Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: GUEST,Barrie Roberts
Date: 27 May 05 - 07:04 AM

I regret that I am not the author who wrote about William Eythe. I am one of the many authors since Conan Doyle who write new Sherlock Holmes stories (current publication in UK & USA being 'Sherlock Holmes and the King's Governess'. plug, plug). I also write modern mystery stories and true crime and the supernatural.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: cobber
Date: 14 May 05 - 02:15 AM

Sorry I can't help with the song, but having sailed to Australia in 1961 (landed in 62) on the last trip for the Orontes before she was broken up, this thread has brought back some wonderful memories (including our dining steward who was also "fruit" but a terrific bloke as well who made dinner time an entertainment.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Peace
Date: 14 May 05 - 01:54 AM

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:zKJmDqAT_EoJ:www.thebilgepumps.com/songs.htm+Heave+away!+Heave+away!,+port+said&hl=en

Another site for sore eyes. (Little joke there.) Avast! (I hope that means what I think it does. It's nice, right?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Peace
Date: 14 May 05 - 01:50 AM

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:N5ntwytS6EUJ:www.biship.com/song.htm+Heave+away!+Heave+away!,+port+said&hl=en

More memories, maybe, and a good site to boot.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Peace
Date: 14 May 05 - 01:47 AM

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:gbH9QUtUTywJ:www.ben-line.org.uk/AB%27s%2520Lament.htm+Heave+away!+Heave+away!,+port+said&hl=

The above isn't it, but it might stir a few memories for the seafarers here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: GUEST,kellywelly1
Date: 14 May 05 - 01:32 AM

Is Barrie Robert's the author who wrote about William Eythe?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: GUEST,Barrie Roberts
Date: 11 May 05 - 02:24 PM

I've been out of touch for a few days through technical problems, but I see nobody's come up with my old colleague's song. It wasn't a version of The MV Hardship, it listed different ports from London to Sydney.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 May 05 - 09:25 PM

Sailoron-

Looks like real progress in this thread. Thanks so much for your contribution, and hopefully you will make several more. Be warned, that Mudcat can be addictive, at least in the early stages.

I'm reminded that the late Cyril Tawney also expressed frustration that he was able to collect so few complete songs for his book GRAY FUNNEL LINE. The songs created by occupational folk composers dissipate all too fast. Not all are worth preserving but some of the ones we've lost were gems.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 10 May 05 - 03:50 PM

Many Merchant Navy songs were extemporised by different sailors. You will find so many versions of the same song (different ships and companies)that you could write a book about them.

Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 May 05 - 03:40 PM

About 40 years ago Warwick Brock (Christchurch, NZ)used to sing the same song about the Shaw Saville Line but with a chorus that went:
From the lighthouse to the shite house is a bloody long way.
Don't know where he got it and I can't ask him because he died a few years back.
I believe Stan Hugill used that tune for at least one of his songs but I don't have time to go through his book to find it. It was such a popular music hall tune (English folk song tune number 1!) it was used for all sorts of songs, often bawdy.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 10 May 05 - 03:17 PM

Calypso style:

Down de way, where de lights are gay
and de sun shines daily from de mountain top
I took a trip on a P and O ship
and when we reached Jamaica we made a stop

well i'm sad to say
she's had her day
obsolete in every way
de engineers pray for many a week
that P and O sell her to de Greek

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 May 05 - 02:13 PM

It would be wonderful to have all of your M. N. songs on Mudcat. Postings would be much appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: ossonflags
Date: 10 May 05 - 12:17 PM

I am very intrested "guest" sailoron, maybe you could pm me?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: P & O Steamships Ballad
From: GUEST,SAILORON
Date: 10 May 05 - 11:29 AM

I think the verses are a P&O version of the M.V. Hardship song. As with most M.N. songs there's no definative version. Besides the version I know, there's also a version about Harrisons of Liverpool.

As I was a'walking down by K.G.V.
I saw an old tramp ship tied up alongside
The M.V. Hardship that were her name
She was bound out to Kiwi & back home again
CH   Pound away, pound away, from London to Kiwi's a hell of a way.

Sailded down the channel on a cold frosry day
Then rounded Ushant & south 'cross the Bay
The 2nd Stewards 'fruit' & the cook he is too
They bugger each other & poison the crew

There's nothing for dinner, there's nothing for tea
But that fat cook he keeps winking at me
Him & the steward are a bloody disgrace
Just see the look on the galley boys face

The 2nd's a drunkard, we've a bastard as Mate
The Bos'un does nothing but dream about work
As for the Old Man well we cannot say
'Cause no bugger's seen him since sailing day

When we got to Kiwi we all went ashore
Off to Ma Gleeson's to get us a whore
But when we got there the pickings were poor
'Cause the P.S.N.C. lads had got there before

Now the voyage has ended in West India Dock
To Charlie Brown's with our pay off we'll flock
Soon we may sign with Ropners or Ben
But the M.V. Hardship won't see us again.

I got this version [I think ] when aboard the M.V. King James in 1972. I have about a dozen other M.N. songs, if anyone is interested

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Mar 05 - 09:42 AM

Barrie and Mariner -

You're probably right about the alcohol. I have several fragments from old song parties that I haven't been able to reconstruct as well. The damn things haunt me. I suppose I just assumed that I'd eventually remember or that I could ask someone later, compare notes as it were. Well, it's a hell of a lot later now and some of my singing friends have passed on.

Keep asking around. The Mudcat does cast a pretty wide net for this kind of thing.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: MARINER
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:36 PM

I'll check with a few old ex P&O shipmates, they might know something. While we're on the subject, does anyone know a song that begins, "While I was a walking down old KG5 a Shaw Saville Liner I happened to spy". Same air as "6 miles from Bangor to Donaghadee" etc.
A shipmate of mine used to sing it back in the 60s. I haven't seen him or heard the song since.

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: GUEST,Barrie Roberts
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 11:16 AM

Thanks for comments. I am, of course, kicking myself for not writing it down at the time, but my colleague never sang the whole of it anyway.
Charley --- In my experience alcohol does not improve my memory --- it merely feeds me with images of events I wish I could rember but which never happened!

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: ossonflags
Date: 23 Mar 05 - 04:28 AM

You are right there Charley. Posted a few times about a song called "Don't work for the Baron line" to no avail. In the sixties I actually worked on one of "Hungry Hogarths" ships the "Baron Glenconner"

Again, anyone out there who could help?

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 09:14 PM

Barrie-

It will be a miracle if someone comes up with the verses to this song. You just have to kick yourself for not writing them down when you had the chance, or keeping track of them for 40 years if you had!

My suggestion is for you to consume quanities of alcoholic fluids and try to reconstruct the verses from whatever rises to the surface of your mind. If you were in the neighborhood I'd start you out with the first round.

I think this was probably a wonderful song that would fill a gap in the merchant marine repertoire. Too many of these songs have been lost, and lost forever.

Charley Noble, who's missed a few too

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Peace
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 08:20 PM

The Story of P & O: The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Additional text by Stephen Rabson. (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson: 1995) Paperback issue of the 1994 revised edition. ISBN 0 297 83540 8. Pictorial wrappers pp. 240 (262 x 194 mm) Illustrated. Index.

Close as I can come just now.

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Peace
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 08:03 PM

Peninsular and Oriental

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Peace
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 08:00 PM

Sorry, cross posted.

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: Peace
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 07:59 PM

Anything more than this to add?

Subject: RE: P & O Steamships Ballad -- Lyric Wanted
From: GUEST,Barrie Roberts
Date: 22 Mar 05 - 07:59 PM

Forty plus years ago I worked with a bloke who had served in the Uk Merchant Navy aboard P & O ships.
He used to sing snatches of a song (to the tune of 'Villikins and Dinah') which he had acquired aboard P & O boats. He said it had a verse for every port between London and Sydney.
He'd forgotten much of it and I've forgotten more since.
I recall the opening and one other verse:

I went down to Tilbury, the weather was fine,
And took up a berth on the P & O Line,
They paint their ships black and they paint their ships white
And they work us poor bastards by day and by night.

Chorus: Heave away! Heave away!
From London to Sydney's a bloody long way.

Now Port Said in Egypt's our next port of call,
There's nothing but sand there and that's about all...

....and, in fact, I can't even recall all of that verse!

Anyone out there know all of it?