Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother

Subject: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Brad Sondahl
Date: 10 Jan 99 - 09:44 AM

I'd appreciate the lyrics for We're in the Same Boat Brother, rec. on Leadbelly's Last Sessions. Thanks. Brad http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/bradindex.html

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Max
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 05:59 PM

Me TOo. I have the cd's but am too lazy to transcribe it.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Brad
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 10:18 PM

I got this from a Leadbelly listserv:
The last verse is really bogus...
Chorus:
>
>We're in the same boat brother, we're in the same boat brother
>And if you shake one end you're going to rock the other,
>It's the same boat brother
>
>Oh Lordy look down, from His holy place
>say Lordy me but I see a face,
>I am about to launch the human race,
>So they give him a boat with a mixed up crew,
>With eyes of black and brown and blue,
>So that's how come that you and I
>Got just one world with just one sky.
>
>[Chorus]
>
>So the boat rode on, through the stormy breeze
>On many a rock and many a reef
>What kept them going was a great belief
>So they had to learn to navigate
>That human race --a special place
>If they didn't wanna be in Jonas' shoes,
>They'd better be mates on this here cruise.
>
>[Chorus]
>
>But a ball of blue, somewhere in space
>Oh the keel was smashed and for your brain
>And the steel pulled out from all the main
>Oh it took some time for the crew to learn
>When it's bad for the boat it ain't good for the stern
>But it had to take fire in chain Bay
>For the starboard deck going blaze away
>
>[Chorus]
>
>
>>I'm sending this request again because I wasn't recieving messages from
>>this list so if you replied before please resend it . Thanks. Does anyone
>>know where I can find the lyrics to the song; "Same Boat Brother" which
>>appears on the Last Sessions recordings. I have listened to that great
>>humanist anthem so many times, and yet there are just some lines that I
>>cannot make out. Thanks
>>


Thanks for the lyrics. I have never gotten this far with the song. I added my interpretation in parantheses.

Chorus:

We're in the same boat brother, we're in the same boat brother
And if you shake one end you're going to rock the other,
It's the same boat brother

Oh Lordy look down, from His holy place
say Lordy me but I see a face, (what a see of space)
I am about to launch the human race,
So they give him a boat with a mixed up crew, (So he built him a boat with a mixed up crew,)
With eyes of black and brown and blue,
So that's how come that you and I
Got just one world with just one sky.

[Chorus]

So the boat rode on, through the stormy breeze (storm and grief)
On many a rock and many a reef (hit many a rock..)
What kept them going was a great belief
So they had to learn to navigate
That human race --a special place
If they didn't wanna be in Jonas' shoes,
They'd better be mates on this here cruise.

[Chorus]

But a ball of blue, somewhere in space
Oh the keel was smashed and for your brain
And the steel pulled out from all the main
Oh it took some time for the crew to learn
When it's bad for the boat it ain't good for the stern
But it had to take fire in chain Bay
For the starboard deck going blaze away

[Chorus]

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Brad
Date: 27 Mar 99 - 10:20 PM

The way I hear it is:
Ref: We're in the same boat brother,
We're in the same boat brother,
And if you shake one end, you're gonna rock the other,
We're in the same boat brother,

Lord he looked down, from his holy place,
He said lordy me, what a sea of space,
What a spot to launch the human race,
So he built him a boat for a mixed up crew,
With eyes of black and brown and blue,
So that's why you and I have just one world and just one sky,

Refrain

So the boat rolled on through storm and grief,
Hit many a rock and many a reef,
What kept them going was a great belief
So they had to learn to navigate,
That human race was special freight,
If they don't want to be in Jonah's shoes,
You better be mates on this here cruise,

Refrain

So the boat upblew somewhere in Spain
Oh the tiller was smashed (lyrics please)
Steamboats out from (lyrics please)
What's bad for the bow ain't good for the stern.
If I have to take time (lyrics please)

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jun 00 - 02:45 PM

I just started thinking about this song today, and I checked on the DT, nothing there, but here is this thread:

So two questions. The first is, can anybody sort out the lyrics of the last verse especially, which are a bit confused still;

and the second is, anybody know anything abouit this song? Is it one Leadbelly made up himself? Is it his adaptation of another song? If so, any info as to who wrote it etc etc?

And once it's sorted out, wouldn't this be a good one to have in the DT?

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jun 00 - 07:12 PM

Refloat this boat.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jun 00 - 09:05 PM

I've just been listening to this on my vinyl copy of Leaqdbell's Last Sessions. And driving myself crazy trying to get the words of the last verse.

First two verses and the chorus I agree with him (apart from it beuing "So that's how come that yiou and I" in the last line of vwerse two, instead of "So that's why you and I")

But that last verse is a right bugger:

Here's the nearest I can get to it, but it's not right:

So the boat upblew somewhere in Spain
Oh the keel was smashed ...
Steam put out.............to Maine
Oh it took some time for the crew to learn
What's bad for the bow aint good for the stern
If you had to take fire in China Bay,
then in harbour deck's going to blaze away.

Please Brad, or someone else with a better ear for Leadbelly's accent than I have, could you come to the rescue. This is a song that we ought to be able to sing, and what gets in the way is having a full set of words to sing..

I was wondering if the Maine there in the third verse might be something to do with the Battleship that blew up and was blamed on the Spanish, to justify the war back in 1898?

The whole thing doesn't to me sound like Leadbelly made it up. I suspect he might have improved a song he came across. So maybe there's a printed or manuscript version around somewhere to help out?

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jun 00 - 07:02 PM

I've noticed that Leadbelly also sings this song on a Folkways record for children, now out on CD. If anybody has this, maybe they could give it a listen and let us know if that throws any light on the words.

Hey, I've just looked at the review on that link, and it says the CD includes the lyrics of all the songs - so you don't even needs to listen to it to help out. (Though I wish I could. I love the idea of Leadbelly with an audience of children.)

Subject: Lyr Add: WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT BROTHER (Leadbelly
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jun 00 - 07:11 PM

Problem solved - hunted round on the Net, and found a site related to the kids record which had the entire lyric sheet.

And here is the song as printed there:

We're in the same boat, brother. (2x)
And if you shake one end, you're going to rock the other,
It's the same boat, brother.

Oh Lordy look down, from His holy place
Say "Lordy me, but I see a face,
I am about to launch the human race,"
So they give him a boat with a mixed-up crew,
With eyes of black and brown and blue,
So that's how come that you and I
Got just one world with just one sky.
(Chorus)
So the boat rode on, through the stormy breeze,
On many a rock and many a reef,
What kept them goin' was a great belief,
So they had to learn to navigate.
That human race--a special place,
If they didn't wanna be in Jonas' shoes,
They'd better be mates on this here cruise.
(Chorus)
But a ball of blue, somewhere in space
Oh the keel was smashed and for your brain
And the steam pulled out from all the main
Oh it took some time for the crew to learn
When it's bad for the boat, it ain't good for the stern,
But it had to take fire in China Bay
For the starboard deck goin' blaze away.
(Chorus)

Mind I'm not entirely certain they've got it all completely right...Some people are never satisfied. Good singable version anyway. Needs to be in the DT.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 03:46 PM

Didn't see this thread when it came out. The song was printed at least twice in Sing Out, and wasn't written by Leadbelly. I seem to remember Earl Robinson being the composer. I have and old Folkways album with Robinson singing it. The modulations are diabolical, and don't even seem to work when Earl plays it on piano.

Rick

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Dec 00 - 04:53 PM

I thought it didn't sound like one he'd made up, but rather one he'd adjusted. And I have little doubt improved. I really like it on the "last sessiions" record, for all the difficulty in making out some of the words.

But if anyone's got the words Earl Robinson (or whoever) wrote it'd be interesting.

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Bsondahl
Date: 01 Jan 01 - 01:19 AM

Missed McGrath's work last summer. Caught it now. Thanks for the detective work... Brad

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Bugsy
Date: 13 Feb 03 - 02:33 AM

Has anyone got any ideas on the last verse yet?

Cheers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Feb 03 - 08:36 AM

Still think the line in the last verse runs:

"When it's bad for the BOW, it ain't good for the stern."

Transcriptions are just transcriptions, usually someone's good faith effort to get it right. Or maybe Leadbelly flobbed the line.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Feb 03 - 08:41 PM

Rick is correct. The original song was a collaboration between Earl Robinson and E. Y. Harburg, with Robinson responsible for the music and Harburg responsible for the words. And their song appears in Reprints fron SING OUT, Vol. 7-12, pp.110-111. In the intro it is mentioned that Leadbelly was enthusistic about the song and sang it constantly, probably changing some of the words in the process. I'm too tired to type in the ORIGINAL words tonight but I'll post them tomorrow. They do help make more sense of what has been posted above.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SAME BOAT, BROTHER (Harburg, Robinson
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Feb 03 - 08:56 AM

Well, here it is. Another mystery at least traced to it's origin. What we have above is folk-processing, as initiated by Leadbelly and interpreted from his recordings by others. I'm not sure what makes the best song, or whether the song is even "finished" but it's nice to know where it came from:

Words by E.Y. Harburg, Music by Earl Robinson ©Harburg & Robinson
In REPRINTS FROM SING OUT!, Vol. 7-12, 1964-1973, pp. 110-111

THE SAME BOAT, BROTHER
(E.Y. Harburg, words; & Earl Robinson, music)
Chorus:

We're in the same boat, brother,
We're in the same boat, brother,
And if you shake one end you're gonna rock the other,
It's the same boat, brother.

Oh, the Lord looked down, from His Holy place,
Say, "Lordy me, what a sea of space;
What a spot to launch the human race;"
So He built Him a boat for a mixed-up crew,
With eyes of black and brown and blue,
So that's how come that you and I
Got just one world with just one sky. (CHO)

Oh, the boat rolled on through storm and grief,
Past many a rock and many a reef,
What kept 'em goin' was a great belief
That they had to learn to navigate.
For the human race was special freight;
If we don't want to be in Jonah's shoes,
We'd better be mates on this here cruise.

'Cause it's the same boat, brother,
We're in the same boat, brother,
And if you shake one end you're gonna rock the other,
It's the same boat, brother.

When the boilers blew somewhere in Spain,
The keel was smashed in the far Ukraine,
And the steam poured out from Oregon to Maine;
Oh, it took some time for the crew to learn
What's bad for the bow ain't good for the stern;
If a hatch takes fire in China Bay
Pearl Harbor's decks gonna blaze away.

For it's the same boat, brother,
Yes, it's the same boat, brother,
And we must live with each other,
In the same boat, the very same boat, brother.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Feb 03 - 09:13 AM

Oh, here are the introductory notes from SING OUT!:

Composed originally in the waning days of World War II, this song was a popular folk-style appeal for the United Nations. Leadbelly was enthusiastic about the song and sang it constantly...The composers are a distinguished team. Earl Robinson, many of whose songs have appeared in these pages, is composer of "Joe Hill," "Ballad for Americans," "Lonesome Train," "House I Live In," "Black and White," and scores of other works. E. Y. "Yip" Harburg is best known for the libretto to "Finian's Rainbow." He is also author of the lyrics to the songs in the film version of "Wizard of Oz," and lyricist for that depression calssic, "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?" Harburg and Robinson also collaborated on "Free and Equal Blues."

Fasinating!
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr: Leadbelly Same Boat
From: GUEST,Peter Hicks
Date: 08 Aug 04 - 06:34 AM

Thanks so much Charlie,

Had a mountain of fun trying to figure out the verses. It is obviously a crying call against fascism - ie. Spain. And bejesus we could learn a thing or two from its lyrics today given events in Iraq. Looking forward to singin it with your help.

Cheers, Peter

Subject: RE: Origins: We're in the Same Boat Brother (Leadbelly
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 12:34 AM

The lyrics printed in the c.d. booklet of Leadbelly Sings for Children are completely wrong. It's as if they were transcribed by a six-year-old.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: jolip
Date: 18 Jun 08 - 03:20 PM

What about the chords? Can anyone help me out with those? Thanks,

Jess

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: GUEST,huddiesblues
Date: 08 Oct 08 - 11:16 AM

Hi.
Thank you very much Charley Noble. You got the words to Same Boat Brother spot on. I have been looking for that last verse forever.
I can help with the chords and will come back later. I have not figured how to post tablature yet. Any help in how to do so would be appreciated.
I can do New York City, Pigmeat Papa, How Come You Do Me LikeYou Do Do Do and many others and will do my best to get them on this site .
How to Play 12 String Guitar Like Leadbelly ( Juilius Lester and Pete Seeger) is a great book, taking you from basics to advanced and running through the various techniques. I am till struggling with the finger picking on the top strings as in: Fannin Street, Gallis Pole Green Corn etc. Anybody got any tips?
Thanks
Huddiesblues

Subject: RE: Chord Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: dilly daly of Adelaide
Date: 22 Mar 11 - 09:10 PM

Hi,
has anyone ever solved this ?
       thanks, dallying

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: GUEST,Baishali
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 09:14 AM

I want the guitar chords of the song
"We are in the same boat brother"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: GUEST,sschuman
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 06:02 PM

The lyrics as well as background notes are included in the 1963 recording, Folkways Reords FG 3545, Earl Robinson Sings
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW03545.pdf

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: GUEST,sschuman
Date: 28 Jan 17 - 03:29 PM

I posted the sheet music, which includes the chords, excerpted from "12 Negro Spirituals," a Danish publication(!), at
http://tothestory.blogspot.com/2016/07/were-in-same-boat-brother-and-if-you.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: We're in the Same Boat, Brother
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jan 17 - 03:49 PM

Not to be confused with My Images Come that was recorded by Bok, Muir, and Trickett.