Origins:Boating on a Bullhead (Bullhead Boat)

Subject: Origins: BOATING ON A BULLHEAD
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 04:13 PM

Looks like this song could use some study. Pete Twitchett sang this song, but gave it a different title.
The Digital Tradition lyrics are on the left. The lyrics on the right are from Body, Boots, and Britches: New York State Folktales, Legends, and Ballads, by Harold W. Thompson (1962 Dover reprint of the 1939 original. Page 242).
Thompson says:

I shall therefore proceed to a better ballad about one real danger present on the canal—the menace of the low bridge. "Boatin’ on a Bull-Head" was found by Mr. Alex. Stearns of Syracuse, written out in an old copy-book left in his father’s hair-trunk, long ago used on the canal; a copy was given to Mr. Walsh, who kindly furnished me with the following note: A Bull-Head boat was built flush up to the cabin. The mule-cabin was away up in the bow, and the stern-cabin left no room for a stern-deck. The steersman had to stand on the cabin-roof to steer. Between the top of the cabin and the bridges there was very little clearance; therefore, if the steersman didn’t see a bridge in time, in a very little space he was swept off by the bridge-timbers. Many a canaller was killed or crippled by this type of boat.

The Thompson lyrics are almost the same as the DT lyrics - I marked the differences in italics.

BOATING ON A BULLHEAD (DT Lyrics) I was sleepin' in a line barn and eatin' beans and hay While the boss was kickin' my starn ev'ry night and ev'ry day So I hired out canawlin' as a horny hand of toil Drivin' mules that kept a-bawlin' 'long the towpath's smelly soil. Well, my feet raised corns and blisters While the mules but raised a stink; I took and threw them twisters Plumb into the dirty drink. I thought I'd give up driving And the Cap he thought so, too He said,"Hire out a diving Or go bowing a canoe." I was drying on the heel path Watching boats haul up and down, Shivering from the first good bath I got since I left town. When a boat tied up in the basin At the wood dock for the night. And I lost no time to hasten 'Round the bridge to ask for a bite. They filled me up with beans and shote And they lighted me a cob. They asked if I could steer a boat And they offered me a job. The next morning I was boosted To the stern cabin's roof. With the tiller there I roosted And watched the driver hoof. Now the boat she was a Bullhead Decked up to the cabin's top. Many canawlers now are dead Who had no place to drop. When the bowsman he forgot to yell "Low bridge, duck 'er down." The Bullhead steersman went to Hell With a bridgestring for a crown. We were loaded down with Star Brand salt The Captain was loaded, too. I wouldn't say it was all his fault But what was a man to do? The bridge was only a heave away When I saw it 'round the bend. To the Cap a word I didn't say While tumbling end over end. So canawlers take my warning Never steer a Bullhead boat. Or they'll find you some fair morning In the E-ri-e afloat. Do all your navigating From a line barn filled with hay. And low bridge you won't be hating And you'll live 'til Judgement Day.

BOATIN' ON A BULL-HEAD (from Thompson) I was sleepin' in a Line-barn and eatin' beans and hay While the boss was kickin' my starn ev'ry night and ev'ry day So I hired out canawlin' as a horny hand of toil Drivin' mules that kept a-bawlin' 'long the towpath's smelly soil. But my feet raised corns and blisters While the mules but raised a stink; Roped my feet and threw some twisters Plumb into the dirty drink. So I thought I'd give up driving For the captain thought so too He said, "Hire out at divin' Or go bowin' a canoe." I was dryin' on the heel-path Watchin' boats haul up and down, A-shiverin' from the first bath I'd got since I left town. When a boat tied in the basin At the wood-dock for the night, And I lost no time to hasten 'Round the bridge to ask a bite. They filled me up with beans and shote And lighted me a cob. They asked me if I could steer a boat And offered me a job. The next mornin' I was boosted To the stern cabin's roof. With the tiller there I roosted And watched the driver hoof. Now the boat she was a Bull-Head Decked up to the cabin's top; Many canawlers now are dead Who had no place to drop. (When the bowsman he forgot to yell, "Low bridge, ducker down." The Bull-Head steersman went to hell With a bridge-string for a crown.) We were loaded down with Star Brand Salt; The Cap, he was loaded, too. I wouldn't say it was all his fault, But what was a man to do? The bridge was only a heave away When I saw it 'round the bend. To the Cap a word I didn't say While turning end over end. So canawlers, take my warning: Never steer a Bull-Head boat Or they'll find you some fair mornin' In the E-ri-e afloat. Do all your fine navigatin' In the Line-barn full of hay. And 'Low Bridge' you won't be hatin' And you'll live 'til Judgement Day.

From The Canaller's Songbook
Collected from Lyman King
@canal @work
filename[ BULLHEAD
TUNE FILE: BULLHEAD
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

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Subject: RE: Origins: BOATING ON A BULLHEAD
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 30 Nov 21 - 10:57 AM

Yes. This song is correctly titled, "The Bullhead Boat". Perhaps some kind Mudelf could change the title in the DT and on the heading for this thread?

I learned this song from Art Thieme. In a thread on canal songs he noted that he collected it from Lyman King of Fulton New York. There is very little information on the Bullhead canal boat. What little I could find came from an article entitled, "Phase 1b Underwater archaeological report of the Onondaga lake bottom." This says;

Bullhead Canal Boats (1819 to 1915)
One of the most expensive boats to build, the bullhead canal boat was used for cargoes of flour, grain, and other products requiring an absolutely dry cargo hold. Similar to packet and line boats, these also had full length deckhouses, though even fewer windows. The cargo was loaded through wide doors in the side of the house (as in a line boat). Bullhead boats were strongly built because of their heavy cargos and had holds well lined to prevent damage to the cargo from moisture. That makes sense of the line about a load of Star Brand Salt.

Apart from that, it's a great song to sing!

Hope that helps.

PS Change the title!

Subject: RE: Origins: BOATING ON A BULLHEAD
From: leeneia
Date: 30 Nov 21 - 12:53 PM

This site:

http://thechemungcanal.com/canal-boats.html

explains about bullhead canal boats, way down the page.

I admit I was skeptical at first, because where I live, a bullhead is a kind of fish.

   Her husband comes to see with a fifth of wine
   ....
   and a bucket full of bullheads he had caught that day
   on Monana Bay with a hand-held line.

Apparently fishing with a hand-held line is especially low class.

Now I have to find out where the Chemung canal is.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Bullhead Boat / Boating on a Bullhead
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Nov 21 - 04:07 PM

Aw, Pete. You know that traditional songs often have more than one title. Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Bullhead Boat, The

DESCRIPTION: Singer, a mule-driver, gets work steering a canal boat. One pilot is killed by a low bridge. The singer spies a low bridge, but fails to warn the (drunken) captain, as he's busy tumbling end over end. He warns listeners never to drive a bullhead boat.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1986 (recording, Art Thieme)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Singer, a mule-driver, gets work steering a canal boat; it's miserable work, and the captain drinks. One pilot is killed by a low bridge. One day the singer spies a low bridge coming, but fails to warn the (drunken) captain, as he's busy tumbling end over end. He warns listeners never to drive a bullhead boat, but rather spend their time on a line barge; "The bridge you won't be hatin'/And you'll live till Judgement Day"
KEYWORDS: warning death canal ship work worker
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Thompson-BodyBootsAndBritches-NewYorkStateFolktales, pp. 242-243, "Boatin' on a Bull-Head" (1 text)
DT, BULLHEAD
Roud #6590
RECORDINGS:
Art Thieme, "The Bullhead Boat" (on Thieme04)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Erie Canal" (subject)
NOTES [61 words]: According to Art Thieme, a bullhead boat was an unusually tall canal boat. Since most canal boats on America's early waterways were built low (e.g. the Erie Canal carried mostly barges), bridges over the canal were often quite low. This meant that serving on a bullhead boat could be quite dangerous.
For more on low bridges, see the notes to "The Erie Canal." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: RcTBulBo

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Subject: ADD Version: Bullhead Boat (from Thieme)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Nov 21 - 05:29 PM

Art Thrieme's version is more-or-less the same, but he changes the title and a few words to make them more singable or more understandable:

BULLHEAD BOAT(sung by Thieme)

I was sleepin' in a line barn, eatin' beans and hay
And the boss kicked my stern every night and every day
I hired out canallin' as a horny hand of toil
Drivin' mules that kept a-squallin' 'long the towpath's smelly soil.

Oh, my feet raised corns and blisters
And the mules they raised a stink;
They roped my feet and threw me
Plump into the smelly drink.

I thought I'd canalling
And the Boss he thought so, too
He said, "Try your hand at diggin' up ore
Go row your own canoe."

Well, I was drying on the towpath
Watching boats go up and down,
Shivering from the first good bath
That I'd had since I hit town.

When a boat pulled into the basin
To the wood dock for the night.
And I lost no time to hasten
'Round the bridge to bum a bite.

Oh, they filled me up with beans and shote
And lighted me up a cob.
They asked if I could steer a boat
And they offered me a job.

Next morning I was hoisted
Up to the cabin's roof.
By the tiller there I roosted
And I watched that driver hoof.

Oh the boat she was a Bullhead boat
Decked up to the cabin's top.
And many a canaller now are dead
Who had no time to drop.

When the Captain he forgot to yell
"Low bridge, duck 'er down."
The Bullhead steersman went to Hell
With a bridge bash in his crown.

Well, we were loaded up with Star Brand salt
And the Cap was loaded, too.
Now, I can't say it was his fault
'Cause what's a man to do?

The bridge was only a heave away
When I saw her around the bend.
To the Cap a word I couldn't say
While tumbling end over end.

So canallers take my warning
Never steer a Bullhead boat.
They'll find you some sad morning
In the old canal afloat.

Do all your navigating
In a line barn filled with hay.
And the bridge you won't be hating
And you'll live 'til Judgment Day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWB5-55ng3E