Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)

Subject: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 09:03 PM

Here's another fine sea poem from this early 20th century master which I don't think anyone has arranged for singing. The original poem runs:

OUTWARD BOUND

Poem by C. Fox Smith, FULL SAIL, pp. 69-71 © 1926

We've painted the Ratcliff Highway red
To the tune of twelvemonth's pay
We've cruised around from the "Ship Aground"
To the shores of Tiger Bay;
We've stood our pals and we've kissed the gals
For a fortnight and a day

For there's something gone wrong with the dance and song,
And there ain't no bite in the beer
So, I'll sail to Vallipo, and you'll sail to Maine,
Coromandel, Callao, Perim, Port o' Spain,
Baltic way, down the Bay, up the China Seas.
Pernambuco, Providence, anywhere you please,
Don't matter where if it's far enough from here!

You can get your sea-chest out o' pawn,
Or leave it where it lies
You can pay your shot, or maybe not,
You can leave your gal likewise;
With a "Now, me Dear, be of good cheer,
And wipe them blooming eyes"

For we'll warp her out with a song and a shout,
And we'll give the tug a cheer
And I'll sail to 'Frisco, and you to Callao,
Honolulu, Trinidad, Montevideo,
Baltic way, down the Bay, up the China Seas,
Pensacola, Palembang, anywhere you please
Don't matter where if it's far enough from here!

This one's a little hard to sing as it is so I've endeavored to simplify it primarily by deleting several wonderful sea ports and adding a chorus line or two at the end of each verse. For a tune I'm working from the traditional sea song "Ten Thousand Miles from Home":

OUTWARD BOUND-2

Poem by C. Fox Smith, FULL SAIL, pp. 69-71 © 1926
Adapted by Charlie Ipcar © 2004
Tune: Traditional after "Ten Thousand Miles from Home"

We've painted the Ratcliff Highway red
To the tune of twelvemonth's pay
We've cruised around from the "Ship Aground"
To the shores of Tiger Bay;
We've stood our pals and we've kissed the gals
For a fortnight and a day,
We're outward bound from Sailortown,
For it's time we're on our way!

For there's something wrong with the dance and song,
And there ain't no bite in the beer
Let's set sail for New South Wales,
Any port, long's it's not here;
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.

You can get your sea-chest out of pawn,
Or leave it where it lies
You can pay your shot, or maybe not,
You can leave your gal likewise;
With a "Now, me Dear, be of good cheer,
And we'll see you next pay day,"
We're outward bound from Sailortown,
For it's time we're on our way!

We'll warp her out with a song and a shout,
And we'll give the tug a cheer
It's off to 'Frisco or Callao,
Any port, long's it's not here;
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 05:42 PM

Trawling for feedback.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: JWB
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 11:04 PM

Charlie,

Ms. Smith's original is indeed a bit rough. Almost feels like she never really finished it. Your tweaking smooths it out nicely, I find. Good on yer.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 11:27 PM

G'day Charlie,

It looks like a Noble song - BUT....

How about adding some remote ports like NZ or (ahem) Oz-bleeding-Strailia? (Trust the trip went well)..

In a more serious vein....

Ratcliff Highway - Where in the world? UK is all I can think of.

"Ship Aground" - A Pub?

Tiger Bay - Where?

Umm... back to normal... Add a worse verse about gettin' et by a giant squid.. Must revisit that Fred - 'twere a hoot

Cheers - Sam

Subject: Lyr Add: RATCLIFF HIGHWAY
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 04:21 AM

As I went a walking one evening
From Wapping down Ratcliff Highway
I chanced to go into an alehouse
To spend a long night and a day

Well a young doxy came up to me
And she asked if I'd money to sport
For a bottle of wine changed a guinea
She quickly replied 'That's the sort'

The wine it was brought to the table
There were bottles for every one
When I asked for the change of me guinea
She tipped me the verse of a song

Well a gold watch hung over the mantel
For the change of my guinea I'd take
I took it; from the window slipped lightly
Crying dang me old boots I'm well paid

So come all you young sailors
That wander down Ratcliff Highway
If you chance to go into an alehouse
Be careful how long lads you stay

For the wine and the women invite you
Till you think that you mind's disarranged
And if you give them a guinea for a bottle
You can go to the devil for your change.

Ratcliff Highway is in London BTW.

Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Micca
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 06:46 AM

Nice one Charlie, looks very "singable" Tiger Bay is/was the area around Bute St. in Cardiff, and bloody rough it was too (it is all "gentrified" into Yuppie Flats and Welsh assembly politicians now). I can't help with the "Ship Aground" in the song as I have seen several in many seaports and couldnt narrow it down further.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Snuffy
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 09:34 AM

There was also a Tiger Bay in London (and one in Belfast), not far from Ratcliffe Highway, based around Wellclose Square. See Joe Offer's posting on this thread Lyr Req: Tiger Bay (sea shanty). I would guess the London Tiger Bay is the one referred to in the CFS poem

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 01:09 PM

Tiger Bay Cardiff is where the lovely Shirley Bassey comes from.
Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 11:19 PM

Ta muchly, Giok, Micca & Snuffy,

You've helped this geriatic Kiwi, who's never been out of Godzone sort out his Geography. To the best of my knowledge none of my direct 'bloodline' have been back in 'Mother England' for 150 years. My sister has - but she's MAD! As for me, I only hit mainland NZ about once a year - a couple of years back I was there for four whole days (I've almost stopped twitching)

Must off to Multimap and get an 'overview' of Ratcliff Highway and Tiger Bay - my suspicion was Lunnon Town.

Thanks again mates....

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 11:36 PM

Gang-

You've done a great job clarifying the where's in this sea poem. They are all London Sailortown references and I've been rebulding a barn door on a hot day and haven't really had time to tend me own thread. Thanks for the compliments.

The "Ship Aground" was undoubtedly a sailor's grog shop, somewhere down Anchor Lane.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 09:22 AM

Sam-

Missed your posts! Sorry no squids in this thread but I don't know if you missed the "Lobster Barbie" song challenge thread and the incredible ballad that Amos and I came up with; for some reason I can't seem to provide a working link to the thread of that name but it's still there.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 09:58 AM

John missed out verses 4 and 5


Then this lady flew into a passion.
And stood with her hands on her hips,
Saying sailor you know now our fashion.
Did you think you're aboard of you're ship.

Well if it's your fashion to rob me.
It's a fashion that I'll not abide.
So launch out with the change of me guinea,
Or I'll give to you a broadside.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 10:02 AM

Lobster Barbie

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 11:48 AM

Thanks Eric, put it down to Anno Domini.
Giok

Subject: Tune Add: OUTWARD BOUND (S. Hendrickson)
From: Stewart
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 02:59 PM

Charlie,

You can try out this tune for size:

X:1
T:OUTWARD BOUND
C:poem: C. Fox Smith, adapted by Charlie Ipcar; tune: S. Hendrickson
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:F
A,|"Dm"DDD"A7"E2E|"Dm"F2F "A7"G2G/2G/2|"Dm"A2A "A7"E F E|"Dm"D3-D2A,|"Dm"D2D "A7"E2E/2E/2|"Dm"F2F "C"c2B/2B/2|"Dm"A2A "A7"(EF)E|"Dm"D3-D2C|"F"F2F F2A/2A/2|"C"G2E C2C/2C/2|"F"F2F (FG)A|"C"G3-G2E|"Dm"F2F "A7"G2G|"Dm"A2A "F"c2D/2E/2|"Dm"F2F "A7"E2E|"Dm"D3-D2|]

Nice song!

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 08:31 PM

Thanks for the tune, Stewart. I'm not bonded with "Ten Thousand Miles from Home" for this one. I'll give yours a try.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: OUTWARD BOUND (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Jul 04 - 05:31 PM

I'd like to thank Stewart again for sending me his tune; it's more a music hall arrangement than what I was using. But it got me to re-thinking my traditional musical arrangement and now I'm trying something different, and changing a few more words in the process. It now goes like this (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up the chords), and I try not to make a dirge out of it:

Poem by C. Fox Smith, FULL SAIL, pp. 69-71 © 1926
Adapted and musically arranged by Charlie Ipcar © 2004
Key: B (5/F)
OUTWARD BOUND

C------------G------------D-------G----------C
Now we've painted the Ratcliff Highway red
--------G-------D----------------G
To the tune of twelvemonth's pay
--------D---------------------------C-------G
We've cruised around from the Ship A-ground
---------------C'G----D
To the shores of Tiger Bay;
---------------G---D----------------C----------G
We've stood our pals and we've kissed the gals
-------------------------D
For a fortnight and a day,
------------G---------D------------G------C
Now we're outward bound from Sailor-town,
----------G-----------D------C
And it's time we're on our way!

For there's something wrong with the dance and song,
And there ain't no bite in beer
So let's set sail for New South Wales,
Any port, long's it's not here;
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.

You can get your sea chest out of pawn,
Or leave it where it lies
You can pay your shot, or maybe not,
You can leave your gal likewise;
With a "Now, me Dear, be of good cheer,
We'll see you next pay day,"
For we're outward bound from Sailortown,
And it's time we're on our way!

We'll warp her out with a song and shout,
And give the tug a cheer
Then it's off we go to Callao,
Any port, long's it's not here;
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.

The lines to chorus along on in verses 1 and 3 are:

For we're outward bound from Sailortown,
And it's time we're on our way!

The lines to chorus on in verses 2 and 4 are:

Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.

Comments? I'll probably have a MP3 sample of this on my personal website in a week or so.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: OUTWARD BOUND (C. Fox Smith)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Aug 04 - 07:28 PM

Well, I've changed this one again from the tune I posted above. It seemed too nostalgic and what was needed was more the sentiment that "we've laid around and played around this old town too long." Here's a MP3 link to my personal website so you can hear a sample of how it sounds: Click here!

Here are the chords ( copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to line up chords):

Poem by C. Fox Smith, FULL SAIL, pp. 69-71 © 1926
Adapted and musically arranged by Charlie Ipcar © 2004
Tune after traditional "Blow the Candles Out"
Key: Dm (7/Gm) or (5/Am), 8/19/04

OUTWARD BOUND-2


Am--G-----Am---------G--------Am-------C
Now we?ve painted the Ratcliff Highway red
G-----Am----G
To the tune of twelvemonth?s pay ?
--------Am-------G----------------Am----C
We?ve cruised a-round from the Ship A-ground
G------Am-------G----Am
To the shores of Tiger Bay;
--------C----------------------------G
We?ve stood our pals and we?ve kissed the gals
------Am-------G
For a fortnight and a day,
--------------Am------G------------Am---C
Now we?re outward bound from Sailor-town,
G-------Am---------G------Am
And it?s time we?re on our way!


Am-G-----Am--------G-----------------Am--------C
For there?s something wrong with the dance and song,
G--------Am------G
And there ain?t no bite in beer ?
---Am-----G-------Am----------C
So let?s set sail for New South Wales,
G---Am----------G-------Am
Any port, long?s it?s not here;
C-----------G
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Am----G
Up the China Seas;
Am---G-----Am----C/G
Pensa-cola, Palem-bang,
Am-G----------Am
Any-where you please.

You can get your sea-chest out of pawn,
Or leave it where it lies ?
You can pay your shot, or maybe not,
You can kiss your gal good-bye;
With a "Now, me Dear, be of good cheer,
We?ll see you next pay day,"
For we?re outward bound from Sailortown,
And it?s time we?re on our way!

So we?ll warp her out with a song or shout,
And give the tug a cheer ?
Then it?s off we go to Callao,
Any port, long?s it?s not here;
Baltic way, down the Bay,
Up the China Seas;
Pensacola, Palembang,
Anywhere you please.


If you want to record this version, please contact me.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 02:30 PM

Where can I find the biography of C. Fox Smith?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Outward Bound (C. Fox Smith)
From: GUEST,Charley Noble
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 09:51 PM

Guest-

Try reading through the C. Fox Smith thread. It's a long one but what biographical information exists is listed there. The are also autobiographical sketches in her various sailortown books.

Fascinating lady.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, now hanging out in NYC