Lyr Add: The Fishfinger Song (Miles Wootton)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: wildlone
Date: 16 Jan 00 - 12:47 PM

THE FISHFINGER SONG

Come all ye gallant sail-i-ers, who sail across the sea;
And listen to this story I'm about to tell to thee.
Concerning them bold Fishermen who sail the seas so wet;
A-hunting for fish fingers, with a harpoon and a net.

'Twas in the year of '64,or was it' 63-
We set sail from Solihull, bound for Amer-i-key.
The storms they was a-ra-ji-ing, and the waves a dreadful sight;
It took us forty days, me boys, to reach the Isle of Wight.

Our Captain's name was Gladys, he wore a dress of red;
Which might have been the reason he was not marr-i-ed.
He was a gay old sea-bitch and it was his fav-our-ite joy,
To take a turn around the deck with the handsome cabin boy.

Two hundred miles from Iceland, a mighty shoal we spied;
MacFisheiies Fish Fin-gi-ers, a-floating'gainst the tide.
We set off in our longboats, but then our luck we cursed;
A-las, we was too late, the Chinese take-away got there first.

Them slant eyed heathens came at we, they was a dreadful crew;
A-brandishing tran-sis-ti-ers, and a-giving it the old Kung-Fu.
We sang them a sea shan-ti-ee, but they did not want to know;
And their Skipper felled our mizzen mast with one Karate blow.

We got back to old Eng-gi-land in a twelve month and a day;
It would have been much quicker, but we went the pretty way.
No more we'll go Fish Fingering on frozen arctic shores;
Next year we'll hunt beefburgers on the plains of Ilkley Moor.
^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Kernow John
Date: 16 Jan 00 - 05:04 PM

Thanks Wildlone
I haven't heard this for ages, it used to be sung by a friend of mine who sadly had to move away.
Baz

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Little Dorritt
Date: 16 Jan 00 - 05:44 PM

Likewise haven't heard this in yonks - is it the Kipper - I can't remember

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG (Miles Wootton)
From: Bugsy
Date: 16 Jan 00 - 06:08 PM

written by the great Miles Wootton and part of my regular repertoire. The words, as recorded on his album "Sunday Supplement World" are slightly different from the version above

THE FISHFINGER SONG
(Miles Wootton)

Come all ye jolly sail-i-ers, who sail across the sea;
And listen to this story I'm about to tell to thee.
Concerning them bold Fish-iar lads who sail the seas so wet;
A-hunting for fish fingers, with a harpoon and a net.

'Twas in the year of '64,or was it' 63-
We set sail from Basingstoke , bound for Amer-i-key.
The storms they was a-ra-ji-ing, and the waves a dreadful sight;
It took us forty days, me boys, to reach the Isle of Wight.

Our Captain's name was Gladys, he wore a dress of red;
Which might have been the reason he was not marr-i-ed.
He was a gay old sea-bitch and it was his fav-our-ite joy,
To take a turn around the deck with the handsome cabin boy.

And then off Iceland's icy shores, a mighty shoal we spied;
Of Froz-i-en Fish Fin-gi-ers, a-waiting to be fried.
With our harpoons at the ready my boys, upon that shoal we burst;
A-las, we was too late me lads, the Japanese had got there first.

Them Nippon lads came at we, they was a terrible crew;
A-brandishing tran-sis-ti-ers, and a-giving it the old Kung-Fu.
We sang them a sea shan-ti-ee, but they did not want to know;
And they slashed away our mizzen mast with one Karate blow.

We got back to old Eng-gi-land in a twelve month and a day;
It would have been much quicker, but we went the pretty way.
Take warning all ye sail-i-or lads what sails the sea in ships

Don't ever go fish fing-i-ering, just stick to Cod and Chips

^^
Cheers
Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: alison
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 03:25 AM

Is there a tune?

slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: WHOEVER INVENTED THE FISHFINGER
From: AndyG
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 05:48 AM

For a different take on fishfingers;

WHOEVER INVENTED THE FISHFINGER

Whoever invented the fishfinger
Ought to be transmogrified,
Skinned, mashed and boxed into uniform blocks,
Then covered all over from collar to socks
And frozen and finally fried.

Because who'd do that to a fish,
Finning its way through the seas,
Colours in harmony, perfectly poised,
Riding its flying trapeze?

And progress is all very well,
But not when it chops up our dreams,
And it's hard to feel at ease in the world
When nothing is what it seems.

Whoever invented the Daily Mail
Ought to be cut down to size,
Pulped and reduced to a nauseous juice,
And dried out and flattened 'til ready for use,
Then covered in newsprint and lies.

Because who'd do that to a tree,
Raising its head to the sky,
Rooted in centuries, telling tall tales,
Breathing a green lullaby?

And progress is all very well,
But not when it chops down our dreams,
And it's hard to feel at ease in the world
When nothing is what it seems.

Whoever invented the Policeman
Ought to be licked into shape,
Toughened and trained 'til the body's a cane,
'Til the arms are a chain, 'til the nerves feel no pain,
'Til obedience rules and encircles the brain,
With walls so he'll never escape.

Because who'd do that to a child,
Jumping with joy and desire,
Floating in fantasies, drowning in dreams,
Brimming with feelings of fire?

And progress is all very well,
But not when it locks up our dreams,
And it's hard to feel at ease in the world,
When nothing is what it seems.

^^

Words & Tune: Leon Rosselson

AndyG

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Ali_UK
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:40 AM

I was trying to remember this song the other day, the tune is a monotonous slow shantie type Alison. I first heard this song as sung by Fred Wedlock ( The Oldest Swinger in Town) and I still think his is the definitive performance...he also does a wonderful version of "An English Country Garden". I only remember one verse:

What do you do when you want to have a poo,

In an english country Garden?

Pull down your pants and fertilize the ants,

In an english country garden.

hehehe...still makes me laugh.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 10:18 AM

As I read it through the tune to the verse of "Ghost riders in the sky" seemed to fit (seeing the thread title on the latter probably brought it to mind)!
RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 08:00 PM

The tune is the same as that of the song Streets Of Sarajavo, as sung by Roy Bailey.

It's a very traditional sounding song. I'm Not sure But I think it may have been composed by Peter Bellamy.

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: alison
Date: 17 Jan 00 - 09:57 PM

great to see you back Ali-UK... thought you'd got lost in the Amazon.....

haven't heard of that tune Bugsy...... ah well.... thanks anyway...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 01:40 AM

When I saw the thread title I thought it was about Leon Rosselson's song. Thanks for posting this one -- it's a gem! It reminds me of "Fresh Water Whaling", which I think is by Si Kahn, but I haven't seen that confirmed. I don't have time now to post the lyrics or check the DT, but if no one else has done so by the time I get back (which is unlikely, given all the on-the-ball Mudcatters out there), then I will.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: Lyr Add: FRESH WATER WHALING (Si Kahn)
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 01:59 AM

OK, I'll make the time. It's not in the DT, but Dick or Susan, please include it if you like. I learned this from Mary Benson in Portland, Oregon. If it's not by Si Kahn, I apologize to the real author and would love to know who it is. The story is that this is a song from the days when the St. Lawrence was deeper and broader than it is now, and whales made their way into the Great Lakes.

FRESH WATER WHALING

When I was just a tiny lad, no bigger than a youth
I'd walk along the seawall where the water meets Duluth
The whaling boates were coming in, the wind would fill the sails
And I'd dream of going hunting for those fresh-water whales

CHORUS

Oh the wailing of the women
As they watch the sails grow smaller from the Minnesota shore
And the young men are dreaming
We'll go fresh-water whaling and we won't come home no more

The first ship that I sailed on was called the great St. Paul
Her old sod sides were sturdy and her cornstalk masts were tall
The captain was an older man, but well preserved with rum
Which he'd only started drinking when a perch bit off his thumb (CHO)

At night we'd hear the barking of the fresh-water seals
For the passage round Bemidji, well, we put the boat on wheels
We polished all the decoys with bowling alley wax
And lined our trusty whaling clubs with extra rows of tacks (CHO)

Now the sea was still and silent, though the waves were wild and tall
When we launched our wooden decoys just offshore from old St. Paul
We didn't want to scare the whales, we muffled oars with care
Rowed out to the horizon and we dropped our anchor there (CHO)

For forty days and thirty nights our hunger pangs grew rough
For the last whale had been hunted down -- God hadn't made enough
The decoys were our only hope, we were a desperate bunch
So we sawed them into plank steaks and we broiled them for lunch (CHO)

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 18 Jan 00 - 11:41 AM

Talking about fishy songs, I heard a parody of "shoals of herring" called the "shawl of Helen" anyone know the words?
Patrish

Subject: Lyr Add: FRESH-WATER WHALING-II
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Oct 02 - 11:07 AM

Here's my revision of "Fresh-Water Whaling" which includes relocating the whaling grounds to the proper place, Green Bay, and revising the tune:


FRESH-WATER WHALING-II

(Original concept by Scott Alarik in the late 1970's; lyrics by Si Kahn
Mark Cohen learned this from Mary Benson in Portland, Oregon.
Recalls those halcyon days when the St. Lawrence was deeper
and broader; whales made their way into the Great Lakes
to sport and play only to be later hunted to extinction.
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar in 2001
Tune: after Jez Lowe's "Black Diamonds")

Now when I was a tiny lad, no bigger than a youth,
I'd walk along the seawall where the waters meet Duluth;
The whaling boats were a-coming in, the wind would fill their sails,
And I'd dream of going hunting for them fierce fresh-water whales.

The first ship that I signed on was called The Great St. Paul;
Her old sod sides were sturdy and her cornstalk masts were tall;
Her captain was an older man, but well preserved with rum,
Which he'd only started drinking when a perch bit off his thumb.

Chorus:

Oh, the wailing of the women, I can still recall,
As they watched our sails grow smaller, from the old seawall;
We young men were determined to heed our fathers' call,
We'd go fresh-water whaling, or not come back at all.

That night we heard the barking of them Apostle Island seals;
For our passage round the Keweenaw, our ship we put on wheels;
We polished all our decoys with bowling alley wax,
And lined our trusty whaling clubs with extra rows of tacks.

Now the wind it was a-rising, our decks were swept with spray,
When we launched our wooden decoys in the waters of Green Bay;
We didn't want to scare the whales, so we muffled oars with care,
Rowed out to the horizon and dropped our anchors there. (CHO)

After forty days and thirty nights our hunger pangs grew rough,
The last whale had been hunted down -- God hadn't made enough;
The decoys were our only hope, we were a desperate bunch,
So we sawed them into plank steaks, and broiled them up for lunch.

Now when we limped back to Duluth, they all did stand and stare,
We looked so thin and ragged, our lives they did despair;
But unlike the Flying Dutchman, whose story you'll recall,
We resettled in Minneapolis, do our whaling at the Mall. (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr Add: WHOEVER INVENTED THE FISHSTICK
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Oct 02 - 06:22 PM

And here's my nautical revision of Leon's "Fishstick Song" (copy & repaste into WORD/TIMES/12 for chord placement):



WHOEVER INVENTED THE FISHSTICK
(Leon Rosselson © 1981
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar - 1993
Tune: after Too-ra-li oo-ra-li oo-ra-li)

C-----------G------------C
Who-ever in-vented the fish-stick,
F----------------------C
Ought to be trans-mogri-fied –
G------------------------------C
Skinned, mashed and boxed in-to uni-form blocks,
-----D------------------------------G
Then covered with bread-crumbs from col-lar to socks,
G7----------------C----G--C
Froz-en and deep fat fried, fat fried
-----G7----------------C
Yes, froz-en and deep fat fried.

'Cause who'd do that to a fish,
Finning its way through the sea,
Making no sound, just cruising around,
A rainbow of colors, a king to be crowned,
Just riding its flying trapeze, trapeze,
Just riding its flying trapeze?

Now progress is all very fine,
But not when it chops up your dreams;
If you're still afloat, don't miss the boat,
Turn off the TV, deep-six the remote;
Life can be more than it seems, it seems;
Yes, life can be more than it seems!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 06 Oct 02 - 10:07 PM

tune for the fishstick song . It fits perfectly to The cruise of the Calabar

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: GUEST,Argenine
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 01:55 PM

Now all we need is a song about hunting the wild chicken nuggets -- or maybe matzohs (though it does seem a shame to make matzoh ball soup and waste the rest of the critter).

Arge

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: MMario
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 02:00 PM

But it is great population management....

I'd like a nice traditional Scottish tune about stalking the wild Haggis

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Schantieman
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 02:14 PM

Graham Holland (of the Shellback chorus) has written a brilliantly punny song about fishing. One of you Shellcatters (Mudbacks?) out there must have the words?

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 03:59 PM

I absolutely do not recall ever hearing a proper song about the stalking of the wily nauga - although I'm sure there has been one(?)

A look at google finds a book, appropriately enough by a rather "indian sounding" named author, called "Naugahide Days," - probably reminiscences of the hunt(?) and at least one musical(?) group called the "Naugahides".

Maybe the subject has just been overdone.

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: MMario
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 04:01 PM

Overdone Nauga tastes vile (and smells worse)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: GUEST,Hille
Date: 07 Oct 02 - 04:13 PM

Thread drift - sorry what was it we were talking about? Miles Wootton's Fish finger disaster ... If any one wants the tune you can still get the original LP from Miles on UK 01273 504878.

Cheers,

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: GUEST,JB3
Date: 08 Oct 02 - 12:37 AM

I've been wanting these lyrics ever since I heard this song at a Midwest Morris Ale some twenty years ago. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Mar 03 - 02:13 PM

There's no way that I'm gonna explain how I came across this website: www.geocities.com/lakemichiganwhales/

But the TRUTH is out there.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: GUEST,branno
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 09:10 AM

The fishfingerin' goes nicely to the tune of the 'andsome cabin boy.
I heard it on a very second hand cassette years ago, but had no clue as to it's origin.Thanx.
Also for the scottish, the Milligan had a song aboot the haggis...here's the chorus
'How many legs has a haggis, and how high does it fly
does it hae wings and sichlike things
tae tak it thro' the sky-y-y?
I'd really like tae see it, sich a bonny sicht
countin' the legs o' a haggis
on a braw bricht moonlicht nicht.'
I hope that's all spelt right! cheers! Dave Branno

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: breezy
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 09:20 AM

The last I knew Miles still has a few vynils left, or is it vinyls.
I got my copy last year and its got a few other masterpieces on it too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Mr Happy
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 09:58 AM

Miles Wootton's Fish finger disaster song also fits well with the tune of 'The Wild Colonial Boy'

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 01:24 PM

An Englishman who visits San Francisco every December to play Scrooge at the Dickens Fair sings Fish Fingers at the chantey sings here. His name is Martin Harris. Anyone know him? He the way he stretches out certain words and warbles is just hilarious.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: breezy
Date: 10 Mar 03 - 07:18 PM

Miles is seeing his lawyer writ now.
Thanks for the tip-off CH

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 11 Mar 03 - 05:22 AM

Martin Harris now lives in Kent (I think it's Gravesend) these days - he's a member of Hartley Morris. He lived in the US for many years and has an American wife. I could probably find his phone number, alternatively PM Auntie Wend - she'll definitely have it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 01:54 AM

I have his address, but thanks! He comes all the way from England for this multi-weekends fair in S.F. I was just asking who knows him from back home.
Best,

Chanteyranger

Subject: Lyr Add: FISHFINGERS-3
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 08:00 PM

There is one other "Fish-Finger Song" that not many people are familiar with. Our good friend Chez Watts from Bristol (UK) used to sing this for us in the 1980's when he was designing super computer chips here in Maine. He was working with John Williams at an orphanage whom he credits with composing it back in the 1970's (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up chords):

FISHFINGERS-3

(By John Williams - Circa 1970
As learned from Chez Watts of Bristol, UK
Style: Ragtime))

C------------C7
Long ago, in a place that I know,
----D---------------D7
In a house on a hill, it may be there still,
-------G----------------------G7
Lived a boy named Sam, and his old Grandmammy,
---------C--------------F----C
They was happy as happy could be.
C---------------------------C7
Now Sam would play, and his Granny would say:
----D----------------D7
"Be careful, Sam, you don't give a damn.
----G-----------------G7
You just don't care; you play anywhere;
---------C--------G7-------C
You'll be sorry one day, you'll see!"
----G7
But Sam never listened to his Granny's words,
-----C
He'd play anywhere just as free as a bird;
-----G--------------------G7
He'd play by the river, he'd play in the lane,
-----C
He'd play in the sunshine, he'd play in the rain,
---F
Till one fine day, down by the river,
--C----E7---A7
Di-saster came along;
-------D7
When a big fat fish jumped out of the river,
----G----------------G7
And started to sing this song:

--C
"I work for the firm that makes fish fingers,
---G7---------------C
It's very hard work we do;
C
For everyone knows fish have no fingers,
------G7----------------C
So we catch little boys like you;
---F
We bite the fingers from off of their hands
----C--------E7----A7
And stick them on our fins;
----------D7
And when we get caught, you understand,
------G---------G7
It's to pay for our terrible sins.
---C
But don't be sorry, don't be sad,
-------G7--------------C
It's the only thing we can do;
C
For that big Bird's-Eye is always a-watching,
--------G7-----------------C
And I'm only gonna bite off a few."
------F
So he bit off three of Sam's little fingers
----C--------E7-------A7
And swum off licking his lips,
----D7
And Sam got his fingers back -
G7-----------------C—F/C
Served with peas and chips!

If you decide to use this song commercially, please PM me so I can put you in contact with those who deserve their royalties.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: THE FISHFINGER SONG
From: Little Robyn
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 01:57 PM

Hey, Dave Branno, have you got the rest of the words to the haggis song? I love it!
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Fishfinger Song (Miles Wootton)
From: mileswootton
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 07:46 PM

MY song is available still on my CD "The Least Worst of Miles Wootton" for 10 quid including P&P. [e-mail]

MILES WOOTTON !02 CARDEN AVENUE BRIGHTON BN1 8NE. Tel: [phone]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Fishfinger Song (Miles Wootton)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 08:34 PM

Miles-

Welcome aboard!

Charley Noble