Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away

Subject: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 08:33 PM

Lyr. Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY (2)

Sing oh! for a brave and valiant bark,
And a brisk and lively breeze,
A bully crew, and a captain too,
To carry me over the seas;
To carry me over the seas, my boys,
To my true love so gay-
She has taken a trip on a government ship,
Ten thousand miles away.

Chorus:
So blow the winds, I, O,
A roving I will go,
I'll stay no more on England's shore,
So let the music play,
I start by the morning train
To cross the raging main.
For I'm on the move to my own true love,
Ten thousand miles away.

My true love she is beautiful,
My true love she is young.
Her eyes are blue as the violet's hue,
And silvery sounds her tongue;
And silvery sounds her tongue, my boys,
But while I sing this lay,
She is doing the grand in a distant land,
Ten thousand miles away.

Oh! that was a dark and dismal day,
When last she left the Strand,
She bade good-bye with a tearful eye,
And waved her lily hand.
She waved her lily hands, my boys,
As the big ship left the bay.
Adoo, says she, remember me,
Ten thousand miles away.

Oh! if I could be but a bos'n bold,
Or only a bom-ba-dier,
I'd hire a boat, and hurry afloat,
And straight to my true love steer;
And straight to my true love steer, my boys,
Where the dancing dolphins play,
And the whales and sharks are having their larks,
Ten thousand miles away.

Oh! the sun may shine thro' a London fog,
And the Thames run bright and clear,
The ocean's brine be turned to wine,
And I may forget my beer;
And I may forget my beer, my boys,
And Landlord's quarter *(sic)day. (*pay)
But I'll never part from my own true love
Ten thousand miles away.

Bodleian Library, Ballads Catalogue, Harding B 11 (3763), J. Harkness, printers, Preston, date between 1840-1866 (closer to ca. 1860- ref. to morning train).
Hugill's version (DT) differs by emphasizing the transportation aspect, mentioning Botany Bay. The singer as well is taking a government ship. Obviously not a sailors' song; a music hall and mid-Victorian parlor song, or perhaps, as Hugill says, sung by street singers. Hugill offered no evidence that the song was originally Irish. I can find no thread on this song.

The song has been eclipsed by its parody, "A Capital Ship," thread 63496 and 24814, which was composed in the 1880s by C. E. Carryl.
childish Capital Ship
Capital Ship

TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY

Sing ho! for a brave and gallant barque
And a brisk and lively crew,
Sing ho! for a jolly captain
And a jolly good ship too.
To carry me over the sea, my boys,
To my true love away.
For she's taken a trip in a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.

Oh, my true love was handsome,
And my true love was young,
Her eyes were as blue as the violets hue
And silvery sounds her tongue.
And silvery sounds her tongue, my boys,
And while I sing this lay,
She's a-doing the grand in a distant land
Ten thousand miles away.

Fragment sung by 'Duke' Tritton, from John Meredith and Hugh Anderson, "Folk Songs of Australia," 1967 (1979), p. 272-273.
Bob Bolton may be able to add this Australian version.

Lyr. Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY (3)

On the banks of a lonely river
Ten thousand miles away,
I had an aged mother
Whose hair was turnin' gray.

Oh blame me not for weepin',
Oh blame me no i pray,
For I want to see my mother
Ten thousand miles away.

I wish I was a little bird,
I'd fly so far away
To the banks of the lonely river
Ten thousand miles away.

Last night as I lay sleepin'
I drempt a pleasant dream,
I thought I seen my mother
Close by a lonely stream

Today I got a letter,
"Twas from my sister dear,
She spoke of my dear mother,
An' I wish that she was here.

They tell me they have laid her
In the cold and silent grave,
On the banks of the lonely river
Ten thousand miles away.
But as years roll on before me,
I sometimes kneel an' pray,
For the banks of the lonely river
Ten thousand miles away.

Doesn't really belong in this thread, but the title is the same. Mrs. C. A. Wilson, Arkansas, 1932, in Randolph, "Ozark Folksongs, vol. 4, pp. 697-698, with music. Also in "Folksongs of Nebraska," 1915, p. 49.
There are similar songs under different titles; a new thread may be needed to gather them and this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 08:40 PM

Sorry. Thread 62496: childish Ship

Subject: Add Version: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 08:54 PM

Ten Thousand Miles Away

On the banks of a lonely river, ten thousand miles away,
I had a dear old mother whose hair had turned to gray.
Oh, blame me not for weeping, oh, blame me not I pray,
For I want to see my mother, ten thousand miles away.

I wish I were a little bird, I'd fly so far away,
To the banks of the lonely river, ten thousand miles away.
Last night, I lay a-sleeping, I dreamed a pleasant dream.
I thought I saw my mother, close by the lonely stream.
Oh, blame me not for weeping, and blame me not I pray,

For I want to see my mother, ten thousand miles away.
Today I got a letter, it's from my-sister dear.
She spoke of my dear old mother, and I wish that she were near.
They tell that she's now sleeping in a lonely new-made grave.
My poor old aged mother whose hair had turned to gray.

As years roll on before me, I'll sometimes kneel and pray.
For the banks of the lonely river, ten thousand miles away.
So blame me not for weeping, and blame me not I pray.
I miss my aged mother, ten thousand miles away.

from A Singer and Her Songs: Almeda Riddle's Book of Ballads (edited by Roger D. Abrahams, Louisiana State University Press, 1970).

MIDI tune available on request

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 09:58 PM

The version taken from the Bodleian (2, heading this thread), appears in "Scottish Students' Song Book," 1892, 3rd. Ed., pp. 126-127, with score.

At the beginning of the sheet music is "Written and composed by J. B. Geohegan. Arr. by W. H. M."
This is the first copy I have seen that is credited.

The first line of the chorus is "So blow the winds, Heigh-ho," rather than So blow the winds, I. O."

J. B. Geohagen was an American comedian, last half of the 19th c. He also wrote "DOWN IN A COAL MINE." See Edith Fowke and Joe Glazer, "Songs of Work and Freedom," 1960, pp. 47-49, with score. His music is changed in Britain to the Irish song, "The Roving Journeyman."

On p. 128 of the "Scottish Students' Song Book," is "A CAPITAL SHIP," with the note, "Words from St. Nicholas." This is the well-known childrens magazine (on line) which was distributed throughout the English-speaking world.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 11:26 PM

Here's a link to another version of

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 11:28 PM

Here another thread about Ten Thousand Miles Away or The Claudy Banks

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 11:35 PM

Joseph B Geoghegan was neither an American comedian nor, as he was once described by Ian Campbell, 'a Durham miner'. He was a professional performer, songwriter and music hall manager, born (and died, 1889) in Lancashire.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Grimmy
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 05:36 AM

Joseph Bryan Geoghegan's death was registered at Bolton, Lancashire in March 1889. He was 72 years old. I can't find him on the 1881 census, though I suspect the enumerator may have had trouble with the spelling of his surname! - so it may be indexed differently.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Grimmy
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 05:59 AM

LIVERPOOL ECHO
21st Jan 1889

The well known and popular song writer Mr J.B. GEOGHEGAN died at Bolton today aged 75 he had been connected to the Music Halls all his life. He wrote songs such as, "John Barleycorn," "The men of merry merry England," "Lancashire Witch," Marigold" and "Black diamond".

Catchy song, that John Barleycorn, I always wondered who wrote it ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:48 AM

I wonder where Fowke and Glazer got the information that Geohagen was an 'American comedian.'
Now I wonder where the score of "Down in a Coal Mine" as given by Fowke and Glazer came from. I haven't checked to see if it actually is "The Roving Journeyman."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Grimmy
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 11:59 AM

Q, got this from the Indiana University Sheet Music site:

Title: Down in a coal mine
Composer: Geoghegan, Joseph B.
Lyricist: Geoghegan, Joseph B.
Performer: Mountain Pete Angel
Arranger: Manoloff, Nick
Publisher: Calumet Music Co.
Place of publication: Chicago
Date of publication: 1937
Performance Medium: Piano, Voice and Chords
First Line: I am a jovial collier lad, and blithe as blithe can be, for
Chorus First Line: Down in a coal mine, underneath the ground where a gleam of
Genre: Popular song
Subject term: Coal/Oil

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEN THOUSAND MILES AWAY
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 01:29 PM

Thanks for looking that out.
I have mis-spelled the name Geoghegan, leaving out the second 'g'- it is Geoghagan in the "Scottish Student's Song Book." and in the book by Fowke and Glazer. Sorry for the confusion.

Fowke and Glazer state "Down in a Mine" was written in 1872. Sheet music of that date in the Levy Collection; "Down in a Coal Mine!" Words and Music J. B. Geoghagan, printed by W. H. Ewald and Bro., Jersey City, NJ., 1872, with other songs in "Gems of Harmony."
http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/display.pl?record=132.107.000&pages=4
Down in a Mine

Lyrics remain the same. Since the 1872 American printing is a collection, the song probably is a little earlier than that date.

The 1937 sheet music by Calumet is a reprint.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 07:20 PM

He didn't write the well-known 'John Barleycorn', of course, but a song based on it, 'John Barleycorn is a Hero Bold'. See other discussions here for more detail.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 08:21 PM

J. B. Geoghagan receives little mention in current references.

"John Barleycorn is a Hero Bold" is in the DT as John Barleycorn (2); uncredited.
Also see posts by Malcolm Douglas in thread 19412: John Barleycorn
.
Lyrics and Knowledge Search for Geoghagan yields no results.

The "Canadian Journal for Traditional Music" (1984) lists Geoghagan as an author of a song found in Canada about coal-mining; it also lists the song title; but no comments at either entry (This was the sole entry found for J. B. Geoghagan in 'Google').

The song does not appear in Mudcat, but a reference to a Bodleian Broadside is given by Malcolm in thread 68593: Down in the Coal Mine
The same post by Malcolm mentions that Geoghagan did a remake of "John Barleycorn."

Geoghagan is mentioned in Michael Kilgarriff, "Sing Us One of the Old Songs," as composer of five songs, but the songs John Barleycorn, Down in a Mine, and Ten Thousand Miles, are not mentioned. None of his songs or routines is mentioned in the section "Artistes' Repertoires."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 09:07 PM

I'd stick to 'Geoghegan'.

At Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads:

Rock the cradle John!

There are other songs of his there, I think, but uncredited, having been pirated by broadside printers.

At COPAC:

joseph geoghegan

At Lester Levy:

Down in a Coal Mine!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 12 May 10 - 11:51 AM

The following is an extract from Era Magazine, Saturday August 21, 1897:

OLD SONGS

To the Editor of The Era

Sir - I was very much pleased and interested by the remarks of a correspondent in your last week's issue under the above heading. It affords a singer much gratification to read, after half a century has gone by, that his songs are still alive and of the class that are likely to live forever.

But your correspondent need not go to the British Museum for information about any of the songs he cites. If he refers to a file of The Era from 1871 to 1874, he will find that 'Down in a coal mine' and 'Out in the green fields' are both my songs, the former being written and composed for me by Joseph Bryan Geoghegan, author of 'Men of merry England', 'John Barleycorn', 'Lancashire Witches' etc. It was published by H.D'Alcorn, each title page bearing my picture.

I sang the song for many months at every music hall in London, at Drury Lane Theatre, the Princess's, and at Evans's for four years. Mr.Tony Pastor made the song popular in America, and personally thanked me for permission to use it when we met at Mr.G.W.Moore's garden party when Tony paid his first visit to England - about 1884.

I may add that 'Down in a coal mine' was not forgotten on Jubilee Day, for I was "spotted" in a window by Mr.Payne, of firework fame, who insisted on my singing the old song, and not less than 8,000 persons, who were thickly crowded round Newman Hall's church, joined in the chorus as lustily as the audience did on the first night I sang it in London at Gatti's, in the Westminster-bridge-road.

Yours faithfully,
J.W. Rowley

Following up on the clues from above, I came across this in the same magazine, January 1st, 1871:

Mr.J.W.Rowley, a recent arrival from the provinces, made his bow to an audience at the East of London and achieved great success. He has a nimble pair of feet, and treated his spectators to some step-dancing of the right sort, which was given with ease, grace and artistic finish. He will assuredly take first rank among the Music Hall singers.

His characteristic songs, 'Down in a coal mine' and 'The Donkey Driver', went immensely.

Some interesting facts about the song's origin - and a revised date of composition.

Subject: Down in a Coal Mine
From: Artful Codger
Date: 02 Jun 10 - 03:22 AM

I've started a new thread for "Down in a Coal Mine":
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=68593
Please post further comments about "Down in a Coal Mine" to this new thread.

There I've posted the Geoghegan version as published in sheet music, with a MIDI. I've also cross-linked this thread, mentioning the versions which have already been posted here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Ten Thousand Miles Away
From: GUEST,Carol in CA
Date: 04 Aug 13 - 08:47 PM

Where can i hear/learn the melody to the version that has "Oh blame me not for weeping..." the more mournful and quiet (not rowdy!) version? Heard it live the other night but can't find it on Youtube. Thanks, all my musical buddies! Carol in CA