Lyr Add: The Smacksman

Subject: ADD: The Smacksman
From: Willa
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 05:46 PM

THE SMACKSMAN
Sam Larner

Once I was a schoolboy and stayed at home with ease.
Now I am a smacksman and I plough the raging seas.
I thought I'd like seafaring life but very soon I found
It was not all plain sailing, boys, when out on the fishing ground.

Chorus
Coil away the trawl warp, boys, let's heave in the trawl.
When we get our fish on board we'll have another haul.
Straightway to the capstan and merrily heave her round,
That's the cry in the middle of the night: 'Haul the trawl, boys, haul'

Every night in winter, as reg'lar as the clock
We put on our old sou'westers, likewise our oilskin frock,
And straightway to the capstan and merrily spin away,
That's the cry in the middle of the night: 'Haul the trawl, boys, haul'.

When we get our fish on board we have then all to gut
We put them into baskets and down the ice-locker put.
We ice them, we size them, we ice them all quite well
We ice them and keep them safely like an oyster in his shell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 09:45 PM

A good song from a fine traditional singer, on whose life Ewan MacColl based his song  The Shoals of Herring.  Not, perhaps, as useful as it might be without its tune, though, so I've made a midi from the notation given in Roy Palmer's book Boxing the Compass (Herron Publishing, 2001).  No doubt it will eventually find its way to the  Mudcat Midi Pages;  meanwhile, it can be heard via the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

The Smacksman (midi)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: Chris Amos
Date: 14 Feb 02 - 10:15 PM

I have an extra last verse from Tony Hall (the worlds greatest melodeon player)

When the eight weeks are over Hard up the tiller goes Off we set to Yarmouth Pier With the big gear on her nose When we get to Yarmouth Town Those Lassies they'll all say Here comes our gallent fishing lads That's been so long away

Chorus.

Haul away etc.

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Feb 02 - 09:47 AM

Chris, thanks for the extra verse.

Here's another version as sung by Tom Brown, is in Sea Songs & Shanties (Saydisc CD-SDL 405).

The Smacksman

Once I was a schoolboy
And I stopped at home with ease.
Now I am a smacksman
And I sail the rolling sea.
I thought I'd like seafaring life,
But very soon I found
It was not all plain sailing boys
When out on the fishing ground.

Chorus:

So coil away the trawl-warp, boys,
Let's heave up the trawl,
When we get our fish on board
We'll have another haul;
Straightway to the capstan
And merrily spin around/spin away/heave away,
That's the cry in the middle of the night,
Haul the trawl, boys, haul.

Every night in winter
As regular as the clock,
We put on our old sou-westers,
Likewise our oilskin frock,
And straightway to the capstan
And merrily spin away,
That's the cry in the middle of the night
As well as in the day.

When we get our fish on board
We have them all to gut,
We have them all to clean
And in the ice-locker put.
We gut them and we clean them,
And we stow them safe as well,
We stow them just as nice
As an oyster in his shell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: GUEST,Dana
Date: 28 Nov 22 - 09:39 AM

I've only heard this song as acapella. Does anyone have chords to it that they would be happy to share?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Nov 22 - 10:28 AM

the extravers i haVE IS ARE
WHEN THE eight weeks are over, hard up the tiller goes, sow west by west to yarmouth roods with the big jib on her nose, and when we get to the pier head all the lasses they will say
here comes our jolly fisher lads thats been so long away.
i got it from a sam larner recording called garland for sam
chords for chorus
start with d major
lets haul is g major... on the is eminor change to a major on trawl, when we is a major have anothh could be emin or g haul is an a note in the melody. i have to go, hope that is some help, work out the melody from there and then from that the chords

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Smacksman
From: GUEST,Dana
Date: 28 Nov 22 - 01:57 PM

Thank you! I'll give that a shot.