Lyr Add: Five Pounds (Les Sullivan)

Subject: Lyr Add: FIVE POUNDS (Les Sullivan)
From: GUEST,Les Sullivan
Date: 16 Jun 20 - 01:58 PM

FIVE POUNDS
(Les Sullivan)

1. Young Jack he stole away one night his fortune for to seek
But a young marine did him espy; Jack’s prospects did look bleak.
A farrier’s wife, she took him in; those boys they searched in vain.
Young Jack weren’t found so no five pounds; let’s drink Jack’s health again.

CHORUS: Pounds, five pounds, me boys, five pounds it will be yours
For bringing back poor sailors who should not be ashore.

2. Young George crept out one cold grey night to swim ashore or drown,
But sadly he was seen, me boys, by agents of the Crown.
Young George’s fate made strong men weep; he was whipped the whole fleet round,
So cursed be all the King’s damned men who earn their damned five pounds. CHORUS

3. They wait there still on Portsdown Hill with pistol on their knee,
A-watching o’er the roads, me boy, for ships just come from sea.
Their spies they wait round the dockyard gate from here to Plymouth Sound.
God strike them dead for men that bled and died for those five pounds. CHORUS

4. Then there was me; two years I’d been away from England’s strand.
I had to get ashore, me boys; set feet upon this land.
I had not gone but five miles hence when pressmen ambushed me,
But no five pounds was shared around when I showed my ticket of leave. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Jun 20 - 12:26 PM

When I started singing this with Mick Pearce, in the latter part of the 1990s, he changed the last verse, so the version I have from then is

"Then there was me, two years I’d been away from England’s shore
I had to quit the ship me boys for I could take no more
But I hadn’t gone but five miles on when pressmen ambushed me
But no five pounds was shared around when I showed my ticket of leave."

I've had fun since then spotting who learnt the song from our CD and who learnt it from Les's original....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 20 - 03:48 AM

My original was taken from the words I found in the story in the preface of Songs for real sailors it was too good a story to let go, Verse 3 was added at the request of Derek Burgess as he thought the song too short

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Jun 20 - 08:22 AM

That last post was a follow-up from Guest, Les Sullivan. Five Pounds (the 3 verse version) was the first track on Les's first CD, "Echoes of Mingulay" (with me singing the harmony)...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds
From: cnd
Date: 18 Jun 20 - 05:06 PM

Thanks for sharing it! Sounds like an excellent song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds
From: cnd
Date: 18 Jun 20 - 05:08 PM

I also think it logical (though not entirely useful) to link this old thread asking for permission to sing the song and post it to MySpace.

Subject: Lyr Req: Five Pounds
From: GUEST,Singerdave
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 06:23 AM

Can anyone provide the lyrics and chords please for the nautical song, Five Pounds by Les Sullivan. Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five Pounds
From: G-Force
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 08:27 AM

Chords? Les sang this unaccompanied.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds (Les Sullivan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 01:41 AM

I'm not finding a recording by Les Sullivan, but here's one by Derek Gifford:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J0MAdMgT4U

Subject: Lyr Req: Five Pounds
From: GUEST,Singerdave
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 06:23 AM

Can anyone provide the lyrics and chords please for the nautical song, Five Pounds by Les Sullivan. Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Five Pounds (Les Sullivan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Nov 23 - 01:41 AM

I'm not finding a recording by Les Sullivan, but here's one by Derek Gifford:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J0MAdMgT4U

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Five Pounds
From: G-Force
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 08:27 AM

Chords? Les sang this unaccompanied.