Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST,Stevebury
Date: 22 Apr 14 - 04:47 PM

Diane Taraz (from Massachusetts) has written a fine song about "The Sea Serpent of Cape Ann." (Cape Ann is North of Boston.) This giant creature has been reported over the centuries by many observers, dating back to 1638. The song appears on Diane's CD "Beat of the Heart" (2003); it's also on the Gloucester Hornpipe & Clog Society's "Liberty" CD ( 2008).   A YouTube version can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=capJ9Lrlats .   That would be Sea-Serpent of Cape Ann if the blue clicky thing works.
Stevebury

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: EllenV
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 09:45 PM

St. Brendan's Fair Isle is a classic.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 02:43 PM

I think much of our inherited stories of sea monsters comes from Norse mythology, but this does not appear to have manifested itself in Scandinavian ballads either as nearly all the ones I have seen cover the same subjects as our ballads and involve nobles, battles and royalty. Whilst they do have a little more magic than ours that magic is pretty much like that in our ballads.

I suppose our seamen suffer enough danger at sea without having to invent even more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Brian Peters
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 01:57 PM

Of course, Steve, how did I miss that?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 01:51 PM

The Last of the Leviathans thread or on MN and AFSAD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 01:47 PM

Probably the fault of Jules Verne. If there were something in the mediaeval bestiaries, however - all they show are Leviathons.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 12:30 PM

Hi Brian, a pretty good description of a giant squid apart from the 2 heads. There's a great 16th century broadside with sketch of one such on the EBBA website, but this one was washed ashore off the Dutch coast.

Yes, few ballads. Considering the reality of sea monsters found you would have thought that this would have provoked lots of folklore and ballads, but the only ones that seem to have survived are the more recent comic ones. Whales of course have been known and hunted since the advent of print so seafarers would have been familiar with them, and sightings of giant squid are pretty rare. The supernatural in ballads seems to have been confined to ghosts, fairies, giants, witches and the like.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Brian Peters
Date: 20 Apr 14 - 06:27 AM

This search page at the Bodleain Library gives one result for 'The Great Sea Snake' (scroll down and click on small image): Monster broadsides

Early English Books online gives this interesting-sounding broadside under 'monster', but you can only access it if you have an account:
"A true and perfect account of the miraculous sea-monster, or, Wonderful fish lately taken in Ireland bigger than ox, yet without legs, bones, fins, or scales, with two heads, and ten horns of 10 or 11 foot long, on eight of which horns there grew knobs about the bigness of a cloak-button, in shape like crowns or coronets, to the number of 100 on each horn, which were all to open, and had rows of teeth within them ... : together with the manner how it first appeared and was taken at a place called Dingel Ichough ..."
I found that one here: Monsters at EEBO

Even that, though, seems to be more of a freak-show exhibit rather than the kind of ghastly marine beast which might overwhelm a ship. Given all those old accounts of krakens, serpents, etc, I'm surprised there seem to be so few ballads about them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 01:30 PM

Here's a children's song based on Maori tradition:

One Day a Taniwha

A taniwha is a dragon in Maori folklore, they come in both water-dwelling and air-dwelling varieties.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST,Guest Tony F
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 11:38 AM

Thanks very much for all your replies. There are plenty of old legends and Myths of giant sea creatures, Kraken etc, but very few songs,if any.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 08:04 AM

The folk-rock songwriter and guitarist, Andy Roberts wrote a song called The One Armed Boatman and the Giant Squid. I think someone asked for lyrics for that a couple years back, so they may be floating around somewhere.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: mg
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 04:25 AM

The rhyme of the ancient mariner has many and can be cut down ..can use star of county down as tune

St brendans fair isle

Puff magic dragon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST,-
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 01:36 AM

This is a borderline case, but TV Smith has a great song titled "The Day We Caught The Big Fish". Here are the lyrics:

The Day We Caught The Big Fish

They called me `Skipper'
And I sailed on the sea
Home was the rolling waves
And the beer and the company
And we pulled the nets together
And we worked as a team
Until the day we caught the big fish
And were never seen again

And the clock kept ticking
And my supper went cold
On the day we caught the big fish
And my wife was widowed

We'd talk of the old days
That would never come back
When we needed those muscles
Just to haul in the catch
When the ropes were singing
And our skins grew brown
On the day we caught the big fish
It was all hands down
And the boats kept searching
There was no trace found
On the day we caught the big fish
It was all hands down

When I hit the water
I was still laughing at a joke
That was just done telling
When the monster awoke
And I thought of all the legends
As I heard the winches scream
Then I swam with the devil
In the deep blue sea

And the clock kept ticking
And my supper went cold
There were radio messages
That they couldn't decode
So the boats kept searching
But there was no trace found
On the day we caught the big fish
It was all hands down
© TV Smith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ialfm4oEnE

However, the "big fish" the fishers caught isn't probably a monster in this particular case, but a submarine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Bert
Date: 19 Apr 14 - 01:19 AM

Not quite what you are looking for, but the best I can find.

WE DINNAE WANT POLARIS
(aka Monster In The Loch)
(Jim McLean, tune: Three craws)

Och, och! There's a monster in the loch,
A monster in the loch, a monster in the loch,
Och, och! There's a monster in the loch,
And we dinnae want Polaris!

The USA are giving subs away,
Giving subs away, giving subs away,
The USA are giving subs away,
But we dinnae want Polaris!

The mayor o' Dunoon has sold the toon for half-a-croon,
The toon for half-a-croon, the toon for half-a-croon,
The mayor o' Dunoon has sold the toon for half-a-croon,
But we dinnae want Polaris!

Tell the Yanks tae drap 'em doon the stanks,
Drap 'em doon the stanks, drap 'em doon the stanks,
Tell the Yanks tae drap 'em doon the stanks,
'Cos we dinnae want Polaris!

Anchors away for poppa Kenned-ay,
Poppa Kenned-ay, poppa Kenned-ay,
Anchors away for poppa Kenned-ay,
For we dinnae want Polaris!

Put the whole damn show in the River Alamo,
River Alamo, River Alamo,
Put the whole damn show in the River Alamo,
'Cos we dinnae want Polaris!

It's suicide to hae them on the Clyde,
Hae them on the Clyde, hae them on the Clyde,
Sheer suicide to hae them on the Clyde
And we dinnae want Polaris!

Off, off, get off the Holy Loch,
Off the Holy Loch, off the Holy Loch,
Off, off, get off the Holy Loch,
For we dinnae want Polaris!

The hairies o' the toon are sailing tae Dunoon
sailing tae Dunoon, sailing tae Dunoon,
The hairies o' the toon are sailing tae Dunoon
For they dinnae want Polaris.

The Clyde says 'No, you'll hae tae shoot the crow(?),
hae tae shoot the crow, hae tae shoot the crow,
The Clyde says 'No, you'll hae tae shoot the crow
For we dinnae want Polaris.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 10:03 PM

Songwriter Valentine Doyle from Hartford CT has a great one called The Dreadful Skillydoo. I'll see if I can find it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 03:31 PM

TraditionalTunes has
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Song of the Fishes
Ten Thousand Miles Away
The Whale

Then there's the Swedish StromKarl tradition and the various Wyrms - the Lambton Wyrm, for example.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 02:53 PM

Try a monologue - Robert Graves's "Welsh Incident".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Brian Peters
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 02:28 PM

Several sightings in the Child Ballads of 'worms', which are serpents or dragons (or humans so transformed) but unfortunately not sea-serpents. Several maritime ghosts, spirits, including our old friend 'The Demon Lover'. Plenty of whales, usually on the end of a harpoon. The Jolly Herring might be insufficiently intimidating for you. Can't think of anything else - Steve's Selkie is probably the closest you'll get.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Leadbelly
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 02:07 PM

Hi Tony,

Google for "Loch Ness Monster in popular culture", supplied by Wikipedia.
There is a chapter about Songs.

Keto/Ketos is another Monster. Please try for finding Songs.

Manfred from Germany.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 02:03 PM

Wonderful Crocodile, but I can't think of anything serious. Certainly not GIANT ones. Plenty of mermaids and selkies. There are some magnificent pictures of real giant sea creatures from the 16th century on the EBBA website. Send you details if you like.

Subject: Lyr Req: Songs about sea monsters
From: GUEST,Guest Tony F
Date: 18 Apr 14 - 11:40 AM

Please help. I,m looking for songs about Giant sea creatures/Sea Monsters etc or from Maritime mythology. Thanks.Can,t find a reference to any.   Thanks.