Origins: Sailboat song

Subject: Origins: Sailboat song
From: GUEST,jackrabbitmonster
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 02:43 PM

For many years, my family has sung a song about a little sailboat. It contains the following lyrics:

Chorus:
Long years ago, there was a little sailboat. (repeat three times)
So very small it could not sail away from shore.

Verse 1:
The weeks went one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and passing, (repeat three times)
And the provender, and the provender, and the provender ran out.

Chorus

Verse 2:
And if my song has not been long enough to please you, (repeat three times)
We'll begin again, we'll begin again, and we'll start it all once more.

Chorus

I'm wondering what the origin of this song is. I can't find a thing about it on the web anywhere. Anyone have any clue?

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailboat song
From: Cats
Date: 06 Apr 05 - 02:39 PM

What country are you in? WE may be able to give you some idea of places you could try.

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailboat song
From: GUEST,jackrabbitmonster
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 08:41 AM

Ah, sorry. I'm in the US. Specifically, Texas. My family has been Texan for four generations. Before that, that branch of the family was in West Virginia. I appreciate anyone looking into this who can.

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailboat song
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 10:51 AM

It seems to be a translation into English of a few verses of La Courte Paille (also called Le Petit Navire). Popular in France and Canada, it's often a children's song nowadays, having been re-made for the early French music hall. The same story appears a little later in England as The Ship in Distress, but the earliest forms were Scandinavian, it appears.

There are some past discussions here. See The Ship in Distress for links to most of them; but ignore the section about Lord Franklin in the middle of the thread, which, though interesting, is irrelevant.

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailboat song
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jul 16 - 05:50 AM

I remember that song. Learned it at school in about 1948/1949, in Maryland. I, too, have wondered about it's origins. I find myself singing it often.

Subject: RE: Origins: Sailboat song
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 22 - 08:36 PM

im an imigrant from sicily 1956 and i learned this song i 3rth grade did not know what it meant and it is still in my mind

can anyone explain   that is pretty cool

Subject: ADD: Un Petit Navire
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Oct 22 - 12:20 AM

Here's "Un Petit Navire":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY2i1GRItvo

Un Petit Navire

Il était un petit navire
Qui n'avait ja-ja-jamais navigué
Ohé ! Ohé !

Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots
Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots

Au bout de cinq à six semaines,
Les vivres vin-vin-vinrent à manquer

Ohé ! Ohé !

On tira à la courte paille,
Pour savoir qui-qui-qui serait mangé,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Le sort tomba sur le plus jeune,
Qui n'avait ja-ja-jamais navigué,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots
Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots

On cherche alors à quelle sauce,
Le pauvre enfant-fant-fant sera mangé,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Pendant qu'ainsi l'on délibère,
Il monte en haut-haut-haut du grand hunier,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Des p'tits poissons dans le navire,
Sautèrent par-par-par plusieurs milliers,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Au même instant un grand miracle,
Pour l'enfant fut-fut-fut réalisé,

Ohé ! Ohé !

Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots
Ohé ! Ohé ! Matelot, Matelot navigue sur les flots


Peter, Paul and Mary did this in concert as "The Ship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHeoEJxzlqk