Lyr Req: The Prince of Wales (from Beltain)

Subject: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 04:59 AM

Hello everybody, I'm looking for lyrics of song "The Prince of Wales" performed by Beltain. I couldn't find it throughout Internet, so now I'm asking for your help in my search.

Thanks, kai ([e-mail])

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 02:26 PM

I hadn't heard of Beltain, but I see that they're widely advertised on mp3.com.  They describe the song as a shanty, but a lot of people misunderstand the meaning of that word and think that it just means any song about the sea, so have a quick look at two versions of "High Barbary" which are in the database here, and see if they are anything like the song you're looking for.  They both involve a ship called "The Prince of Wales", so it's worth checking, if only to eliminate them from enquiries.

High Barbaree

Barbaree

Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: THE PRINCE OF WALES
From: Zebedee
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 07:24 PM

I've transcribed this by ear from the sound file on the Beltain page on mp3.com here so there may be a couple of mistakes.

The band sound well worth a listen.

Ed

THE PRINCE OF WALES

I was 17 years in 1810
When the Prince of Wales and all her men
Took off for a prize of war
"Sail for the King or you're done for"
That's a hell of a thing, lads
For a Yankee boy like me

We set sail from Eastern Maine
Upon the squalls of driving rain
Sailing down the shipping lanes
That run from New York into Biscay
'Til what I should see, lads
Pirates on the sea, lads
Pirates on the sea

   Oh, oh the folly-o
   Am I ever going to see my Molly-o?
   Take another drink by golly-o
   I'll send you to the briny deep

So they bound us young and old
They threw us down into a hold
That's where we stayed I'm told
For 18 days in freezing cold
There weren't no angry sea, lads
Angrier than me, lads
Angrier than me

Well I resolved to bide my time
Swabbing decks and hauling line
Grappling-hooks worked mighty fine
To take the pitch from the cracks, 'til the briny sea
"Come see the crew, lads
The damage that can do, lads
The damage that can do"

   Oh, oh the folly-o
   Am I ever going to see my Molly-o?
   Take another drink by golly-o
   I'll send you to the briny deep

So with one great mighty kick
The water came in hard and thick
'Til the scuppers did the trick
Flames as high as they can lick
Down to the waterline, lads
Happens all the time, lads
Happens all the time

There are many men below the sound
Many men who kissed the ground
All the Englishmen were drowned
The day the Prince of Wales went down
In a cold and windless sea, lads
The day God smiled at me, lads
The day God smiled at me

   Oh, oh the folly-o
   Am I ever going to see my Molly-o?
   Take another drink by golly-o
   I'll send you to the briny deep

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Zebedee
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 08:19 PM

In the 4th verse "see the crew" should read "seeping through" Didn't think it made much sense...

Ed

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Dec 00 - 08:56 PM

Good work, Ed.  Not at all the song I was guessing at -largely, I fear, because I wouldn't give mp3.com an email address so I could listen to the recording.  As I suspected, though, certainly not a shanty.  Do they name a source?  On the face of it, it reads like a quite modern composition.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Zebedee
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 10:59 AM

Malcolm,

They don't give the source, nor any further information. I expect your right in thinking it to be a modern song.

You don't have to give a real email address to such sites. I always make one up. As long as there's an '@' and a 'dot' in appropriate places it will be accepted.

Ed

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 06:47 PM

[e-mail] usually suffices

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: looking for 'The Prince Of Wales' ly
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 30 Dec 00 - 09:24 PM

I really should have thought of that.  Thankyou!

Malcolm