Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish

Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE FISHY (w/ra) (from Eric Bogle)
From: Ezio
Date: 19 Sep 98 - 01:57 AM

 

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LITTLE FISHY

(Eric Bogle)

Now the crew are asleep and the ocean's at rest
And I'm singing this song for the one I love best

Chorus:
Yo ho little fishy, don't cry, don't cry
Yo ho little fishy, don't cry, don't cry

Little fish when he's caught, well he fight like a whale
And he trashes the water with his long narrow tail

Chorus

Well the crew are asleep and the weather is fine
And the captain's on the deck laying out other lines

Chorus

Now the crew are asleep and the ocean's at rest
And I'm singing this song for the one I love best

Chorus

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Sung by Eric Bogle on 'Pure'

The song describes the apparent stillness of the ocean: the crew on the fisherboat are asleep and the little fish, the poet's great friend, should better not attract attention. But what if the little fish would fight like a whale? The song is based on an Australian traditional folksong. Eric.

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Submitted by EB

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I've collected most of the lyrics I've posted here during the past months.
These lyrics, along with the .RA audioclips, are available at
http://geocities.com/Nashville/Opry/7424
Ezio

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Little fishy (w/ra)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 98 - 02:12 AM

Hi, Ezio - The version in the database (click here) is quite different, and has some interesting notes. With his deep, deep voice, Gordon Bok does a nice job of it.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: YEA HO, LITTLE FISH
From:
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 04:57 PM

This song is a lullaby and has become the only way my 4 year old son goes to sleep, as a result I've made it longer. I've also added some humanity to it, so it's not just about not getting caught by the fisherman... enjoy-

YEA HO, LITTLE FISH

You just eat up a little seaweed,
The sea will provide for whatever you need.

You just swim away from the fisherman's net,
That fisherman catch fish, but don't catch you yet.

You swim and play in the big ocean waves,
You listen to your daddy (mommy, teacher, etc.) you don't misbehave.

You eat all your food, get strong muscles and bones,
You find a cute fish, have little fish of your own.

You just swim in and out of the pretty coral reef,
You watch what you do so you don't come to grief.

Soon this song will come to an end,
But you little fish will always be my friend.

(CHORUS) Yea Ho, little fish don't cry don't cry.
Yea Ho, little fish you'll be whale by and by.

And when you're a whale, you'll sport a great tail,
You'll swim way offshore where no fishermen sail.

Now that you have listened to me,
I have sung you the song of the fish in the sea.

- from Bob Grawi

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish - many new verse
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 05:07 PM

Thanks, Bob! Well worth the nibble.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish - many new verse
From: GUEST,hrothgar
Date: 04 Jan 02 - 08:43 PM

What songs do choral reefs sing?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish - many new verse
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Jan 02 - 12:31 PM

Whatever their "coral" director tells them to.;~)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish - many new verse
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 26 Mar 06 - 09:25 AM

I'm singing this song to the one I love best
and her talcum is sprinkled all over my chest.

I believe this one was also in the movie but seems to have been omitted from other posts.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Little Fishy -and- Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 06 - 08:45 AM

bhjgb

Subject: Lyr Add: HEY HO, LITTLE FISHIE
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 11 Apr 06 - 09:42 AM

Since this thread has risen again, I figure I might as well add my version, which was cobbled together from the DT one, the Kididdles one, the Captains Courageous one, and the version Pete Coe sang at Sidmouth in 2002. I think it hangs together quite well -- my little fishie likes it, anyway, and he has very good taste:

HEY HO, LITTLE FISHIE

Come here, little fishie, and swim by my side;
And I'll sing you a song of the sea and the tide.

Chorus:

Hey ho, little fishie, don't cry, don't cry;
Hey ho, little fishie, don't cry, don't cry.

When the ship's underway and the weather is fine,
Our skipper goes aft and he's hangin' out lines. (chorus)

Then look out, little fishie, for we're after you,
But you can escape away deep in the blue. (chorus)

Little fish, don't you nibble the fisherman's bait;
Then you won't end up on the fisherman's plate. (chorus)

Just stay in your fish school and learn by the book
How not to get caught on the fisherman's hook. (chorus)

You've been swimming all day in the water so wide;
Now it's time to rest and to drift with the tide. (chorus)

The crew are asleep and the ocean's at rest
And I'm singing this song to the one I love best.

Last chorus:

Hey ho, little fishie, don't cry, don't cry;
Hey ho, little fish, you'll be whale by and by.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: GUEST,Jesse
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 11:11 AM

I've always sung the verse

There are fish in the sea there is no doubt about it
Just as good as the one's that have ever come out of it

I think this comes from the Proverb "There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it" See This Link
It wasn't until just now, trying to find more of the song, that I discovered there wasn't more about unrequited love, I had thought there was.
However, the Eric Bogle version is familiar and definitely the one I would have heard my parents/grandparents humming.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 11:24 AM

I sing this every morning to a co-worker's betah. Fish seems to like it.
M

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: Andrez
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 05:33 PM

How interesting, I've hear this song many times over the years and just assumed it was Aussie traditional. Then this thread arose and I came across the earlier thread thread.cfm?threadid=8689 and find that the song has a much older pedigree.... of sorts and in a 1937 B grade movie no less! Maybe it came over to the States via Errol Flynn or maybe the great Cap'n Schooner had something to do with it even before Eric? Ho, ho, ho!

Are you any wiser on the real history of tis song Bob Bolton?

:-)

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 10:57 PM

My all time favorite rendition of this song was in the old film "Captains Courageous", where Spencer Tracy (!) playing a Portugese (!!) fisherman sang it, while playing the hurdy-gurdy(!!!)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 09 - 11:27 AM

U beat me to it Dick. Wonderful version. Suits open G perfectly.

Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: GUEST,Abdul the Bul Bul on laptop
Date: 26 Aug 09 - 11:28 AM

Must get used to my laptop not having cookie. Sorry about the "last post".

Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 26 Aug 09 - 12:26 PM

I'm especially fond of the Ed Trickett version. A sweet little fisherman's lullaby - which like many lullabies is actually a little creepy when you think about singing it to a baby! (Mine didn't mind.)

Incidentally, Gordon Bok has said observed that this is the only song he sings with the words "Yo ho" in it.

Dan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: fretless
Date: 26 Aug 09 - 01:54 PM

I remember Lady Hillary's verse slightly differently. Her's (above)

I'm singing this song to the one I love best
and her talcum is sprinkled all over my chest.

Mine:

There's a place in my heart for the one I love best
and I still wear her picture tattooed my chest.

From Spencer Tracy's singing in Captain's Courageous, as far as I remember it. But it's been years since I've seen the movie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Yea Ho, Little Fish
From: GUEST,STAINLESS
Date: 16 Nov 18 - 02:34 PM

CAPTAIN'S COURAGEOUS IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIE AND I LOVE THIS SONG. WHAT MAKES IT MORE FUN IS THAT IN THE MOVIE , HE SUPPOSEDLY MAKE UP SOME LYRICS TO FIT THE SITUATION. I'M GLAD OTHERS LIKE IT AS WELL. I HAVE A MANUEL & HARVEY FRAMED POSTER, MY GF GAVE ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY , ON MY WALL !