Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar

Subject: Sammy's Bar
From: toadfrog
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 11:45 AM

The song by Cyril Tawney seems to borrow the tune of a popular song. Does anyone know which? Also, can anyone say where the tune to "Bless 'em All" (McColl) comes from?

Subject: Lyr Add: SAMMY'S BAR (Cyril Tawney)
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 02:59 PM

SAMMY'S BAR

When the last boat that takes the "shore leave" sailors back to the ship has left. (they operate on a rigid schedule) any sailors left on shore must arrange for their own transportation. The British sailors on malta would, in such a case, hire a dhyso (pronounced "Die-sew") which is a maltese fishing boat. Hence the two part chorus, as you shall see.

1. I Went down to Sammy's bar
   (first chorus )OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN'
   On the beach at Pieta
   (second chorus) CALL AWAY THE DHYSO
2. And my own love, she was there
   OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN'
   She had sand all in her hair
   CALL AWAY THE DHYSO
3. How did that sand get in your hair?..
   Handsome Johnny put it there...
4. I was with him all the day...
   on the beach at yonder bay...
5. He's a better man by far...
   For he's got a yankee car....
6. For six long weeks I drank no wine...
   Saving for that love of mine...
7. Then one day whilst in the square..
   At the newspaper I did stare..
8. Johnny tried a hairpin bend...
   For my love it was the end...
9. Now I'm goin' back to Sammy's Bar,
   OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN
   And I don't need a yankee car
   CALL AWAY THE DHYSO

all verses are formatted the same way, second line is OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN', 4th line is, "CALL AWAY THE DHYSO.

This is the way I know it, I've heard other verses from time to time. If this song is done right, and you can get the audience singing with you on every other line, The abundance of harmonic possibilities make this song almost hypnotic.

Being as how I don't know how to write music on my lovely computer, I'll try this: The song is usually done a-cappela and rather rhythmless. The meter however is 6/8 so hee gfoews, in the key of c, I'll stick the notes above the words, that should help.

  G  C    E    C  D   E   C  
  I WENT DOWN TO SAMMY'S BAR
  
  C   B   A    F   G    A   G
  OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN
  
  C   E    G   E  D  F  A
  ON THE BEACH AT PI-E-TA
  
  C    D  E   C  D  C
  CALL AWAY THE DHYSO

---

Formatting fixed. Yankee, please read the FAQ/Newcomer guide and learn how to do
line breaks.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 03:01 PM

hEY, jOE oFFER, iF YOU DON'T PRINT IT EXACTLY THE WAY i TYPED IT, IT WON'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 03:30 PM

tOADFROG, THEY PRINTED THE THING i WROTE ALL, ONE WORD AFTER ANOTHER WITHOUT ANY STRUCTURE, SO THE FOREGOING WON'T MAKE MUCH SENSE So here goes a second attempt. the second line to each verse is "OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN' and the 4th line to each verse is "CALL AWAY THE DHYSO" i'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU THE TUNE WHEN i'M FINISHED WITH THE WORDS. I went down to Sammy's bar (Oh the last boat is leavin") On the beach at Pieta (Call away the dhyso) II and my own love she was here, She had sand all in her hair. IIIHow did that sand get in your hair, Handsome Johnny put it there. IV I was with him all the day, on the beach at yonder bay. V He's a better man by far, for he has a yankee car. VI For six long weeks I drank no wine, savin' for that love of mine. VII Then one day whilst in the square, At a newspaper I did stare. VIII Johnny tried a hairpin bend, for my love it was the end. IXI'm going back to sammy's bar, OH THE LAST BOAT IS LEAVIN' And I don't need a yankee car. CaLL AWAY THE DHYSO

nOTE: dhyso is pronounced , "Die- so"

It's a maltese fishing boat which the British sailors at Malta would hire to take them back to their ship, after the last ships boat had left.

The harmonic possibilities on the two parts of the chorus make this song almost hypnotic, provided youcan get the audience singing with you. The metre is 6/8, but it is usually done very slowly and unrhythmic, I do it A-Cappella. Here's the only way I can write down the melody./ The Capitopl letters are the notes , the small letters are the words.

(G) I (C) went (E) down (E) to (d)sam (E)mys (C) bar

(C) oh (B) The (A) last (F)boat's (A) leave (G)ing

(C)on (E)The (G)beach (E)at (D) Pi- (F) e- (A)ta

(C)Call (D)q- (E)way (C) the (D) dhy- (C) so

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 03:51 PM

Bless 'Em All was originally a WWI RAF song. MacColl sang it, but didn't write it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Barbara
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 04:00 PM

And as Dick with either great restraint or weariness avoided saying, Sammy's Bar can be found in the Digital Tradition database by clicking above, or by putting the title or keywords into the DT search engine (blue box above right).
As far as I know, the tune is original to Cyril.
Cranky Yankee, read the thread on HTML which will tell you how to write the HTML for line breaks, without which all your posts will turn into a single line.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Hollowfox
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 05:32 PM

All of this doesn't answer Toadfrog's question about the tune, folks. As far as I know, the tune for Sammy's Bar is original; at least I've never heard otherwise.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 05:37 PM

Crazy Yankee, to find the info on HTML that Barbara mentions above, do the following.

The very first thread on the thread list on the main forum page is teal and titled 'Mudcat FAQ - Newcomer's Guide'. Open that and go to Joe Offer's first post. Open the link 'Table of Contents' and scroll down till you find 'Technical Advice'. You will find therein a link to 'Basic Mudcat HTML' where Joe clearly explains what you need to know about posting songs, plus other good stuff.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 05:41 PM

CJ, my humble apologies for putting 'Crazy'. I misread 'Cranky'. Sorry - it wasn't intentional.

--Stewie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 05:45 PM

See - I've done it again! 'CJ' instead of 'CY'. I'm going - I should never have got involved in this. 'Sammy's Bar' is a great song though.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Mar 01 - 09:33 PM

Cyril himself says that he wrote the tune for Sammy's Bar (1958).  There are resemblances to phrases from, for example, Banks of Green Willow (the tune popularised by George Butterworth) and Shenandoah, but that doesn't necessarily imply any conscious (or even unconscious) borrowing; often, such resemblances are just the mark of a successful composition in the traditional idiom, which is what I've always taken this to be.  He also remarked (1990) "Those of my spies who've been lucky enough to revisit lovely old Malta tell me that Sammy's Bar, at the head of Pieta Creek, has been demolished.  In the '50s the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Forth was just around the corner, and the bar sold very cheap, but very strong, white wine.  It was cramped, but the acoustics were marvellous, and it became a favourite venue for me and my guitar.  The tale, though, is totally fictitious."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Melani
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 12:39 AM

Thanks, Malcolm and Yankee. I got obsessed with finding out exactly what a dhyso was a couple of years ago. RiGGy told me it was a water taxi. I did a net search, and all I got was the words to "Sammy's Bar" on Mudcat. Now I want to know what one looks like!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Boab
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 02:10 AM

A wee point of interest-- I once [some years ago] heard Cyril say that his favourite version of Sammy's Bar was one done by Lonnie Donnegan in a slow three-four time.

Subject: Sammy's Bar
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 03:07 AM

I like Garnet Rogers version best myself...

;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: MARINER
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 01:43 AM

Last Summer I saw Cyril himself sing it. I have to say that I've never heard anyone sing it as well as he did.I also was seeing him for the first time, therebye achieving one of my "must see " ambitions. I was not disappointed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 03:03 AM

Hey, Stewie, I've been called a lot worse. Furthermore, "crazy" aint that far from the truth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 03:30 AM

CY, I didn't think you were the sensitive type, but one never knows. I have enjoyed reading your posts.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sammy's Bar
From: Joy Bennett
Date: 23 Mar 01 - 08:29 AM

First time I heard Sammy's Bar was from Frank Woerner of the X Seamen's Institute at South Street Seaport 27+ years ago. Every Tuesday night in the summer the X would do 2 hours of sea music on the pier -- I was hooked then and I am hooked now!! (as one of the five in the all female chantey group The Johnson Girls)I still get chills when he sings it. Mark Maniak, one of the NY Packet also does Sammy's Bar -- with guitar -- also a good arrangement.

Chanteys at South Street are still happening! in the winter months, the first Sunday each month from 3pm- 5pm at the galleries on Water Street, the New York Packet (Joy Bennett, Maggie Bye, Alison Kelley, Bonnie Milner, Deirdre Murtha, Dan Milner, Bob Conroy, Mark Maniak, Al Cuenin, Jan Christensen AND Frank Woerner) and a special guest performer each week keep sea music alive. Then, from June through October every Tuesday night it's back to the water -- on board the Peking from 6-8pm -- you can come join us in song. This event is co-sponsored by the Folk Music Society of New York (NY Pinewoods) and admission is only $3.