 sj |
||
|
||
Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man)
DigiTrad:
CHEERILY, MAN
Related thread:
Lyr Add: Pull Away Cheerily (gold rush) (4)
|
|
|
Subject: Lyr & Tune Add: Cheerily Man From: Snuffy Date: 12 Nov 00 - 01:22 PM Stan Hugill's Shanties of the Seven Seas gives three versions of Cheerily Man. The version in the DT is Hugill's 2nd, with the last two verses of his 1st inserted before the last verse. He says this version was used for catting the anchor, while the others were halyard shanties. There is no tune in the DT. Here are his versions 1 and 3. He says it is "probably the most primitive, and one of the oldest of all these heaving and hauling songs of the sea. It was obscene to a degree and most versions have had to be camouflaged". This is Hugill's bowdlerised version: CHEERILY MAN (MEN) Oh, Nancy Dawson, aye yeo! Cheerily man! So sez the Bosun, aye yeo! Cheerily man! Has flannel drawers on, aye yeo! Cheerily man! Oh, hauley aye yeo! Cheerily man! Oh, Sally Rackett, aye yeo! Cheerily man! In her pea-jacket, aye yeo! Cheerily man! Shipped in a packet, aye yeo! Cheerily man! Oh, hauley aye yeo! Cheerily man! Oh, Flora Fernanah Slipped on a banana, Can't play the pianner. Oh, Susie Skinner Sez she's a beginner, Prefers it to dinner. Oh, Missus Duckett, She's kicked the bucket, Oh, nip an' tuck it. Oh, Polly Riddle Has a hole in the middle Of her new fiddle. Oh, Betty Baker, Kissed by a Quaker, Oh, rock 'n' shake 'er. Oh, Jenny Walker, Kissed by a hawker, He wuz a corker. Oh, Jennifer Bell, She drinks as well, An' never will tell. Oh, Katie Karson Slept with a parson, She's got a bar-son. Oh, Polly Hawkins In her white stockings Has done some rockin's. Oh, haughty cocks, Oh, split the blocks, Oh, stretch her luff. Oh, rouse 'n' shake 'er, Oh, shake 'n' wake 'er, Oh, go we'll make 'er. Avast there, avast! Make the fall fast, Make it well fast. Version 3 comes from Deep Sea Shanties and also from American Sea Songs and Shanties (W W Norton & Co, N.Y.), both by Frank Shay. Presumably the bowdlerisation here is Shay's O haul pulley, Yoe! Cheerily men. O long and strong, yo ho! Cheerily men. Yo-ho and with a will, Cheerily men, Cheerily, cheerily, cheerily O! A long haul for Widow Skinner, Kiss her well before dinner, At her, boys, and win her. A strong pull for Mrs. Bell, Who likes a lark right well, And what's more will never tell. Oh, haul and split the blocks, O haul and stretch her luff, Young lovies, sweat her up. Hugill says this was the tune for all three versions, but I personally find there seem to be too many notes for most of the verses. MIDI file: CHEERMAN.MID Timebase: 480 Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet) This program is worth the effort of learning it. To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here ABC format: X: 110 |
|
Subject: ADD: Cheerly Man From: banjocircus Date: 17 May 10 - 12:54 PM In "Songs of American Sailor Man," Joanna C. Colcord says of the shanty Cheerly Man, "the words are too racy to reproduce without considerable editing." Here are Colcord's words. Does anybody know what they were before the cleaned them up? CHEER'LY MAN Oh, Nancy Dawson, Hi—oh! She's got a notion, Hi—oh! For our old bo'sun, Hi—oh! Oh, Betsey Baker, Hi—oh! Lived in Long Acre, Hi—oh! Married a Quaker, Hi—oh! Oh, Kitty Carson, Hi—oh! Jilted the parson, Hi—oh! Married a mason, Hi—oh! Avast there, avast, Hi—oh! Make the fall fast, Hi—oh! Make it well fast, Hi—oh!
from Roll and Go by Joanna Colcord, page 29. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cheerly Man From: Gibb Sahib Date: 17 May 10 - 01:43 PM Someone more informed than me can correct the details, but as I've been told by a scholar of chanteys, Colcord had certain "unprintable" versions of chanteys that she collected but that she was not allowed to publish. I believe the manuscript is kept somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, maybe Univ. of Oregon?? That may have a less tidy version of "Cheer'ly." If you are speaking generally, i.e. not just about Colcord, then of course there were no set lyrics. Samples of the types of lyrics that may have been sung appear in the various literary mentions to the song/chant. In the thread on Development of Chanties we've found that up to ~1870s the song appears in print at least 10 times -- more than any other shanty-- and some of those times, various verses are offered. Search through the thread on various spellings of "CHEER" and you'll see them. One can always "read into" the printed lyrics and imagine their possible rude forms. I've sorta done that here: CHEERLY MAN I am actually more intrigued by what seems to be a loss (???) of good knowledge of how this chant was supposed to sound (melodically/rhythmically/etc). The printed notation cannot, I believe, capture it properly, so unless we have a healthy oral/aural link from the past (do we??), our contemporary attempts to perform it are more or less off the mark. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cheerly Man From: Steve Gardham Date: 17 May 10 - 02:21 PM If indeed what you've posted from Colcord is the type of shanty required you might also look for 'Little Sally Racket' which has numerous bawdy verses some original and some made up during the last 60 years. There must be a thread on this pattern somewhere. Here's one of the more common verses. Little Dolly Ducket, haul her away, She washes in a bucket, haul her away, She's a whore but doesn't look it, haul her away, To me hauly hi ho, haul her away. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cheerly Man From: banjocircus Date: 17 May 10 - 02:29 PM Thanks. By searching Sally Racket I also found this in the DigiTrad: Haul'er Away. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Cheerly Man From: Charley Noble Date: 17 May 10 - 05:18 PM Gibb- I believe the Colcord manuscripts would be in the Searsport Maritime Museum, her home town here in Maine. Some day I have to pay a visit there and get copies of her correspondence with C. Fox Smith. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
|
Subject: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:19 PM This is an excerpt from a DRAFT of something I'm working on. The aim is to discuss "Cheer'ly Man" in its role/position along the development of shipboard work-songs and chanties. Preceding this excerpt (in the thing I'm working on) is a discussion of early (from 18th century) shipboard working cries / chants / songs. NB: Most formatting (e.g. italics for emphasis) and footnotes are lost here. "Cheer'ly Man": the proto-chanty? According to my interpretations above, two phenomena, of sound created to accompany shipboard work, in Anglophone vessels, preceded the phenomenon of singing chanties in that context. One was instrumental music, which was heard during the first three decades of the 19th century in both military and (less so) merchant vessels. In the case of the latter, this phenomenon appears to have been gradually replaced by singing chanties after the 1830s, whereas in naval vessels the practice continued at least into the 1860s. As far as the history of chanties is concerned, this phenomenon represents a dead end, though it seems that at least one sailor work-song, "Drunken Sailor” (below) is in the style of the types of fiddle tunes that were once played. The other phenomenon, a vocal one, was the coordinating "cry," in use since the mid-18th century. Although some cries fell out of regular use in the early 19th century, some such cries of a "yo heave ho" variety persisted into the 1850s, and a similar phenomenon continued in use alongside chanties for short tasks until the end of the sailing era. Although these cries predated chanties, I do not believe that they developed into them directly, preferring to understand them as establishing a precondition that allowed for the later adoption of chanties. This does not mean that European work-singing never "progressed" beyond simple cries. While I do not believe that the cries developed _into_ the chanty form as such, they did appear to develop. For hauling tasks, one rather distinct item developed that was more elaborate than a simple pull and which, while still distinguishable from later chanties, had some traits in common. This item may have been the first widely established sailors' work-song of the 19th century: "Cheer'ly Man." The song was applied to longer hauling tasks than could be served by a mere "heave ho." The most obvious of these would be that of hauling halyards. As noted, in vessels (i.e. military) with large crews, this job could be accomplished, without coordination per se, by simply "walking away" with the rope. A smaller crew, however, would need to organize the task into a series of short pulls. Although the idea that "Cheer'ly Man" developed to fill this need is speculative, one can see that the form of this song is like a series of cries, with "cheer'ly man" forming the phrase—hardly a chorus—in which all join in singing (or shouting) and on which all pull. An assortment of phrases, often of a bawdy nature, were called out by the soloist. Though other or earlier work-cries were evidently too variable, non-descript, or incidental to receive titles, "Cheer'ly Man," perhaps due to its definite "chorus" phrase, was known by name. The song appears referred to by name several times in the first half of the 19th century. Like the "sing-outs," it lived on alongside later-styled chanties to be remembered even by sailors interviewed by J.M. Carpenter in the 1920s. Still, when writers of later days mentioned it, they regularly attributed it to an early period. When Englishman John Short, who began his sea career in the late 1850s, was interviewed by Sharp, he opined that it must have been the "first chantey ever invented." The American journalist Alden incorrectly believed that "Cheerly men," which he called an example of a song "unmistakably the work of English sailors of an uncertain but very remote period," was limited to English seamen. Nonetheless, he was able to distinguish it from the chanties of his day (1882). [cont.] |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:21 PM As far as can be reasonably speculated, "Cheer'ly Man" originated some time in the first couple decades of the 19th century. A British writer in 1834 described the song. He remarks that the song had been present in this context "For time out of mind," for which one might presume a couple decades, if not more. >>On board a revenue cruiser, for want of music, it is customary for one of the men to give them a song, which makes the crew unite their strength, and pull together. The following is a specimen of this species of composition: O, haul pulley, yoe. Cheerly men. O, long and strong, yoe, O. Cheerly men. O, yoe, and with a will, Cheerly men. Cheerly, cheerly, cheerly, O. A Long haul for Widow Skinner, Cheerly men. Kiss her well before dinner, Cheerly men. At her, boys, and win her, Cheerly men. Cheerly, cheerly, cheerly, O. A strong pull for Mrs. Bell, Cheerly men. Who likes a lark right well, Cheerly men. And, what's more, will never tell, Cheerly men. Cheerly, cheerly, cheerly, O. O haul and split the blocks, Cheerly men. O haul and stretch her luff, Cheerly men. Young Lovelies, sweat her up, Cheerly men. Cheerly, cheerly, cheerly, O.<< The text given was most likely bowdlerized, for the author also mentions that it was "not celebrated for its decency." We may consider the earliest positive dating for "Cheerl'y Man" to be July 1925. A passenger was leaving Quebec in a brig when he observed, >>The topsail haliards, or rope by which the topsail is hoisted, was next ordered to be manned, and the hoisting was accompanied by a lively song, the words of which, being the extemporary composition of the seaman who led, afforded me a good deal of amusement.— One man sung, and the rest joined lustily in the chorus. The following is a specimen:— Oh rouse him up, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Newry girls, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Now for Warrenpoint, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Rouse him up cheerly, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Oh mast-head him, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Oh, with a will, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Cheerly men, Oh, oh, yeo, Oh, yeo, cheerly; Oh, yeo, cheerly. << |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:22 PM No other specific songs for halyards are mention around this time; "Cheerl'y Man," then, appears to have been the song of choice attached to this activity. Even as other songs came into existence for halyard work in the mid-1830s, "Cheer'ly Man" remained eminent beside them. It makes notable appearances in the work of Dana (sea experience 1834-36). >>When we came to mast-head the top-sail yards, with all hands at the halyards, we struck up "Cheerily, men," with a chorus which might have been heard half way to Staten Land.<< Later references attach it to other hauling tasks, especially that of catting anchor. In early 1840s London, aboard a brigantine, the song was "familiar": >>Then as the anchors came up to the hawse pipes, and when the cats were hooked on, there came over the still waters of the Downs the familiar song, "Cheerily, men!" from all quarters... << Herman Melville, who had experience working in South Pacific whalers, 1841-3, mentioned in his novels the "lively" and "deep mellow old song," variously as "Ho, cheerly men!," "Ho-o-he-yo, cheerily men!," and "Ho! the fair wind! oh-he-yo, cheerly men!" for catting anchor and squaring yards. The wide applicability of the song for hauling tasks is seen in the following reference describing a scene from April 1842, in a ship bound out from New York. >>The men have been at work most of this day getting the guns up out of the hold and mounting them. They were stowed away below shortly after leaving New York. Being quite heavy, it took several men to hoist them up out of the hold, and they raised the song of "Cheerily, oh cheerily," several times. This is a favorite song with the seamen. One acts as leader, and invents as he goes along, a sentence of some six or eight syllables, no matter what. To-day some of the sentences were, "Help me to sing a song;" "Now all you fine scholars;" "You must excuse me now," &c.; then comes in a semi-chorus "Cheerily oh!" then another sentence, and a full chorus, "Cheerily oh ~~~~~~ cheerily." << Such a "full chorus" appears to have merely been a melismatic extension of the syllable "oh" or other nonsense. This elongated gesture seems to have indicated a cadence, a rounding out of a set of pulls. Thus unlike most chanties the refrain was not of a significant metrical length; it did not balance the length of the solo, but rather came as a simple cry at the end. "Cheer'ly Man" was still known as a halyard song into the 1850s. While chanties would have been current at this time, the following author includes "Cheer'ly" as an example of a topsail halyard song. >>In a little schooner in which I made a voyage up the Mediterranean, we had some excellent singers; and scarcely was a rope touched, sail set, or other heavy work done, without a song: and this may, in some measure, be accounted for by the encouragement given them by our captain, who would often promise all hands a tot of rum, if they did their work in a seamanlike manner, and sang well… Polly Racket, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull), Pawned my jacket, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull), And sold the ticket, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull); Ho, hawly, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull). Rouse him up, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull), Pull up the devil, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull); And make him civil, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull), Oh, hawly, hi-ho, cheerymen—(pull). << In this example, there is a clear four-phrase stanza-like form. In other words, it was not just a matter of "say a line, then pull at the end," but rather the melodic cadences and the "hawly" phrase caused sets of four lines to be grouped. It is in this sense that "Cheer'ly can be positively considered a more sophisticated form than earlier work-cries—a song. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:24 PM The earlier mentioned Irishman who traveled to Australia in 1853 remembered this version for halyards, which he gives two "verses" with score. >>Cheerily men! Oh upreef'd topsail hi ho! Cheerily men! High in the sky, hi ho! Cheerily men! Oh! rouse him up, her, hi ho! Cheerily, men! Oh! he hi ho, Cheerily, men!... Cheerily men! Who stole my jacket, hi ho! Cheerily men! Sold the pawn ticket, hi ho! Cheerily men! Oh, that was shameful, hi ho! Cheerily men! Oh ! he hi ho, Cheerily men! << "Cheerl'y" man was known to the first writers to address chanties in a focused fashion. In Allen's Oberlin Monthly piece (1858), it is a halyard song. >>Oh haulee, heigho, cheeryman! O! pull like brothers, heigho, cheeryman, And not like lubbers, heigho, cheeryman; O! haulee, heigho, cheeryman… << Likewise, the Once a Week article (1868) has it, >>Pull together, cheerily men, 'Gainst wind and weather, cheerily men. For one another, cheerily men, O, Cheerily men, O, cheerily men… Oh, rotten pork, cheerily men, And lots of work, cheerily men, Would kill a Turk, cheerily men. oh, Cheerily men. Nothing to drink, cheerily men, The water does stink, cheerily men, And for Christians, just think, cheerily men, Oh, cheerily men. << We may suppose that an 1860s form is what was learned by Capt. Whall, who printed it with tune. >>O Nancy Dawson, Hio! Cheer'ly man; She'd got a notion, Hio-o Cheer'ly man; For our old bo'sun, Hio! Cheer'ly man, O! Hauley, Hio-o! Cheer'ly man… << And likely of a similar time period, Capt. John Robinson's version—one of the earliest chanties in his memory—with score, is simply titled "Catting the Anchor": >>Pull one and all. Hoy, Hoy, Cheery men! On this cat fall! Hoy! Hoy! Cheery men! Answer the call! Hoy, Hoy! Cheery men! Hoy, Haulee, Hoy! Hoy! Cheery men! << Three more rhyming verses follow. It is clear from Whall's and Robinson's writing that the fourth (e.g. "Hoy, Haulee") line was sung entirely in chorus. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:26 PM As already seen by Alden's reference noted above, this song was still observable in the 1880s. As to why he believed it was a purely English song, I can only speculate: Not being like most other chanties in form, which Alden considered to be mainly American, "Cheerl'y" may have appeared particularly English by contrast. Also in the 1880s, L.A. Smith collected a version, which she called "Sally Racket." >>Then there is the well-known topsail-halyard song, "Sally Racket," greatly used by the sailors when loading their ships with timber at Quebec. In this chanty some of the lines are much longer than others, and to any one not acquainted with Jack Tar's style of singing, it would seem impossible to make them come in, but the sailors seem to be able to manage it. Like "Reuben Ranzo," the solo lines of Sally Racket are always repeated, the same chorus occurring after each solo line: Sally Racket, hoy oh, Cheerily, men. Sally Racket, hoy oh! Cheerily, men. Sally Racket, hoy oh! Cheerily, men; a haughty hoy oh! cheerily, men... << Subsequent stanzas are similarly "strung out." Smith notes, interestingly yet not surprisingly, that the pull came on the word "men." What may be surprising is that, at least as she understood it, another pull was taken during the soloist's "oh." This seems doubtful. Smith's calling the song "Sally Racket" is haphazard, and only tells us that one of the common verses (or the verses she heard) used that name. As seen in earlier examples, the text often had an extemporized quality, and it was, in earlier times at least, improvised. Nonetheless, women's names, including "Nancy Dawson" and "Sally Racket," are attested more than once. The version mediated by Terry, based on what was sung to him by a Capt. R.W. Robertson and likely bowdlerized, includes a woman's name in each stanza. It is possible that, with time, texts of "Cheer'ly Man" standardized somewhat. However, as Hugill illustrates, there is similarity in soloist's content between "Cheer'ly" and the song with a chorus of "haul 'er away," raising the possibility that the "Sally Racket" verses were borrowed into "Cheer'ly" from elsewhere, for example the Caribbean "Missa Ram Goat." On this point, there is some evidence that the Caribbean-associated name of "Sally Brown" had become part of the "Cheer'ly" universe. An account from 1826 notes that the contemporary manager of the Chatham Garden Theatre, New York, was an ex-sailor from England, who performed a usual schtick: >>He was principally applauded for singing a common sailors' chant in character, having a sort of "Sally Brown, oh, ho," chorus; and requiring the action of pulling a rope, spitting upon the hand, and the accompaniment of a horrid yell. << While "Sally Brown" is a chanty item that would emerge clearly in the historical record in the 1830s, there is reasonable doubt that that item is what was meant. This seems like it might have been something more akin to "Cheer'ly Man," being a hauling song and containing the characteristic "oh, ho." It may well have been a different song entirely, from among the "chants" that were not so well-recognized as "Cheer'ly." Smith's comment on the uneven meter of the solo text supports the evidence from notated versions of the tune that the meter of the song was irregular or the solo lines were delivered in an unmetered or rubato fashion. The scores provided by a few authors, inconsistent as they are, look suspiciously like the tune's meter was regularized for the sake of simplicity. These make it difficult to envision just how "Cheer'ly" was executed. Happily, we do have an audio rendition of this in the form of Carpenter's field recording of Edward Robinson. Robinson, who first sailed in 1846, had experiences stretching back further than other informants, and so it is not surprising that he would be the one to remember this "old" song. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Gibb Sahib Date: 19 Oct 13 - 07:27 PM The style of the "Cheer'ly Man," which resembles so-called "sing-outs," indicates how distinct it was from presumably later-developed songs that form the core of the chanty genre. It really was in its own class, even if its great popularity and, at one time, rather exclusive association with hauling tasks of any length meant that it lived on into the "chanty era." Was "Cheer'ly" a proto-chanty? In that it does not exhibit aspects of the core formal and stylistic paradigms of chanties, my answer is negative. However, so far as the shipboard working context is an important aspect of chanty history, this song, being a means for a small crew to haul up a heavy object, is an important trendsetter for that aspect. [END EXCERPT] |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Mrrzy Date: 19 Jun 15 - 01:11 PM I just found my old Alan Mills sea chantey record, and this song is on it, but not with the lyrics discussed here. It does seem proto-chanteyesque - each verse names a woman and, usually, tells what happened to her after she met a sailor. It is a very clean song but I assume the sailors would sing it a lot bawdlier. Mind the neologisms. I can't find the lyrics anywhere on the internet so I'll listen and get them to you. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Mrrzy Date: 19 Jun 15 - 01:18 PM CHEERLY, MEN From the album Songs of the Sea by Alan Mills and the Four Shipmates Oh, Nancy Dawson-i-o, cheerly men She robbed the bosun-i-o, cheerly men That was a caution-i-o, cheerly men-o, hi-li-hi-o, cheerly men ...Fanny Mailer... loved a poor sailor... married a tailor... ...Betsy Baker... lived in Longacre... married a Quaker... ...Kitty Carson... jilted the parson... then married a mason... ...Polly Riddle... broke her new fiddle... right through the middle |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,# Date: 19 Jun 15 - 01:21 PM "Cheerly, Men" is the title Alan Mills gives it on the 1957 Folkways album. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,# Date: 19 Jun 15 - 01:28 PM Sorry, cross-posted. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Steve Gardham Date: 19 Jun 15 - 02:23 PM Gibb Should your second post be 1825 rather than 1925? Your article seems to suggest that cries only started in the mid-18thc. Surely there are plenty of references that predate this. What about the description in The 16thc Complaynt of Scotland? Off the top of my head in the Napoleonic Wars didn't the RN revenue cutters off the north east coast use chanteys, particularly 'Cheerly Men'? I seem to remember reading this somewhere. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Rumncoke Date: 19 Jun 15 - 09:48 PM I know this one from the time when I had a yacht in the 1970s, along with the faster rhythm of 'haul'em away. there was Hetty Hawkins ey-oh cheerly man In her white stockings ey-oh cheerly man Beats all at knocking ey-oh Cheerly man oh Haul a ey-oh ho! cheerly man. The two chanteys had similar but not entirely interchangeable words, for instance little Delis Ducket, haul em away washes in a bucket haul em away she's a whore but doesn't look it, haul em away haul a hay ho, haul em away doesn't fit into cheerly man's rhythm. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: Mrrzy Date: 19 Jun 15 - 11:14 PM Fun thread! |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 23 May 19 - 08:55 PM Fun = cheerly = Gullah "shantee" (happy, cheerful.) Naaaaah, too easy.... but then again "stamp and go" means fast food. "Cheer'ly Man": the proto-chanty?" “The Greeks and Romans had their Celeufma or chearing fong.”[Capt. Forrest, 1779] "Via, via, cheerly mates!” [footnote to definition of the celeusma, Lexicon Universal, Hofmanni, 1698] |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 23 May 19 - 08:58 PM “We fare better; cheerly, cheerly boys, The fhip runs merrily; my Captain's melancholy, And nothing cures that in him but a Sea-fight; I hope to meet a faile boy, and a right one.” [Double Marriage, Act I, Sc.I, The Comedies and Tragedies of Beaumont & Fletcher, 1647, p.26] |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 23 May 19 - 09:21 PM Also: A Journal of a Voyage to Quebec in 1825, Finan, 1828. Mentioned in the other threads. Only slight drift: The "war cry," "shout," or "cheer" is a prehistoric response. The Greek keleusma alala became the Roman "elelu" and thence to the Christian's "Allelujah!" and the modern "ululu" and "oo-RAH!" Huzzah! is another ancient one (l.heus, Holla!) Yo-heo-heo! |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Gerry Date: 24 May 19 - 10:40 PM Phil, the Christians got "Allelujah" from the Roman "elelu"? Not from the Hebrew "Halleluyah", which goes back at least to the Book of Psalms? |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 01 Jun 19 - 12:43 PM It was all old news when the Old Testament was new: https://www.etymonline.com/ ecclesiastic (adj.) late 15c., from Middle French ecclésiastique and directly from Late Latin ecclesiasticus, from Greek ekklesiastikos "of the (ancient Athenian) assembly," in late Greek, "of the church," from ekklesiastes "speaker in an assembly or church, preacher," from ekkalein "to call out," from ek "out" (see ex-) + kalein "to call" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout"). As a noun, "one holding an office in the Christian ministry," 1650s; it also was used as a noun in Late Latin. *kele- (2) *kel?-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shout." Perhaps imitative. It forms all or part of: acclaim; acclamation; Aufklarung; calendar; chiaroscuro; claim; Claire; clairvoyance; clairvoyant; clamor; Clara; claret; clarify; clarinet; clarion; clarity; class; clear; cledonism; conciliate; conciliation; council; declaim; declare; disclaim; ecclesiastic; eclair; exclaim; glair; hale (v.); halyard; intercalate; haul; keelhaul; low (v.); nomenclature; paraclete; proclaim; reclaim; reconcile. It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit usakala "cock," literally "dawn-calling;" Latin calare "to announce solemnly, call out," clamare "to cry out, shout, proclaim;" Middle Irish cailech "cock;" Greek kalein "to call," kelados "noise," kledon "report, fame;" Old High German halan "to call;" Old English hlowan "to low, make a noise like a cow;" Lithuanian kalba "language." Keleusma = sailor shout. Proto, late, what have you. |
|
Subject: RE: Cheer'ly Man - history From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 01 Jun 19 - 12:49 PM The Roman chantyman hortator is from the same root as exhort and oratory, ie: cheerleader. Leontophoros “There was one eight (octareme), which was called Leontophoros, remarkable for its size and beauty. In this ship while there were a hundred men rowing each file so that there were eight hundred men from each side, from both sides there were one thousand six hundred oarsmen. Those who fought from the deck were one thousand two hundred. And there were two helmsmen.” "...one thousand six hundred oarsmen." that's quite a hallelujah chorus in any day. Probably some kind of world record. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: JimLucas Date: 17 Jul 23 - 04:44 PM In a 1909 book, "Heart Songs", which is a 502-page American collection of "popular" songs, is a song simply titled "English Chanty". Its chorus lines are multiple repetitions of "Cheerly, Men", but it's different from the commonly known "Cheerly Man" in structure, melody, and lyrics. At Joe Offer's request, I'm posting the lyrics here. If I can learn how, I'll add the melody. ENGLISH CHANTY Come shipmates and brothers, Ho yo! Cheerly, men, Haul all together Ho yo! Cheerly, men, Help one another, Ho yo! Cheerly, men, O hauley, ho yo, Cheerly, men! [the indented parts are the chorus, with the other verses following the same pattern] The wind it blows hard, Each tar knows his card, We'll soon man the yards, Come, loose ev'ry sail, We'll soon face the gale, Stout hearts which ne'er fail, Our hearts they are light, Each eye it seems bright, We bid you goodnight, O hauley, ho yo, Cheerly, men! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: GUEST Date: 18 Jul 23 - 11:01 AM Thanks for posting, but I doubt even the Naval Revenue Cutter men who were supposed to have sung a version in the 1830s ever sang such anodyne words. They look very much like what may have been substituted for the common text, by the publishers or editor. The melody, however, would be useful if only to compare it with other versions. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: GUEST Date: 18 Jul 23 - 11:33 AM I'm not claiming that the version I found was ever used under working conditions. The entire, very varied collection of songs in the book was created by requesting the general public to nominate/submit songs that they considered to be "popular". In some cases, an author/composer is listed, but no background beyond that for any of the songs. And none of them (as published) are in any way "bawdy". I will speculate that if the version of "Cheerly, Men" as printed was ever actually used on shipboard, it might have been for ceremonial public occasions. That is pure speculation, but I can't think of a better way to account for the existence of that set of lyrics. |
|
Subject: Origins: Cheerly Man / Cheerily Man From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Jul 23 - 01:23 PM Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index. Cheer'ly ManDESCRIPTION: Shanty. "Oh, Nancy Dawson, hio! Cheer'ly, man! She's got a notion, hio! Cheer'ly, man! For our old bosun, hio! Cheer'ly, man, Oh! hauley, hio! Cheer'ly, man!" Various women are mentioned, perhaps linked to members of the crew, who are urged to pull hardAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (Heart-Songs) KEYWORDS: shanty nonballad FOUND IN: US REFERENCES (8 citations): Shay-AmericanSeaSongsAndChanteys, pp. 32-34, "Cheer'ly, Man" (2 texts) Colcord-SongsOfAmericanSailormen, p. 77, "Cheerly, Man" (1 text, 1 tune) Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas, pp. 312-315, "Cheerily Man," (2 texts, 2 tunes) [AbEd, pp. 234-237\ Sharp-EnglishFolkChanteys, XLV, p.50, "Cheerly Man" (1 text, 1 tune) Terry-TheShantyBook-Part1, "Creer''ly Men" (1 text, 1 tune) Kinsey-SongsOfTheSea, pp. 90-91, "Cheerly Man" (1 text, 1 tune) Heart-Songs, p. 75, "English Chanry" (1 text, 1 tune) DT, CHEERLY Roud #395 CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Haul 'Er Away (Little Sally Racket)" (form, lyrics) NOTES [90 words]: Shay believes that this is mentioned in Dana's Two Years Before the Mast. The section quoted makes it appear likely, but Dana did not actually quote text, merely the singing of "Cheerily, men," which might just possibly be ship's idiom. Still, it is likely that the song is much older than the known texts. Lloyd and others lump this with "Haul 'Er Away (Little Sally Racket)." There is certainly similarity in the form, and in some of the lyrics, and in the idea, but the choruses are different enough that I tentatively split them. - RBW Last updated in version 6.0 File: ShayS032 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2023 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. CHEERILY, MAN (DT Lyrics) Haul altogether, aye yeo! Cheerily, man! Haul for good weather, aye yeo! Cheerily, man! She's light as a feather, aye yeo! Cheerily, man-oh! Haulee, aye yeo! Cheerily, man! To the cathead, aye yeo, We'll raise the dead, aye yeo, She's heavy as lead, aye yeo! We'll haul again, aye yeo, With might an' main, aye yeo, Pay out more chain, aye yeo! Chain stopper bring, aye yeo, Pass through the ring, aye yeo, Oh, haul and sing, aye yeo! She's up to the sheave, aye yeo, At the cathead we'll leave, aye yeo, Soon the tackle unreave, aye yeo! Oh, rouse an' shake her, aye yeo, oh, Shake an' wake her, aye yeo, oh, l Go we'll make her, aye yeo! Avast there, avast, aye yeo, Make the fall fast, aye yeo, Make it well fast, aye yeo! Pull one and all, aye yeo, On the ol' catfall, aye yeo, And then belay all, aye yeo! @sailor @work filename[ CHEERLY JY |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 18 Jul 23 - 07:07 PM More from the stage &c: Lyr/Tune Add: Cheerily Man Lyr Add: Pull Away Cheerily (gold rush) &fwiw bits of chorus only: “August 31.–– We left our berths at half-past three o'clock, A.M., roused by the tremendous swearing of the surly old pilot, who was on deck urging the seamen on. They were preparing to weigh anchor; all hands up. For the novelty of the thing, I make one of them. I do as the others do, as a learner should, seize a handspike, fix it in the capstan, and work at intervals for more than an hour; clumsy, as a land-lubber is sure to be, but by degrees learn what I am about. The anchor is raised after a great deal of hurry and hubbub. The bluff old pilot all the while stalking about, hoarsely giving directions. When the anchor is raised, part of it slips back. “D—the fellows!” roars the pilot. “Ye, O!” cry the sailors, heaving at it. All soon right again. Now all the seamen are on the forecastle, tugging, one after another, at the cable, to raise the anchor yet higher up, singing in unison, “Cheerly man, cheerly man, O, ye, O!” A chorus very pleasing to us, who heard it for the first time. Now the anchor was fished up short.” [pg.4] “September 2.–– We were awoke at four o'clock, A.M., “all hands aloft;” the wind dying away. Men all busy again weighing anchor, and singing as before, “Cheerly man O! cheerly man, cheerly man O, ye, O!” And now, at seven o'clock, we are cutting away before a brisk wind;....” [p.5] “...the singing and bustle of the sailors, from time to time reversing the sails;...” [p.6] “September 10.–– The sea very calm; and all the seamen busy weighing anchor, and making sail. No music now in “Cheerly man O!” most heartily sick of it.” [p.8] “Two vessels are in sight. Every few minutes the sailors are in a bustle, singing as they reef, or unreef, the sails….” [p.28] [Australia: Historical, Descriptive, and Statistic, Howitt, 1845] [Impressions of Australia Felix, During Four Years Residence, Howitt, 1845] |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: GUEST,MichaelKM Date: 19 Jul 23 - 10:48 AM The reference to Sally Racket reminded me of a conversation I had with Stan Hugill at Keele Folk Festival in the late-1960s. He said that the correct line to rhyme with 'Racket' was 'Shipped him a packet'. A 'packet', he said, was a 'dose'. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: Steve Gardham Date: 20 Jul 23 - 04:41 PM Phil I'm guessing this description is of a merchant ship, but can you confirm that, please? This could be quite a useful reference. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Cheerly Man From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 20 Jul 23 - 09:36 PM Lost in cut-and-paste above –– Richard Howitt (1799–1869) Steve: The “convict ship” Lord Goderich gets a mention but one must infer it's their vessel. It's also in the Howitt brothers and in-laws wikis bios &c. Semi-notorious sailing in maritime history. But the family bio dates don't match up well with the vessel's otherwise sparse arrival history. Trivia: “Chearly” of the nautical meme has an entry in Falconer and is probably the source of confusion about a 'shanty' in Shakespeare's Tempest (Chearly, chearly, yare, yare &c.) |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 22 Jul 23 - 05:11 PM More pop art: “WINDLASS SONG. HEAVE at the windlass!––Heave O, cheerly, men Heave all at once, with a will! The tide's quickly making, Our cordage is creaking, The water has put on a frill, Heave O! Fare you well, sweethearts!––Heave O, cheerly, men Shore gambarado and sport! The good ship all ready, Each dog-vane is steady, The wind blowing dead out of port, Heave O Once in blue water––Heave O, cheerly, men! Blow it from north or from south, She'll stand to it tightly, And curtsey politely, And carry a bone in her mouth, Heave O! Short cruise or long cruise––Heave O, cheerly, men! Jolly Jack Tar thinks it one. No latitude dreads he Of White, Black, or Red Sea, Great ice-bergs, or tropical sun, Heave O One other turn, and Heave O, cheerly, men! Heave, and good-bye to the shore! Our money, how went it? We shared it and spent it; Next year we'll come back with some more, Heave O!” [The New York Journal, no.9, vol.I, 27 August 1853] William Allingham (1824 – 1829)(uncredited) |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 23 - 09:29 AM Interesting piece, Phil! One would say Allingham was probably au fait with the chanty and if he wrote it c1824-29 as I presume that is what you are saying, it gives us more of an idea how well-known the chanty was at that time. If you miss off the 'cheerly, men' it almost becomes a limerick. |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 23 - 09:34 AM Gibb refers to a piece he is writing on the topic of this thread, ten years ago. I would certainly like to see this if it is available. Also I didn't get an answer to my serious request about the 1925/1825 Quebec brig version. I would obviously presume 1825 was intended but I'd like this confirming. |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 23 - 09:41 AM Hi Phil, showing my ignorance now, I did actually think Allingham was later as I seem to remember he did a derivative book of ballads, but may be wrong. I realise now you were trying to give his dates which were 1824-1889, so the date of the poem is c1853, so he could easily have been influenced by the chanty and it doesn't tell us much about it except what we already knew, the chanty was popular by the 1850s. Still interesting though, and thanks for posting it. |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 23 Jul 23 - 02:41 PM Steve: Yup... it were me fat fingers. Allingham put it out to his own account a bit later. |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 23 Jul 23 - 10:25 PM “...and four or five of the stoutest of the crew were in the act of hoisting the maintopsail, and timing their labours to a popular nautical ditty, the words of which (though particularly select and striking) I unfortunately neglected to commit to paper. To the best of my recollection, however, they ran as follows: “Now-you-bad-sing-ers––yeo-yeo-yeo-heave-ho, You-are-no-good-here—I-know-ow-aw-ow; Bowse-'em-up-there-boys–sing-pul-ly-hoi-ho, Cheer-ly-men-cheer-ly–heave-cheerly-yeo-ho.” I recollect, too, that the melody came to a premature close; a large block, through which some clumsy hand aloft was reeving a rope, having fallen upon the head of the principal singer, a fine young tar with ringlets, who rubbed the wounded portion of his cranium violently, and swore in a most shocking manner.” [Whittlings from the West, Meadows*, 1854] *Also as “Abel Log.” pseud. Charles Butler Greatrex (1832-1889) |
|
Subject: RE: Origins: Cheer'ly Man - history (Cheerily Man) From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Date: 24 Jul 23 - 01:17 AM “CHEARLY, adi. gaio, lieto, allegro. *CHEARLY, avv. (t. di mar.) animo, coraggio! (espressione per animare i marinari) Heave chearly! vira a ditamente!” [Dizionario Italiano Ed Inglese, vol.I, Baretti, 1829] “Rojen, v.a. N.T. to gauge; to row; hart —, to pull away, to pull chearly; mit vollen Riemen —, to pull hard with the oars; stehend —, to row standing; lang— to row a long stroke.” [Vollständiges Englisch-Deutsches und Deutsch-Englisches, Flügel, Sporschil, 1830] |
| Share Thread: |