Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05

Subject: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 04:47 PM

Stan Hugill, shantyman and shanty song collector, would have been 99 years old on Saturday, November 19, 2005. I'm going to celebrate his life by singing some of his favorite songs with friends at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH, that day.

Is anyone else planning to do something special related to this birthday?

I understand a big celebration is planned for 2006 to commemorate what would have been Stan's 100th birthday. You can get more info about this and Stan's life from this website: Click here!

Here's a song that was presented at the Mystic Sea Music Festival following Stan's death in the spring of 1992:

Tom Callihan © 1992
Sung at Mystic Sea Port

Stan In Heaven


Dm-----------------------Gm
Stan Hugill heard harps on the day that he died;
---------C ----------------F-------C-F
Whether Irish or Walsh neither could he a-bide;
------Dm-----------Gm
He'd rather a bosun pipe him aboard
--------A7 -------------------------Dm
To sing shanties forever – in the ship of the Lord.
--------------------------------------Gm
He made his mark in the logbook, stowed his gear in his trunk;
---C--------------------F------C---F
He lit up his pipe, and he sat on his bunk;
------------Dm-----------------Gm
And there, all around him, his shipmates of old,
-----------A7---------------------------Dm
Gathered 'round for a song – or tale to be told.

Chorus:

---C7------------------Bb--------------F
So set down your seabag, step out of your shroud,
C7 --------------------------Bb-------------- F
Come join with the chorus as we hoist the main cloud,
-----------Dm---------------------Gm
For when shantymen sing for the heavenly crowd,
A7-----------------------------Dm
Landlubber songs – are never al-lowed!


So then Stan raised his glass, the Captain to toast;
With all hands on deck, a most heavenly host;
A squeezebox played tunes from the Isles of the Blessed;
And the Fufu band joined in, in the way he loved best.
So break out the grog, boys, for the shantyman's here;
Let's all sing together and be of good cheer;
We'll all meet again, ye never need fear;
When you've signed in the logbook and stowed all your gear! (CHO)

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 05:00 PM

Lay on to the line one more time, Old Man,
Sing out and give us a working rhyme,
    Now PULL for the Old Man,
These days the ships are just for show,
But now before you have to go
Tell us how it was so long ago Old Man,

Pull for the Old Man, pull,
We won't see his like again,
Pull for the Old Man, pull,
Pull for Old Stan.

There's more but I can't remember it. This was written by Fred Gosbee after meeting Hugill in 1984.

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Celtaddict
Date: 18 Nov 05 - 08:37 PM

A group of us headed by the Heavenly Twins wear our "Remember Stan" badges each Sea Music Festival. Think I'll wear mine tomorrow, too.
Don't forget Tom Lewis' song about the shantyman which he wrote "for Stan Hugill, who isn't God, he just looks like Him."
It doesn't seem to be in the DT so will post words when I can.

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Melani
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 12:55 AM

Cool song, Charlie! Thanks! Can I hear the tune somewhere?

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 04:01 AM

THe Keelers also wrote a nearly shanty for Hugill after his death - "The Old Man's gone"

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 04:30 AM

The Old Mans gone, and the great age too,
Farewell to the master of them all. [ George Unthank ]

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Nov 05 - 09:54 AM

Naemanson-

Fred Gosbie's song is certainly a keeper. I'm too lazy to try to find it through a thread search so here it is from my files:

Words & music by Fred Gosbee © 1991

Song for Stan Hugill

Lay on the line one more time, Old Man!
Sing out and give us a working rhyme –
Pull for the Old Man!
These days the sails are just for show,
But now before you have to go,
Tell us how 'twas so long ago, Old Man!

Chorus:

Pull for the Old Man, pull!
We won't see his like again!
Pull for the Old Man, pull!
Pull for Old Stan!


Your eyes have seen the workin' sail, Old Man!
In summer sun and winter gale –
Pull for the Old Man!
You've seen the sail replaced by oil,
Gone the topsail, course and royal!
And the songs that helped you with your toil, Old Man! (CHO)

Your mind is sharp, your eyes are clear, Old Man!
And your arms still strong after eighty years –
Pull for the Old Man!
With your tattooed arm and rollin' gait,
Your silver hair and your beard so gray!
You're a bridge through time to "yesterday", Old Man! (CHO)

So have a drop of "Nelson's Blood", Old Man!
And tell us about that scouse and grog –
Pull for the Old Man!
Within your songs and books we find,
The treasures you've had in your mind,
And we thank you, you've been very kind, Old Man! (CHO)

Melani-

I may be able to channel how the Callihan song goes. I haven't sung it for years. I'm not sure I've posted his original words as I've been known to make free with the cat when it comes to other people's songs.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: GUEST,Guest - Chalkie
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 08:13 AM

Charley,

I'm sure Ken & Jan Lardner from the Chantey Cabin were talking about organising something for Stan Hugill's 100th in Liverpool next year. Haven't heard anything in a while though.

Subject: RE: Stan Hugill's 99th Birthday 11-19-05
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Nov 05 - 08:54 AM

Chalkie-

You're right. Something big is being planned by Ken and Jan Lardner and they run the Stan Hugill website I linked to in my first post. There are some great stories on that website that people have contributed in the years since Stan passed over the bar.

Charley Noble