dead, the new-est mem-ber of the crew_ She'd
BB BB c/2c/2c- c c | [M:6/4] A>B AG A2- A z z2 cc |
w:al-ways dreamed of sai-ling out_ in-to that end-less blue_ Now there's
[M:4/4] d<d dd c<c c>c | AA A>G (F<D) z>c |
w:no-thing left to fa-thom but the ques-tions and the pain_ The
dd d>d c<G z B | A>B AF G2 z G |
w:Bounty's on the bot-tom, she'll ne-ver rise a-gain Ye
d/2d/2d- d d cc/2 z/2 c>c | AA AG (F<D) z2 |
w:ma-ri-ners_ take wa-rning, heed the sea in all its forms
B<B B>B cc c>c | A4 z4 |
w:Never turn a blind eye to the storm
d<d d>d dc A>G | F4 z4 ||
w:Never turn a blind eye to the storm!

SOME EXAMPLES OF VARIATIONS

Verse 1, measures 1-2:
dd dd c<c c>B | AA AG D2
w:went down in Oc-to-ber in a mas-sive hur-ri-cane

Verse 1, measure 3:
dd d<d c>c G z/2B/2
w:waves were run-ning moun-tain high with
        
Verse 2, measure 3:
BB dd c>c c>B
w:fast ap-proa-ching hur-ri-cane di-

Verse 1, measure 5:
d/2d/2d- d d c/2c/2c z3/2 B/2
w:nine-ty miles_ off Hat-ter-as she
        
Verse 2, measure 5:
d/2d/2d- d d c z cc
w:re-as-sured_ his crew "We'll be

Verse 1, measures 7-8:
BB B2 c<c c<c | A4
w:H. M. S. Boun-ty she rolled o'er

Verse 2, measures 7-8:
B>B B>B cc c>c | A4
w:who were they to ques-tion his de-cree?

Verse 3, measures 7-8:
BB BB c z z B | A>B A<G A2
w:great storm snatched the ship in-to its migh-ty claws

Verse 2, measure 9:
dd dd cc- c z
w:fit the ship in Booth-bay_

Verse 3, measure 11:
dd d>d c2 c>B
w:pumps were overwhelmed as the

Verse 3, measures 13-16:
dd dd c2 z c | AA AG D z3 | B>B BB cc- c z | A>B AG A
w:cap-tain and his crew, it was their fi-nal trip They pre-pared the life rafts_ to a-ban-don ship

Chorus, measure 5:
dd d2 c>c cc
w:learn your trade, weigh the risks, and

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: cnd
Date: 26 Oct 21 - 08:21 AM

Good work transcribing it, always good to have in case a link dies unexpectedly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Levana Taylor
Date: 29 Oct 21 - 06:28 AM

Charlie's song clearly alludes to "The Mary Ellen Carter." How apt are the allusions? If you think about it, this is a diametrically opposite situation. Walbridge loved the Bounty and fought hard to keep her sailing in the face of financial impossibility, yet ultimately it was his decisions (compounded by those of others such as the owner, mind you) that sank her. There's a bitter irony in the line "The Bounty's on the bottom and she'll never rise again."

"Never Turn a Blind Eye to the Storm" narrates the fate of the tall ship Bounty that sank during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. There are (besides several books) a number of places to read the full, gripping story online. A very short version is that this ship was a replica (but fitted with an engine as well as sails) of H.M.S. Bounty, built for a movie in 1960. She had long since reached the age when wooden ships need massive maintenance to stay afloat, which her owner couldn't afford as she went from port to port giving dockside tours. She'd been captained for two decades by Capt. Robin Walbridge, who was passionate about both the Bounty and training new sailors. In 2012, after a dockyard visit for incomplete repairs, the Bounty was due to meet a potential sponsor in St. Petersburg, FL in mid-November. On October 25, Capt. Walbridge made a decision that was later to be fiercely debated: although warned that Hurricane Sandy was approaching and would be huge, he set off from New London, CT, with a crew of 15, most of them inexperienced. The string of poor decisions, equipment breakdowns, injuries, terrible weather, and unstoppably rising water that followed culminated in the Bounty being lost and the captain killed as well as one crew member. (The other 14 were saved by an incredible Coast Guard rescue operation that also makes quite a story.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Never Turn Blind Eye to Storm (Bounty)
From: Levana Taylor
Date: 04 Dec 21 - 01:52 PM

Improved ABC, with chords.


T:Never Turn a Blind Eye to the Storm
C:Charlie Ipcar
K:F major
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=75
"F"z2 cc | "Bb"dd dd | "C"c<c cB | "F"AA AG | "Dm"(F<D) z>c |
w:Now she went down in Oc-to-ber in a mas-sive hur-ri-cane_ The
"Bb"dd dd | "C"cc c>B | "F"A>B AF | "C"G z z2 |
w:waves were run-ning moun-tain high with dri-ving wind and rain
"Bb"d/2d/2d- d d | "C"c/2c/2c z3/2 B/2 | "F"A<A AG | "Dm"(F<D) z>A |
w:Nine-ty miles_ off Hat-te-ras, she could-n't take no more_ The
"Bb"B2 B2 | "C"c<c cc | "Dm"A4 | z2 Ac | "Bb"dd dd |
w:tall ship Boun-ty she rolled o'er There were six-teen souls a-
"C"c<c cc | "F"AA AG | "Dm"(F<D) z>c | "Bb"dd dd |
w:board her, Cap-tain Wal-bridge and his crew_ He'd sailed that ship nigh
"C"c<c cB | "F"AB AF | "C"G2 z c/2c/2 | "Bb"dd dd |
w:twen-ty years and knew just what to do But her frames were filled with
"C"c z BB | "F"AA AG | "Dm"(F<D) z>A | "Bb"BB B2 |
w:rot and her pumps were known to fail_ Should such a ship
"C"c<c cc | "Dm"A4 z2 z>A | "Bb"BB B2 | "C"B<c AG | "F"F4 | z4 ||
w:e-ver have set sail Should such a ship e-ver have set sail
"Bb"d<d d>d | "C"cc c>B | "F"A2 (AG) | "Dm"(F<D) z>A |
w:Ne-ver turn a blind eye to the storm I_ say_ The
"Bb"BB BB | "C"c<c z c | "F"A>B AF | "C"G2 z2 | "Bb"dB B2 |
w:sea is un-for-gi-ving she'll snatch your life a-way Learn your trade,
"C"c>c cc | "F"AA A<G | "Dm"(F<D) z2 | "Bb"B<B B>B |
w:weigh the risks, and you'll see bet-ter days_ Ne-ver turn a
"C"cc c>c | "Dm"A4 | z4 | "Bb"d<d d>d | "C"dc A>G | "F"F4 | z2 ||
w:blind eye to the storm Ne-ver turn a blind eye to the storm

"F"z2 | "Bb"BB B>B | "C"cc G2 | "F"AA AG | "Dm"(F<D) z>G |
w:Four-teen souls the Coast Guard saved on that fate-ful day_ The
"Bb"BB BB | "C"c<c- c c | "F"A>B AF | "C"G2 z G |
w:cap-tain he's still mis-sing_ since he was swept a-way One
"Bb"B<B BB | "C"c2 z/2 G/2G/2G/2 | "F"AA A>G | "Dm"(F<D) z>G |
w:deck-hand was found dead, the new-est mem-ber of the crew_ She'd
"Bb"BB BB | "C"c/2c/2c- c c | "F"A>B AG | "Dm"A2- A z | z2 cc |
w:al-ways dreamed of sai-ling out_ in-to that end-less blue_ Now there's
"Bb"d<d dd | "C"c<c c>c | "F"AA A>G | "Dm"(F<D) z>c |
w:no-thing left to fa-thom but the ques-tions and the pain_ The
"Bb"dd d>d | "C"c<G z B | "F"A>B AF | "C"G2 z G |
w:Boun-ty's on the bot-tom, she'll ne-ver rise a-gain Ye
"Bb"d/2d/2d- d d | "C"cc/2 z/2 c>c | "F"AA AG | "Dm"(F<D) z2 |
w:ma-ri-ners_ take wa-rning, heed the sea in all its forms_
"Bb"B<B B>B | "C"cc c>c | "Dm"A4 | z4 | "Bb"d<d d>d | "C"dc A>G | "F"F4 | z4 ||
w:Ne-ver turn a blind eye to the storm Ne-ver turn a blind eye to the storm!