Lyr/Tune Add: Shanty by the Way

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: SHANTY BY THE WAY
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Dec 98 - 05:56 PM

G'day all,

This came up in a recent thread and I thought it might look well in the Digital Tradition database:

This is an Australian song Shanty by the Way collected (post WWII) in New Zealand by Australian researcher Dr Percy Jones. He had it from a man who had learned it from two old gold diggers who, in turn, learned it from an Australian miner working on NZ’s West Coast in the last century.

The song itself is a folk-processed version of a poem by E. J. Overbury - printed in the Creswick and Clunes Advertiser in the 1860s. Creswick and Clunes are towns in Victoria, just north of the Ballarat gold fields.

I have provided two variant tunes: the well-known one in Australia is a straightforward setting to The Spanish Lady and this is my first tune (which may have the file name shantybw still attached.

The other tune was collected around 1965 by Kath and Arthur Lumsden from Elizabeth Jamieson of the Gooramadda-Rutherglen district in Victoria (and may have attached the file name shantcol.

The Shanty by the Way
E.J. Overbury and Anon

It's in a first-rate business section,
Where two bush roads cross and meet.
It stands in a quiet and neat direction
To rest the weary traveller's feet.
Chorus:
Rows of bottles standing upright,
Labelled with bright blue and gold,
Beer so cold it needs no icing,
From the cellar's drear dark hole.

Kerosene lamps are shining brightly,
Cards and lo; the billiard balls:
Men and maids are dancing lightly
To the music inside those walls.

There's quoits and games and bagatelle,
All to suit you fancy -oh;
But better far behind the bar
Stands smiling, darling Nancy-oh.

Nancy's smiles are quite beguiling;
To make some fun she's willing-oh.
You give a rap, she turns the tap
And thanks you for your shilling-oh.

Landlord stands with a smiling face,
He likes to see your cash forked out.
Landlord stands with a smiling face,
Sometimes he will stand a shout.

Landlord shouting is most uncommon,
He's kidding you to dance and play -
How the devil can a man stay sober
In those shanties by the way?

When you wake up in the morning,
In your thirst without a mag,
You cast around a sad reflection
As you shoulder up your swag.

Penniless you’ll have to wander
For many a long and weary day,
Till you earn another cheque to squander
In those shanties by the way.

"Shout": Stand a round of drinks for a group - or, in the landlord's case, the bar.

This is the ABC for the standard tune in Australia:

MIDI file: shantybw.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Tempo: 120 (500000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0360 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 66 080 0048 0 66 064 0012 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0113 0 62 064 0007 1 62 080 0048 0 62 064 0012 1 60 080 0048 0 60 064 0012 1 59 080 0096 0 59 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 66 080 0048 0 66 064 0012 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0144 1 71 080 0144 0 71 064 0036 1 72 080 0048 0 72 064 0012 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0144 0 71 064 0036 1 72 080 0048 0 72 064 0012 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0192 0 69 064 0048 1 71 080 0144 0 71 064 0036 1 72 080 0048 0 72 064 0012 1 74 080 0096 0 74 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:2/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
D8|B,2D2D2E^F|G2G2G2AB|c2A2B2G2|E2D2D2DC|
B,2D2D2E^F|G2G2G2AB|c2A2B2G2|E2D2D4|B3cd2B2|
A2G2G2A2|B3cd2B2|A2G2A4|B3cd2B2|A2G2G2AB|
c2A2B2G2|E2D2D3/2||

This is the collected tune:

MIDI file: shantcol.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 64 080 0144 0 64 064 0036 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0144 0 64 064 0036 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 62 080 0192 0 62 064 0048 1 64 080 0144 0 64 064 0036 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064 0108 1 72 080 0144 0 72 064 0036 1 72 080 0048 0 72 064 0012 1 72 080 0144 0 72 064 0036 1 74 080 0048 0 74 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 71 080 0096 0 71 064 0024 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 67 080 0144 0 67 064 0036 1 69 080 0144 0 69 064 0036 1 69 080 0048 0 69 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 69 080 0144 0 69 064 0036 1 71 080 0048 0 71 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0144 1 64 080 0144 0 64 064 0036 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 62 080 0120 1 64 080 0024 0 62 064 0024 0 64 064 0012 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0144 0 69 064 0036 1 67 080 0144 0 67 064 0036 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 62 080 0144 0 62 064 0036 1 60 080 0192 0 60 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:2/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
E3EE2D2|E3GA2G2|c2c2c2E2|A2G2D4|E3EE2D2|E2G2A2G2|
c2c2c2EE|ED2C5|c3cc3d|c2B2AG3|A3AA2G2|A3Bc4|
E3EE2D2|EGA3G3|c2c2c2EE|D3C3||

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Shanty by the Way
From: Ian Kirk
Date: 03 Dec 98 - 12:49 PM

G'day to you Bob

Thanks for taking the time to put the tunes in to the Caff I have added both of them to my collection. I see that the second tune is very similar to the one I know though it appears to have been tweaked a bit by the band I heard sing it. But aint that just the way the tradition goes.

Goodonyermate - beutie. Hope I got the pronounciation right

By the way any chance of getting your Test time lost in a shanty by the way. We may just stand the chance of winning a game.

Ian

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Shanty by the Way
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Dec 98 - 04:18 PM

G'day Ian,

Traditional Australian Test Cricket Teams live in the Shanty by the Way!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton