Lyr Req: lay around the shanty / Shanty (Edwards)

Subject: lay around the shanty
From: tonster
Date: 09 Jul 98 - 01:29 PM

I have a tape that a freind of mine gave me that is not labeled. it has a song that i would like to find and add the artist to my collection. the lyrics contain the corus "gonna lay around the shanty, and put a good buzz on" If anyone can help me, i would appreciate it.

thank you [e-mail]

Subject: RE: lay around the shanty
From: Jon W.
Date: 09 Jul 98 - 01:47 PM

Sounds like blues, almost. Can you give us an idea of the time period, musical style, artist nationality & gender, etc. More clues will help the detectives solve this case for you.

Subject: RE: lay around the shanty
From: rosebrook
Date: 09 Jul 98 - 02:21 PM

The song is called Shanty and it's from Jonathan Edward's CD titled Jonathan Edwards. The rest of the tracks include:

1. Everybody Knows Her 2. Cold Snow 3. Athens County 4. Dusty Morning 5. Emma 6. Shanty 7. Sunshine 8. King, The 9. Don't Cry Blue 10. Jesse 11. Sometimes 12. Train Of Glory

I had this LP in the mid 70's...it's an old favorite.

Rose

Subject: RE: lay around the shanty
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 09:35 AM

"Lay 'round the shanty from morning to night,
And if a man say a word he's ready to fight.

From Frank Warner song he collected from New York State lumberjack, Yankee John Galusha. Is a line from "The Rackets Round Blue Mountain Lake"

Art

Subject: Lyr Add: BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Jul 98 - 06:18 PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE
collected by Frank Warner around 1937 I think--from Yankee John Galusha--New York)

Come all you bold fellows where e're you be,
Sit down a while and listen to me,
The truth I will tell you without a mistake,
'Bout the rackets we had on the Blue Mountain Lake.
Derry down, down, down derry down.

There's the Sullivan brothers and Big Jimmy Lou,
Old Mose Gilbert and Dandy Pat too,
As good lot of fellows as ever was seen,
And they all worked for Griffin on Township 19.

Bill Mitchell, you know, he kept our shanty,
As mean a dam man as you ever did see,
He'd lay 'round the shanty from mornin' to night,
And if a man said a word he was ready to fight.

One morning 'fore daylight Jim Lou he got mad,
Knocked hell out of Mitchell and the boys was all glad,
His wife she just stood there and the truth I will tell,
She was tickled to death to see Mitchell catch hell!

Old Griffin just stood there--the crabby old drake,
A hand in the rackets we thought he would take,
When some of the boys came to lead him away,
"By Christ", says old Griffin, "I've nothin' to say!"

You can talk of your fashions and styles to be seen,
But there's none to compare with the cook of 19,
She's short, fat and stout but without a mistake,
And the boys call her Nelly, the Belle Of Long Lake!

And now my good fellows it's adieu to you all, For Christmas is a-comin' and I going to Glens Falls, And when I do get there I'll go out on a spree, 'Cause ya know, when I've money, the devil's in me! Derry down, down, down, derry down! ^^^


This is how I remember it---did sing it for many years...
Art Thieme

Subject: RE: lay around the shanty
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 17 Jul 98 - 06:43 PM

Dear Art,

Thanks for the lyrics to Blue Mountain Lake - and even more for jogging some old memories. I remember listening to the Limelighters' version of this tune on my parents' RCA coffin-lid hi-fi when I was a kid.

Subject: RE: lay around the shanty
From: Amos
Date: 25 May 04 - 11:12 PM

My father was from upstate New York, born in Rochester. Every time I sang that song he would sit on the edge of his chair until I delivered that line about "Christmas is coming, and I'm going to Glens Falls", and then he would throw up his hands and burst out laughing fit to bust. It was his favorite song and he'd ask for it any time there was a chance.

One of my fondest memories as a young folkie.

A