Origins: Hullabaloo Belay

Subject: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: Amos
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 08:50 AM

This widely known shanty traces easily back to 1956 or so when Burl Ives performed it. There is one reference in someone's lists that attributes it to a Taylor Harris in 1925, but no idea who or what that is. It certainly seems by its language to be more likely earlier, in my opinion.

Does anyone have any idea where this song might be found earlier? Anyone know who this Taylor Harris was?

Thanks for any clues. Its origins seems lost in the mists of tradition.

A

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Also see Shallow Brown

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 09:21 AM

Amos - this music history site click credits it to Taylor Harris in 1925 - but they list no sources. (Now I understand Malcolm's frustrations...)

The Ballad Index says:

Hullabaloo Belay

DESCRIPTION: Shanty. Characteristic line: "Hullabaloo belay, Hullabaloo bela belay." The singer's mother keeps a boarding house. With the boarders at sea, Shallo Brown courts the mother. She runs off with Shallo (but returns the next day). The father pines away
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1939 (Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5)
KEYWORDS: shanty home mother father abandonment death jealousy adultery infidelity return humorous
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas, pp. 484-485, "Hullaballo-Balay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Kinsey-SongsOfTheSea, pp. 59-60, "Hullabaloobalay" (1 text, 1 tune)
Brown/Schinhan-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore5 781, "Hullabaloo Balay" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 84, "Hullabaloo Belay" (1 text)
DT, HULLABOO*
Roud #8339
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Shallo Brown (Shallow Brown)" (character)
cf. "Ali Alo" (similar tune and chorus)
File: FSWB084A

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Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 09:27 AM

This gentleman (Brian Kogler)

at:http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/rounds/2001-January/000016.html

Says he found it in a publication from 1915!


I recently came across an early Scots folk-song call "Hullabaloo Belay" (in Gosset's "Lullabies of the Four Nations", 1915), which struck me as having imitative possibilities. Those of you who attend roundsings may like to print out the page below and try it as a two- or three-part round (entries after one full measure).

the url he gives points to the DT entry in Yet another Digital Tradition.

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 09:31 AM

and the folk music index credits it to 'S. Taylor Harris' but no date.

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 25 Oct 03 - 02:46 PM

S. Taylor Harris was a British musician who was commissioned by the music publisher Boosey & Hawkes to arrange a few sea songs for publication. I believe the title was "Five Sea Shanties." The score appeared in 1925. This publication appears to have beeen Ives's ultimate source.

In the mid 50s, Taylor Harris wrote in the magazine "Sing Out!" that he'd collected "Hullabaloo Belay" from a sailing-ship man who could remember only the first stanza and the chorus. Facing a deadline, Taylor Harris decided to add some additional stanzas of his own invention. Thus the song as it is known today.

I am unaware that anybody has ever collected a second version of the song from a traditional source.

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 25 Oct 03 - 03:31 PM

I assume that Brian Kogler was referring, not to this song, but to Hilli ballu ballai, which is another matter entirely. It is number 5032 in the Roud Folk Song Index (Here we go Looby-loo, etc.)

The sea-song is number 8339; two references are given at present, one to a set in Kinsey, Songs of the Sea (1989), which is presumably reprinted from Whitehead & Harris, Six Sea Chanties (1925) pp.10-11. The singer's name was given in Whitehead/Harris as S.M. Woodward.

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: Amos
Date: 25 Oct 03 - 08:55 PM

Well that clears up the mystery quite nicely, Malcolm -- stunning exposition, as usual! Many thanks.


A

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: Lighter
Date: 26 Sep 14 - 08:19 AM

Maybe it's just me, but the refrain of the Sicilian chantey that opens this program:

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/47n101di4sl8n69/Songs+of+the+People+4+-+A.L.Lloyd+-+Sea+%26+Sailors.mp3

sounds a lot like "Hulla Balloo Balay."

Presumably a coincidence, since the tune and rhythm are entirely different.

But it is a chantey. And it does sound like "Hulla Balloo Balay."

Subject: RE: Origins: Hullabaloo Belay
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 15 Feb 23 - 04:34 AM

Tune Req: Hulaballobalay by Guthrie/Almanac singer

S. Taylor Harris – Six Sea Shanties (1925)
S. Taylor-Harris

Meski Chór Szantowy "Zawisza Czarny" , Marek Szurawski – Halaba-luby-ley
Waldek Mieczkowski "Halaba luby ley"