Lyr ADD: LIBRARY-O (Library Chantey)

Subject: Lyr Req: Library Chantey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 07:13 PM

Dawn Berg and Jerry Myerson sing this song. I'm hoping one or the other will post the lyrics.

This may or may not be a link to the song:

https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/about-library/publications/openbook/shanty-town-mark-dapin-extract

Subject: ADD: 'Library-O' (Library Chantey)
From: GerryM
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 09:19 PM

Sorry, Joe, thought I had posted them to the Australian song thread.

LIBRARY-O
The Grubby Urchins - Library-O
Daniel Bornstein and Joe Hillel

When I was young, but ten and three
Hi-o, hi-o, librari-o
My parents asked, what trade for thee?
Send them out on loan
And so next morning I began
Hi-o, hi-o, librari-o
To train as a librar-i-an
Send them out on loan

Chorus (after each verse):
So turn 'em, scan 'em, bin 'em, bag 'em
Heave 'em out to roam-i-o
Two weeks in the open world
Before they come back home-i-o
When they're back and through the slot
It's to the shelves they'll go-i-o
Send them out on loan-i-o
Send them out on loan

I dreamed that evening as I slept
Hi-o ...
On where the books are neatly kept
Send ...
I dreamed of shelves ten fathoms high
Hi-o ...
Where books from every land do lie
Send ...

Chorus

I dreamed of bins and stacks and shelves
Where readers go and help theirselves
I dreamed of books in tidy rows
From ancient verse to modern prose

The libr'y life is free from woes
The chief concern is where books goes
So growl ye may, but read ye must
You talk too loud, your head they'll bust

If friendly staff is what ye seeks
Bring back your books within two weeks
Be warned when on a reading spree
Late books incur a nominal fee

The lib'ry trade takes stalwart guts
For every year bring government cuts
They say that borrowing books is hard
For those without a lib'ry card

And when their lending time is through
It's back you'll mosey to renew
And when the readin's good and done
It's back to pick another one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-A9MTvFbA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Library Chantey
From: GerryM
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 09:29 PM

I *did* post it in that other thread, see under
Subject: RE: Mudcat Australia/NZ Songbook
From: GerryM - PM
Date: 22 Mar 21 - 02:42 AM

https://mudcat.org/detail.cfm?messages__Message_ID=4098713

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Library Chantey
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 27 Jul 21 - 02:32 PM

About on a par with Wellerman.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Library Chantey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jul 21 - 02:37 PM

Well, yeah, Steve; but it's fun.
But I agree the melody is reminiscent of "Wellerman," which was a perfectly good song before it went viral.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Library Chantey
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Jul 21 - 03:53 PM

Thanks so much, Gerry.

You gets credit where credit's due!

Cheerily,
Charlie Ipcar

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Library Chantey
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Oct 22 - 08:17 PM

And here's a performance by the fabulous Dawn Berg!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-A9MTvFbA

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: LIBRARY-O (Library Chantey)
From: GerryM
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 02:44 AM

Too bad that video doesn't mention Dawn (although her name is in tiny print in the lower left corner), and there's no mention of the songwriters (although Dawn does credit The Grubby Urchins at the end).

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: LIBRARY-O (Library Chantey)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Oct 22 - 06:00 AM

Australia's very own The Grubby Urchins
On the nebulous intersection of trad jazz, sea shanty and good ol’ fashioned folk sit The Grubby Urchins, a duo of happy-go-lucky young Melburnians with dirty feet, useless degrees and a penchant for the eclecticly bizarre.

Armed with heady harmonies and intrepid instrumentals, the Urchins wage their reckless stylistic war on songs old and new, leaving audiences grinning in politeness and confusion and wondering where the youth of today went wrong.

Sea shanties are maritime work songs, designed for synchronising manual exertion upon ships. High morale and rambunctious good cheer are known side effects.

Our shiny new sea shanty album, Futtocks in the Fo'c'sle is now available for purchase online at our Bandcamp page. For less than a dollar a shanty you could be singing along with 25 acapella shanties in beautiful three-part harmony, recorded live on Melbourne's very own Tallship Enterprize. An opportunity not to be missed!