ADD: Battle With the Prawns (and copyright info)

Subject: Battling Prawns
From: MMario
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 02:50 PM

Occasionally as I go about the business of the Great Tune Search I run into a song which I want to hear the tune because I want to hear the song! (If you know what I mean)

Battling Prawns is one such.

Anyone have any clues as to the tune?

Subject: RE: Battling Prawns
From:
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 03:21 PM

I don't have a clue about the tune, since I've only heard this once.

However, it was such a memorable experience! It was at the FSGW Getaway in 98 at Camp Prince William. A group of folks "performed" it on stage in the dining hall, and we all sang along. Since I didn't know the words, I practiced finding harmony notes. It was the most inspiring thing to hear, say, 200 people harmonizing simultaneously. What a rush!!! I get goosebumps today, just remembering it.

V

Subject: RE: Battling Prawns
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 03:25 PM

I don't know what the 'official' melody could be but it scans as a relatively simple melody all of itself. Sounds like a fun song for a chantey sing, once I learn it.

Subject: RE: Battling Prawns
From: MMario
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 03:30 PM

my thoughts exactly - but do like to sing lyrics to something vagualy resembling the "right" tune when I can.

Subject: RE: Battling Prawns
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:09 PM

Certainly fits in with such classics as "Fresh-Water Whaling." I do wonder whether the first two lines of the second verse are correct:

Now the whales they had a mutiny upon this pirate ship,
They had run out of plankton because I had a ton of it.

Nonesense is one thing but such arkward rhyming!

I'd also like a clue about the tune before I begin learning it.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: GUEST,Ron Davies
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 12:42 PM

I don't know the first thing about how to work this system but I just wanted to say that Charley Noble's instincts are excellent. The second line as posted is indeed wrong-- it's actually "They had run out of plankton because I had eaten it" I was the one who led the rendition in 1998 at the FSGW Getaway. The author of the song is an Englishman, Sid Meats. I have some other info but have to leave right now for a choral rehearsal

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Nov 02 - 01:10 PM

Thanks, Ron! And here's a glass to you!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 05:11 AM

Shifting one letter of the title reminds me of our last barbecue where L-T-S's daughter managed to completely dominate Linda's son and his friend (despite being about 5 years younger).

The were definitely "Brattling Pawns".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Gareth
Date: 22 Nov 02 - 02:37 PM

Weeeel ! If you double the penultimate line, "Battle with the Prawns" "Three Score and ten" fits and scans rather nicely.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: MMario
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 11:21 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Alasdair
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 11:26 AM

why does MMario keep saying "refresh"?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: MMario
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 11:39 AM

because I am bringing the thread back to the top of the list as it is about to fall off - hoping someone will come up with a tune for this song.

I am "refreshing" the thread.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Alasdair
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 12:07 PM

ahhhhh, i see. new to this site.

Al

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Alasdair
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 03:40 AM

did anyone ever get the tune to this?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 09:20 PM

I believe it scans better if the word "with" in the next to last line of each verse is dropped.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 09:37 PM

Just tried a Google search for "battling prawns". The only 2 hits I get point to Mudcat. Weird...

Jon

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 09:45 PM

I can make this scan within the tune my Dad used for a little song of his called The Reggie of Blue Canyon, but I don't know where he got that tune or if he composed it. I'll have to dig around to see if it's written down somewhere.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 02:34 PM

Hello there everyone,

I wrote this song back in 1993, and I must say I am flattered (and somewhat shocked) by the amount of interest shown in this forum !!
You can find the original lyrics at
http://www.sydmeats.co.uk/lyrics/prawns.htm

I am delighted to hear that so many people are performing it, but please note the copyright details which are given at the address above.

I will make a copy of the tune available via my web site (watch this space for details). I won't promise any timescales, but hopefully it will be within the next few weeks.

Syd Meats, Romsey, England

Subject: CORRECTION ATTIBUTION
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 02:46 PM

tagging so Syd's post one above is more searchable as a correction

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 02:53 PM

I look forward to hearing the real tune, but I must say in the meantime it looks like a perfect fit for the Lincolnshire Poacher--for all you chantey singers who can't wait for Syd to post the dots.

Claire

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 08:36 AM

As Ron pointed out, the second line of the second verse should read "For they had run out of plankton because I had eaten it."

The second line of the third verse should be "With a lot of screaming children and a bottle of HP".

I'm not sure if HP sauce is known outside the British Isles, but this refers to a brand of brown sauce which might possibly be used by Captain Birdseye on his fish fingers. I can't quite imagine Captain Birdseye with a bottle of Chablis, but then again the latest averts shown in the UK for Birdseye Fish Fingers show a much younger Captain Birdseye who may well have different tastes !

For the definitive version of the lyrics please refer to
http://www.sydmeats.co.uk/lyrics/prawns.htm

Syd Meats

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 04:48 PM

I've put the tune on-line at last :
The score (in pdf Format), a MIDI file, and an Encore 4 file are all available at the following address:

http://www.sydmeats.co.uk/tunes/prawns.htm

Enjoy !

Syd Meats

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 05:56 PM

Thank you, Syd!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 08:40 AM

Syd - okay if we add the tune to the DT?

BTW- on my acrobat reader the pdf literally comes up as "dots" - is that correct?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 09:16 AM

Hi MMario,

Yes you may add the tune, with Copyright declaration (c) Syd Meats / MCPS-PRS.

The PDF should come up as a musical score in the Treble Clef.
It did when I tried it at home ...

However, when I tried from work, the Acrobat reader told me that it couldn't find the font Anastasia, and that some characters may not appear correctly.

Indeed, when I view it from work it appears as just dots which is not correct! I had hoped that pdf would be a truly portable format, but apparently not :-(

Hopefully most people with sound cards will be able to hear the midi file.


Syd

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 09:19 AM

grazie!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: Blackcatter
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 10:40 AM

pdf is a good format but one of it's limitations is when you use fonts that are not common throughout everyone's computer. While someone with just the Acrobat Reader cannot modify a pdf, the format still relys on the font package in the computer of the viewer.

Other than using a common font when making a pdf, or somehow changing what you've created into an actual image (and I don't know if that can be done) you other option is to provide the font in question as a downloadable file for users.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,EBarnacle as Guest
Date: 27 Aug 03 - 11:58 AM

On a borrowed computer--The Darby Ram works quite well with. EBarnacle

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 08:48 AM

Here's some help for those of you who haven't managed to display the pdf file of the score correctly.

1) Visit www.sydmeats.co.uk/tunes/prawns.htm (I've added some links to the page)
2) Select the relevant link (PC or MAC) to download the correct Anastasia font.
3) Install the font (for PC users, copy the unzipped file into your fonts directory)
4) If you don't have Acrobat Reader 6.0, follow the link to download version 6.0 (Version 5.0 may not work correctly !)

Results so far suggest that using Acrobat Reader 6.0 with the correct Anastasia font (i.e. Encore's version) will display the score correctly.

I hope to eventually add a jpeg or gif of the score once I've worked out how to create one.


Syd

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: OldPossum
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 11:21 AM

I use Acrobat Reader 4.0 on Windows ME and it works beautifully for me, once I downloaded the Anastasia font (had the dots before, like others in this thread).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 03:48 AM

Acrobat 4.0 and 6.0 seem to be OK once the Anastasia Font is loaded, but for some reason, Acrobat 5.0 can have problems !

Syd

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Battling Prawns (and copyright info)
From: GUEST,Syd Meats
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 11:48 AM

I've just added a downloadable jpeg of the musical score to
www.sydmeats.co.uk/tunes/prawns.htm

I grabbed the image using Acrobat's snapshot tool and pasted it into Paint. Easy when you know how !

The next 'upgrade' will probably be to make the score visible on the web page.

Syd

Subject: RE: Battling Prawns - (c) Syd Meats
From: GUEST,Sam - Editor, Folk on Tap
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:56 PM

For those interested, the lyrics and the tune will be published in the October 2003 Issue of Folk on Tap (The folk music magazine of the South, England). [e-mail]

Subject: ADD: Battle With the Prawns (Syd Meats)^^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Aug 11 - 02:17 AM

MMario posted a link to lyrics in the first message, but it doesn't lead to the right song. Perhaps something has changed in the years since he posted. Ah, yes, now I see it - the song is in the DT under the proper title, Battle With the Prawns. I found the lyrics on the Syd Meats Website, http://www.sydmeats.co.uk/sydmeats/lyrics/prawns.htm

Battle With The Prawns
(Lyrics and music© Syd Meats / MCPS-PRS)

As I sailed into Liverpool against the stormy gales
I was captured by a bum boat which was manned by killer whales
They forc-ed me to join their crew to voyage round Cape Horn
And sailed into the Arctic Sea to battle with the prawns
With the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss
They sailed into the Arctic Sea To battle with the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss

Now the whales they did a-mutiny upon this pirate ship
For they had run out of plankton because I had eaten it
And so they threw me overboard to brave the winter's storms
And left me in the Arctic Sea to battle with the prawns
With the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss
They left me in the Arctic Sea To battle with the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss

I was saved by Captain Birdseye - he invited me for tea
With a lot of screaming children and a bottle of HP
We ate fish fingers through the night until the early morn
And sailed on through the Arctic Sea to battle with the prawns
With the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss
We sailed on through the Arctic Sea To battle with the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss

On Greenland's far Atlantic shore I met a girl so fair
We held each other through the night (despite the polar bears)
She said "Where is my maidenhead?" and looked at me forlorn
I said "It's far out in the Arctic Sea doing battle with the prawns
With the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss
It's far out in the Arctic Sea Doing battle with the prawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnssssssssssss"





Notes: This song was written after my first visit to Cleethorpes Folk Festival in the early '90s.
I'm told it is now working its way around parts of the USA.
On a recent return to Cleethorpes (2002), Third Degree Burns added an action to the chorus which involves impersonating a prawn by holding hands in front of the face with linked thumbs and waggling fingers (sorry, no video footage of this available!).

---

...and here (click) is a YouTube video of Syd Meats singing the last verse of this song, with hand motions. Follow the related links to other gems from Syd Meats.