Lyr Req/ADD: Sons of the Sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 04 Mar 14 - 09:43 PM

Since we're among matlows, does anyone know anything about this?

We are the boys of the old RAINBOW
We are the boys to cut a shine.
We spend our tanners,
We mind our manners,
We are respected wherever we go.
As we're walking down Esquimalt Road
Doors and windows opened wide
We can dance and we can sing
We can do the highland fling
For we are the RAINBOW Boys!

HMCS Rainbow was one half of the Canadian Navy in the years before WW1. The BC words given here are I suspect a parody or reworking of a British original. Does anyone know of such a song?

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 04 Mar 14 - 04:07 PM

MY parents used to sing this, but they called it 'British Lads'.

The second line being 'All British Lads'

They also sang 'bulldogbreed.'

Subject: ADD Version: Sons of the Sea
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 03:14 PM

Here's another cumulative version:

SONS OF THE SEA

Sons of the sea
Bobbin' up and down like this:
Sailing the ocean
Bobbin' up and down like this
On you can build a ship my lad
Bobbin' up and down like this
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring
Bobbin' up and down like this.

Sons of the sea
Bobbin' up and down and hitchin' up your pants like this...

Each verse add a new item:
Swabbin' down the deck
Hoistin' up the sail
Rowin' a boat
Barfin' over the rail like this!

Source: YMCA CAMP LOOWIT CAMPFIRE SONGS

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 03:08 PM

Click here for a YouTube video of a version of "Sons of the Sea." The caption says, "Greg opening the 2010 Winton campfire." I imagine that's at Camp Winton, one of the camps operated by the Golden Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America. I went to Camp Winton three years, about twenty years ago. The singing was good then, too.

....and here's a more typical version.

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 02:36 PM

Hi, Rakitha - I reformatted the second message so it should be easier to understand - but since you asked, here's the whole thing.
-Joe Offer, Mudcat Archivist (e-mail sent)-


SONS OF THE SEA

Sons of the sea,
      BOBBING up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
      BOBBING up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
      BOBBING up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
      BOBBING up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,
      HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
      HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
      HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
      HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,
      SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
      SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
      SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
      SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,
      ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
      ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
      ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
      ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,
      CLIMBING the ropes and ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
      CLIMBING the ropes and ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
      CLIMBING the ropes and ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
      CLIMBING the ropes and ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Bert
Date: 05 Jun 12 - 07:01 PM

How I missed this thread before I don't know.

On Coronation Day 1952 our little community at Superior Camp, Grayshott, Hampshire, put on a stage show where we were encouraged to get up and do our bit.

Well me and my buddy decided to do 'Bobbing up and down like this' we only knew the first verse. We started out all right but got out of sync with our bobbing up and down and kept looking at each other trying
to get together. We never did get it right but the audience cracked up.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,rakitha thalawatta
Date: 05 Jun 12 - 06:21 AM

It's a cumulative song: add a new action for each verse.
Sons of the sea,

Bobbing up and down like this.

Sailing the ocean,

Bobbing up and down like this.

Well you can build a ship my lad,

Bobbing up and down like this.

But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,

Bobbing up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,

Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.

Sailing the ocean,

Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.

Well you can build a ship my lad,

Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.

But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,

Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.

add in all 5:

Bobbing up and down like this.

Hitching up your pants and

Swabbing the decks and

Rowing the boats and

Climbing the ropes and

can any one send me the whole song to this email address
[e-mail]

please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Jacko
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 08:58 AM

Hunting for guitar chords - anyone seen/got the chords to this version of "Bobbing up and down"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 10:24 AM

As far as I can tell the 'bobbing up and down etc were added later to make an action song, mprobably for sea scouts or similar audience.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 10:22 AM

Harry Dacre wrote a song called 'The boys in blue'. Sons of the sea was writen by Felix McGlennon.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an5445347

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Jun 11 - 08:36 AM

Oops! Thanks for the correction.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Artful Codger
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 05:41 PM

Jim's link two messages up is not for a YouTube clip but for the broadside scan at U of Fla. Here's a link to the YouTube clip of the 1914 gramaphone recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq1OlCoRZmU

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea
From: Micca
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 10:45 AM

Theres a U Tube of the song Here
Pretty much with the tune as I learned it I dont know if it can be "fudged" to fit Sue Wichers words, i imagine that it can with a litlle ingenuity!

Subject: Lyr Add: SONS OF THE SEA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 09:48 AM

From a 78-rpm gramophone record, circa 1914, at YouTube:


SONS OF THE SEA.

Have you heard the German eagle scream
O'er the world so hauntingly?
Do you know the mighty Kaiser's dream,
Why he speaks so tauntingly?
Have you heard he built a mighty fleet?
Ruler of the world he'd be.
He imagines he can break or bend
The men who've been and ever will be free;
But one thing we possess; they forget, they forget,
The lads in blue, they've met, often met, often met.

CHORUS: Sons of the sea, all British born,
Sailing ev'ry ocean, laughing foes to scorn.
They may build their ships, my lads, and think they know the game,
But they can't build boys of the bull-dog breed,
Who made old England's name.

Subject: Lyr Add: SONS OF THE SEA (Felix McGlennon)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 09:37 AM

From a broadside at the University of Florida:


SONS OF THE SEA.
Written and Composed by Felix McGlennon.
Sung by Arthur Reece.
Music : Sheard & Co., 196, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.C.

[1] Have you heard this talk of foreign pow'rs
Building ships increasingly?
Do you know they watch this isle of ours,
Watch their chance unceasingly?
Have you head the millions they spend
Strengthening their fleets, and why?
They imagine they can break or bend
The nation that has often made them fly;
But one thing we possess; they forget, they forget,
The lads in blue, they've met, often met, often met.

CHORUS: Sons of the sea, all British born,
Sailing ev'ry ocean, laughing foes to scorn.
They may build their ships, my lads, and think they know the game,
But they can't build boys of the bull-dog breed,
Who made old England's name.

[2] Do you know they threaten to combine?
Three to one's their bravery.
Do you know they'd like to sweep the brine,
Bind us, lads, in slavery?
Have you heard they think that plates of steel,
Plates of steel and guns will do?
But we know 'twas British hearts of oak
In every battle pulled us safely through;
For one thing we possess, they forget, they forget,
The lads in blue, they've met, often met, often met.

[3] If they'd know why Britons rule the waves,
If they'd solve the mystery,
If they'd know the deeds of Britain's braves,
Let them read their history.
Let them search the bottom of the seas,
Where their battered hulks now lie.
Let them build their puny ships of war.
We build men prepared to do or die.
There's one thing we possess, they forget, they forget,
The lads in blue, they've met, often met, often met.

[You can also see the sheet music for this song at The National Library of Australia. There is another edition here.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea?
From: janemick
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 09:29 AM

Does anyone have the tune to the cumulative version posted by Sue Wichers?

I have a copy of Cockney Ding Dong Songbook, but the song in there is very different

Jane

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sons of the Sea?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 08:51 AM

Oddly enough, the British Library and the University of Oxford have sheet music described thus:

BOBBING UP AND DOWN LIKE THIS
Words by Worton David; music by Norman Reeve; sung by Austin Rudd.
London : Francis, Day & Hunter, [1899]

First line: I am a man who likes a bit of fun.
First line of chorus: Like this, like this.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Guest,Alwyn York
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 03:02 AM

Raunds Amateurs FC was a friendly young mens football club established by local lads in Raunds, Northamptonshire in the 1950`s.

The following version, sung to Bobbing up and Down like this was put together by them (and sung by mates of Howard White at his funeral recently) It proved to be a great after match song choice celebration.

Raunds Amateurs,all local boys
Sharing all our troubles, sharing all our joys.
If we win or lose my lads, we`ll always play the game,
And we`ll make them dance when they come to Rance,
for we`re proud of the old Town name.

nb. Rance is an old variation of the current name of Raunds and is also remembered in a ditty taught my wife, to Sheila Richardson in the late 1930`s by her father George Richardson.

Rance, Rance, where the puppy dugs dance,
and the little piggies run,
with their fingers up their bum
To see what is the matter.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Lisa
Date: 30 Jul 10 - 06:22 PM

We still sing this song "Sons of the Sea" at Wolfeboro Boy Scout Camp in Bear Valley CA, when we remember the words. We love it.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Imo
Date: 26 Jun 10 - 04:50 AM

My grandfather and my uncles used to sing this song at family Christmas get-togethers in the 1950s. They sang the version using '... you can't beat the boys of the old brigade...' and not the version with ...'in the bulldog ring ...'

Grandfather was a Royal Navy submariner during WW1. He and his wife used to love other songs by Harry Dacre, especially 'I'll be your sweetheart.'

And thinking about it, I do believe I may have sung it as a cub scout in the 1950s, too.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: RTim
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:41 AM

My dad used to sing this song (as listed about by Joe Offer), on coach trips in England, when I was a child in the 1950's.
I sang it at the last Shanty/Sea Song session at The Press Room in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in Feb.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Mr Happy
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:20 AM

'Mighty Men of the Singapore Naveee!'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeS4o2Cka0

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Jacqueline
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:10 AM

This is great! I just remembered the chorus line, but I was sure I learnt it from my dad, a scout master from the fifties to the seventies, but now I've seen it said here, I'm sure it was in the National song book too. I'm pretty sure it was the last version from Joe Offer that I remember. Now I can sing it to my grandson!! Thanks.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 May 02 - 06:59 PM

According to Plymouth Song Index, "Sons of the Sea" is in the following books:

New busker's fake book, 1001 all-time hit songs (1994) Score
Cockney ding dong (1975) Songbook
Good old days songbook (1980) Songbook
One more time, vol.3, let's hear it from the heart (1987) Songbook
Bumper book of music hall songs, ed. p. foss (1988) Songbook

~Masato

Subject: ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 May 02 - 06:53 PM

I found these lyrics here, a slightly different version.
-Joe Offer-

---

SONS OF THE SEA

Sons of the sea, bobbing up and down like this,
Sailing the ocean, bobbing up and down like this.
They may build their ships, my lads, bobbing up and down like this
But they can't beat the boys of the Old Brigade,
Bobbing up and down like this.

Pirates so free, bobbing up and down like this,
Searching the ocean, bobbing up and down like this.
They care naught for wind and rain, bobbing up and down like this
For they rob the gold on the Spanish Main,
Bobbing up and down like this.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 May 02 - 06:37 PM

Dave, I have the National Song Book but can't see it in there.... maybe I've got a different edition.

LTS

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 23 May 02 - 04:50 PM

Sue, I love this song for my pirate reenactors. Does anyone have the tune?

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: alanww
Date: 23 May 02 - 02:51 PM

Masato: Thanks but that's a different song.

Dave: Thanks! I guessed it was a music hall song but its nice to know the composer.

Noreen: I learnt it from a mate of mine who learnt it at school but he can't recall anything else about it.

I'm singing in the rain ...
Alan

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 May 02 - 10:08 AM

I first learnt the song at school - I think it was in "The National Song Book". The first verse that I remember was similiar to the previously mentioned ones:

Sons of the sea - bobbing up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean - bobbing.....
We will build your ships my lads - bobbing.....
Oh you can't beat the boys of the bulldog breed, When you're bobbing up and down like this.


Obviously the "Bulldog Breed" referred to the British. I'll see if I can find the rest of the original words, but the attribution to Harry Dacre is correct. Dacre was English, but later moved to America to find more money in song writing.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Noreen
Date: 23 May 02 - 08:38 AM

Different song, masato.

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Noreen
Date: 23 May 02 - 08:08 AM

Where did you get it from, Alan?

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 May 02 - 08:07 AM

The edition (another song?) in the (Levy Collection (click) is:

Title: Bobbin' Up and Down.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Words by D.A. Esrom. Music by Theodore Morse.
Theodore Morse Publication: New York: Theodore Morse
Music Co., Theodore Morse, Pres., Herman Snyder, Sec. Treas., 143-145 W. 40th St., 1913.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice
First Line: Come on and take a trip on a funny little ship and sail away
First Line of Chorus: We'll go out on the ocean, bobbin' up and down

~Masato

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 May 02 - 07:47 AM

The original was a Music Hall song written by Harry Dacre who also composed "I'll Be Your Sweetheart" and "Daisy Bell" ("A Bicyle Made for Two).

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: alanww
Date: 23 May 02 - 05:10 AM

I still sing this now and again and it usually goes down well. The verses I tend to use are:-

Bobbin' up and down
Lookin' through the scopes
Climbin' up the ropes
Swabbin' of the decks
Pumpin' out the bilge
Drinkin' of the rum

But can anyone tell me who wrote it or its history?
Alan

Subject: RE: Sons of the Sea
From: ron k
Date: 28 May 97 - 10:05 PM

I have another song here with the same title ( if the song posted by Sue is not the one you're looking for ). It starts like this...

Sons of the sea, sons of the saint
Who is the child with no complaint
Sons of the great sons unknown
All were children like your own...

This one was written by Eric Blau & Mort Shuman with music by Girard Jouannest and recorded by Judy Collins. If this is the song you were looking for, e-mail me at the address below and I will type out the whole song ( it's kinda long ) and e-mail it back to you.

[e-mail]

Subject: ADD: Sons of the Sea
From: Sue Wichers
Date: 23 May 97 - 09:10 AM

It's a cumulative song: add a new action for each verse.

SONS OF THE SEA

Sons of the sea,
Bobbing up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
Bobbing up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
Bobbing up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
Bobbing up and down like this.

Sons of the sea,
Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.
Sailing the ocean,
Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.
Well you can build a ship my lad,
Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.
But you can't beat the boys in the bulldog ring,
Hitching up your pants and bobbing up and down like this.


add in all 5:
Bobbing up and down like this.
Hitching up your pants and
Swabbing the decks and
Rowing the boats and
Climbing the ropes and

So the last verse would be sung:

CLIMBING the ropes and ROWING the boats and SWABBING the decks and HITCHING up your pants and BOBBING up and down like this.

Subject: Sons of the Sea
From:
Date: 11 May 97 - 11:32 PM

This is a action song for scouts or cubs etc. I think it starts out Sons of the sea bouncing up and down like this" this song as I remember it is VERY long. I would sure like to get hold of it someware thanks for any help anyone can provide.