Lyr Req: Name of This Song-My Daddy's Ship

Subject: Lyr Req: Name of This Song
From: GUEST,Guest (BEER)
Date: 21 May 18 - 04:48 PM

My brother sang me this song today by video and he has me stumped. I have never heard it before. I don't know if he has the words correct or not and he doesn't know the title. Hope some can help.

Oh mother dear come tell to me, tell me the reason why.
Why don’t my father’s ship come in,
Why do you weep and cry.
Your father’s ship my gentle son, hi face no more shall see.
For the winds did blow a hurricane,
Swept his body into the sea.
And since you are my only child, I’ll hold you to my breast.
Let the ocean waves sweep over his grave,
I hope his souls at rest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 May 18 - 05:23 PM

Here are some places to look:
Roud no. 2973
Canada in general, Newfoundland in particular
titles:
"The Gentle Boy"
"Daddy's Ship"

The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outposts
as taken from Kenneth Peacock's
Newfoundland Field Collection, 1951 - 1961

Links are all well and good,
but personally speaking
it gives me a happier feeling to do some of the seeking myself.
Good luck.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song
From: GUEST
Date: 22 May 18 - 11:01 PM

Thanks keberoxu for your advice.
I did find something in one of your suggestions but the song lyrics only had the "oh mother dear " verse. All the other verses were different. But thanks for your help.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 May 18 - 06:50 AM

Is that Mudcatter Beer of old? Long time no see!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song
From: GUEST,Beer
Date: 23 May 18 - 01:38 PM

Yep!! it's me. Hope you are well.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHY DON'T MY FATHER'S SHIP COME IN
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 18 - 10:29 PM

Here's my transcription from the audio recording found at the Internet Archive. Some lines don't make much sense, even in places where I think my transcription is accurate. Of course, corrections are welcome.

From the Helen Hunt Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College
The song begins at about 1:45 on side B


WHY DON'T MY FATHER'S SHIP COME IN (What Makes My Father Stay So Long)
As sung by Charles Finnemore at Bridgewater, Maine, Oct. 29, 1943.

It was on one summer's evening as I lay down to sleep
I heard a boy of six years old at his mother's knee did weep,
Saying: "Once I had a father dear who did me kind embrace,
And if he was here he would wipe those tears all down dear mother's face.

"Where is that tall and gallant ship that took him out to sea
With white sails set and colored deck filled with a summer's breeze?
While other ships come sailing in splitting the ocean's foam,
Why don't my father's ship come in or why don't he come home?"

"Oh well do I remember him when he took me on his knee.
Here is a burden full he brought from that fair India tree.
I think I see him coming now waving his hat in hand.
'God bless you both' was his last words as he sailed from our land."

"My boy, your father long tattered is beneath the deep blue sea.
Your father's tall and gallant ship you never more will see.
Your father's tall and gallant ship was sank beneath the waves
There is many the tall and a gallant ship sailed over your father's grave

"There is a burden from him brought; I fold it to my side.
There is a home for you and I that lives beyond the skies.
There is a burden from him brought; I fold it to my side."
They cast their eyes to heaven; the son and mother died.

Subject: Lyr Add: MY DADDY'S SHIP
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 18 - 10:54 PM

Lyrics copied from the collection "MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada" at Canada's Digital Collections. I have added punctuation, but the shifting point of view is still confusing.


MY DADDY'S SHIP
As sung by John James of Trepassey, Newfoundland, Canada, 1950s.

It bein' on one winter’s evening as I lay down to sleep,
I saw a b'y 'bout twelve years old to 'is mother's breast did weep,
Sayin': "Once I had a daddy dear that gave me fond embrace.
If he was here he'd wipe the tear rolls down my mother's face.

"How well l do remember when he took me on his knee
And gave me some of the fruit he brought from a foreign counteree.
He said: 'You are the only child in this world the Lord gave me.
Dear heaven, my b'y, above the sky makes a home for you and me.'

"Where is that tall and gallant ship that took my dad away,
With colours decked and all sails set for to plow the deep blue sea?"
Sayin': "All the other ships they are returned from crossing the white foam.
Why don't my daddy's ship return? Oh, why don't he come home?

"Why don't my daddy’s ship return? Oh, mother, come tell me why.
Why don't my daddy s ship return? Why do you weep and cry?"
"Your daddy' s ship, my gentle son, got a dash beneath the waves,
And many's the tall and gallant ship sails o'er your Daddy's grave."

"When he was leaving home he said twelve months he would be gone,
But now the winter winds do blow and the twelve-month coming on,
I dreamt last night l saw my dad waving his hat in hand,
And the word he spoke: 'God bless you both' as he sailed from Newfoundland."

Come all of you young widows who are ofttimes left to mourn,
For once they had a husband dear, but alas from me he's gone.
He was the joy of my first life when he pressed me to his side,
For the mother and son they both lived on and mother and son to die.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song-My Daddy's Ship
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 May 18 - 09:41 AM

Here's the version from Peacock (SotNO). If you need the tune I can post that later; let me know.

Mick

---

THE SHIP THAT NEVER CAME

As I roved out one evening I sat down to take a rest,
I saw a boy scarce four years old close to his mother's breast,
Saying, "Once I had a father dear who did me kind embrace,
If he was here he would wipe the tears roll down my mother's face.

"Oh mother, oh mother come tell to me, oh mother come tell me why,
Why don't my father's ship come home, why do you sob and cry?        
All other ships are coming home leaving the white waves foam,
But my father's ship is not come yet, what makes her tarry long?"

"Your father's ship, my darling child, his face you never shall see,
For the hurricane of the ocean sweeps his body in the sea;
The fish that's in the water swims over young father's breast,
And his body lies in motion, and I hope his soul's at rest."

"Right well I do remember when he took me on his knee,
Saying: 'Here's a bird and fruit I've brought from deep o'er India's sea,'
Right well I do remember when he wove his hat in hand,
These words he spoke: 'God bless you both,' as he sailed from the land."

"The ocean is wide and fathoms deep, as the earth is from the sky,
There's a heaven above, my darling child, there's a home for you and I;
You're the only one that's leaved to me and I press you to my side."
Where they both lay down together and the son and mother died.

This late, sentimental ballad was found previously in Newfoundland by Greenleaf and Mansfield and included in their Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland as The Gentle Boy . I have not seen it in any other collections.


Source: Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, from Mrs. Charlotte Decker, Parson's Pond, August, 1958

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Name of This Song-My Daddy's Ship
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 May 18 - 10:00 AM

And another collected by Peacock.

Mick

---

THE SHIP THAT NEVER CAME

Right well I do remember well when I lay down to sleep
I saw a child 'bout three years old on his mother's breast and weep;
Saying, "Once I had a father dear who did me kind embrace,
If he was here he'd wipe the tears rolls down my mother's face."

"Oh mother dearest mother dear oh mother come tell me why,
All other ships are coming home why do you weep and cry?      
All other ships are coming home leaving those white waves' foam;
My father's ship she's not come yet why do she tarry long?"

Your father's ship my gentle boy his face you will never see,
For the hurricanes of the ocean swept his body in the sea;
The fishes of the ocean swims over your father's breast,
And his body lays in motion and I hope his soul's at rest.

Right well I do remember well when he took me on his knee.
Saying, "Here is some of the fruits I've brought for thee from Indie free."
Right well I do remember well when he wove his hat in hand,
And the last words, "God bless you both," as he sailed from the Strand.

You are the only one that's leaved to me I press you to my side."
Where they both lay down together and the son and mother died. (sung to last 2 lines of melody)


Source: Guigne: The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. Collected by Peacock from Everett Bennett, St.Paul's, August 1958