Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean

Subject: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Barbara
Date: 31 Aug 00 - 12:04 PM

This came up on a related thread, Joe was looking for why a tune was familiar, and I know the chorus to this, sort of, but no verses.
We're kings of the Western Ocean
It's plain to see we are
We've left our mark on many a barque
We stink of fish and tar
--- --- --- --- --- ---- --
When up aloft we fly
The devil take the laggards, Jack,
It's do your best or die!

Can anyone supply the rest of the words and/or tell me more about this song?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Sep 00 - 08:53 PM

G'day Barbara,

I hope someone can find some more about this interesting song. It is obviously ancestral to the Australian song Lachlan Tigers, a shearers' boasting song form the New South Wales Riverina area, that starts:

A lot of Lachlan Tigers,
It's plain to see we are.
Hark to our burly ringer
As he loudly calls for tar.
"Tar here! You dozy loafers"
And quick the tar-boy flies.
"Broom here and sweep these locks away!"
Another loudly cries.

This not only preserves the general structure, but most of the actual rhyme scheme!

Many sailor's songs ran aground in Australia, as sailors were paid off, settled here or jumped ship for the gold rush (as my Gt. Gt. Gt. Grandfather Jan Van Kampen apparently did). It is common to find droving song versions of sailors' songs and not surprising to see them amongst the songs of itinerant shearers as well.

I hope someone can come up with more on this song. Its descendant Lachlan Tigers is a very lusty scion and popular in modern bush band repertoires.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Marcus Campus Bellorum
Date: 03 Sep 00 - 10:17 PM

The plot thickens.

The Lachlan Tigers, The Great Northern Line, Knickerbocker line, Musselburgh Fair/Field, and Bachgen Bach O Dincer and know The Kings of the Western Ocean (and the list goes on).

This is definitely a good tune.

I look forward to some info on the linkages between the various incarnations. I have been looking for such linkages since my first naive post to this forum around 8 months ago.

More info please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Barbara
Date: 05 Sep 00 - 01:40 AM

I'll be singing tomorrow with the person I know who sings this song. I'll ask him then. Stay tuned.
It certainly sounds like it is closely related to the Lachlan Tigers, Bob.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Barbara
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 08:53 PM

Well, I learned that Kings of the Western Ocean is a recently composed song by Seattle songwriter, uhm, Tim, Tom Latimore, Latimer, something like that, and I hope the person who knows will be along shortly to correct me and add to the info about this song. JOe says that the answer to his question, "What is the song I know that goes to the tune 'Bachgen O Dincar' is (d) none of the above. See related thread here.
blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Marcus Campus Bellorum
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:33 PM

Full circle?

Does that mean that "Kings of the Western Ocean" is based on Bachgen Bach o Dincar/Lachlan Tigers/Knickerbocker line?

Why did uhm, Tim, Tom Latimore, Latimer, something like that, use the tune for his words. Does he know Lachlan Tigers or Bachgen Bach?

Are you out there TimTom?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 11:37 PM

According to http://www.rambles.net/latimer_live.html

The song title is "We are Kings of the Western Ocean" and the author is Tony Latimer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 11:45 PM

I should have also mentioned that the above-linked review also contains this quote:

We are Kings of the Western Ocean.
It's plain to see we are.
We've left our mark on many a bark.
We stink of pitch and tar.
"All hands" cries the mate
And up aloft we fly.
The devil take the laggard, Jack.
It's do your best or die.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 11:55 PM

G'day Jim,

Thanks for that link!

It is interesting to see the ascription: "...This piece borrows a traditional Australian melody but uses original lyrics ..." when it seems to be somewhat the reverse - The lyrics draw heavily on Lachlan Tigers (at least, in the first stanza and chorus) while the tune is, as is proper for a sailors' song, well-travelled internationally.

In another thread of Mark Campbell's, we concluded that the tune is shared, not only by Bachgen Bach o Dincar/Lachlan Tigers and Knickerbocker Line, but by the Australian song Great Northern Line (based on Knickerbocker Line), Sam Larner's English song The Dogger Banks (?) and the American Cruise of the Bigler. (We also seem to have agreed that Bachgen Bach o Dincar was an attempt by monoglot Welsh kids to derive something in Welsh from the English song Knickerbocker Line)being foisted on them, along with a foreign language, at school.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 12 Sep 02 - 10:16 PM

It's on Tony Latimer's new CD, along with a bunch of other fine songs.

Subject: Lyr Add: KINGS OF THE WESTERN OCEAN
From: Peace
Date: 09 Aug 06 - 08:47 PM

I find variants intriguing, and felt there was room for a deep-sea version of this wonderful old tune. With a tip of the hat to The Bushwackers, one of my all time favourite Aussie bands.

KINGS OF THE WESTERN OCEAN
(Words: A. Latimer. Melody: trad.)

We're kings of the Western Ocean. It's plain to see we are.
We've left our mark on many a bark. We stink of pitch and tar.
"All hands," cries the mate and up aloft we fly.
The devil take the laggard, Jack. It's do your best or die.

The captain turns and looks aloft. The mate he does likewise.
Nothing's said, just the nod of the head and the movement of their eyes.
With topsails backed and rode hove short, she slowly bears away.
"Beware the calm before the storm," the shellbacks often say.

Now you've heard the tales of races sailed, of the Aerial and Taeping,
Of Thermopylae and Cutty Sark. They make the rafters ring;
But many's the time in foreign climes the race for life was won
By a daring claw from a dead lee shore or a pirate's threatening gun.

The captain and the mate have schemes of more sails yet to set.
You can tell by the look on the face of the cook what's riding on the bet.
To sail a ship at a hell of a clip through icebergs is insane.
"All hands on deck," the mate calls down and here we go again.

The arrival scene's a lively one and ought to be admired.
No ship's done a better run since Bully Hayes expired.
Along the quay, the girls all smile and the crimps all turn away.
Now you can talk. You're the cock o' the walk. Enjoy it while you may.


That is from

www.tonylatimer.com/crits/debruyncrit.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Aug 06 - 02:20 PM

Nice one!

Charley Noble