Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 12:13 PM

A very long ballad:
The Wreck Of The Atlantic

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 11:53 AM

More here:
TheShipsList
On the previous message I was also trying to link to The Nova Scotia Museum's Museum of The Atlantic site but it seems to have a server problem. Perhaps it will be fixed by tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 11:47 AM

Some information here Charley:
Atlantic Wreck
Much more should be available on the

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 07:13 AM

Sandy-

The rest of the story? So sad!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 02 Mar 13 - 02:40 PM

She foundered on the rocky approaches to Halifax harbour. One of Canada's greatest marine distaers!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 13 - 09:23 AM

"Sank beneath the lowlands low" is form "The Golden Vanity". A different song. My Dad used to sing them both. Lovely.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:36 PM

From Liverpool across the atlantic
Our good ship sailed over the deep
The sky bright and fair above us
The ocean beneath us asleep

Not a badtempered mariner among them
A jollier crew never sailed
except the first mate a bit of a savage
but as good as a seaman ever hailed

One day as he came from below decks
grasping a lad by the arm
a poor little ragged young urchin
who should have been home with his mom

And he asked the boy pretty roughly
How he dared be stowed away
cheating the owners and merchants
sailing, sleeping, eating without pay

Now the boy had a face bright and winning
and a pair of blue eyes like a girls
Looks up at the mates bushy eyebrows
and shakes back his long shining curls

and he said in a voice slow and pretty
"my stepfather he brought me aboard,
and he lay me away down below decks
for to keep me he could not afford

and he said that this good ship would take me
to Halifax town oh so far,
and he said son the lord is your father
who dwells where the good angels are"

"It's a lie" said the mate "not your father
but one of those big skundards here
and they lay you away down below there
speak up tell the truth do you hear"

Now the boy with face bright and winning
clear and shining with innocent youth
looked up at the mates scolding face, lads
said "sir I have told you the truth"

Then the mate drew a watch from his pocket
as if he were drawing a knife
"if in 10 minutes more you don't speak lad
here's a rope and goodbye to your life"

Eight minutes passed all in silence
"speak up lad" said the mate "say your say"
his eyes slowly filled up with teardrops
faltering said "may I pray?"

First came the words "Our Father"
low and clear from those dear baby lips
and lo they were heard like a trumpet
from each man aboard of that ship ( at least that is what Dad sang)

Every bit of the prayer that he goes through
to "forever and ever amen"
not for all the gold in the west indies
I would not have heard them again

From his feet was the lad gently lifted
and pressed to the mates rugged breast
and fondly did the mate kiss him
his hair he did fondly caress

"You believe me now" said the youngster
"believe you!" he kissed him once more
"you've laid down your life for the truth,son
I believe you for now, and ever more"


This was a song that my dad learned when he was abroad in the Navy during 1950-55. But it is way older than that. It was used by the missionaries to try to get people to convert people to christianity at least that is what I read on an archive site. Hope this helped.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Peace
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:39 PM

Clones: Would it be possible to get a thread title change to correct the typo in 'from'?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE LITTLE HERO (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:35 PM

Here's the text from the broadside: (See the link in the previous message.)

THE LITTLE HERO

From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic,
The good ship floating o'er the deep,
The skies bright with sunshine above us,
The waters beneath us asleep;
Not a bad-tempered mariner 'mongst us,
A jollier crew never sailed,
'Cept the first mate, a bit of a savage,
But good seamen as ever was hailed.
One day, he came from below deck
A-grasping a lad by the arm,
A poor little ragged young urchin,
As ought to 'a' been home with his marm;
An' the mate asked the boy pretty roughly,
How he dared for to be stowed away,
A-cheatin' the owners an' captain,
Sailing, eating, an' all, without pay?

The lad had a face bright and sunny,
An' a pair o' blue eyes like a girl's;
An' looks up at the scowling first mate, boys,
An' shakes back his long shining curls;
An' says he, in a voice clear an' pretty,
"My step-father brought me aboard,
And hid me away down the stairs there,
For to keep me he could not afford;
And he told me the big ship would take me
To Halifax town, oh! so far,
And he said, "Now the hold is your father,
Who lives where the good angels are."
"It's a lie!" says the mate. "Not your father,
But some o' these big skulkers here;
Some milk-hearted soft-headed sailor.
Speak up! Tell the truth! D'ye hear?"

Then that pair o' blue eyes bright and winning,
Clear and shining with innocent youth,
Looks up at the mate's bushy eyebrows
And says, "Sir, I've told you the truth!"
Then the mate pulled his watch from his pocket,
Just as if he'd been drawing his knife.
"If in ten minutes more you don't tell, lad,
There's the rope, an' good-bye to dear life!"
Eight minutes went by all in silence.
Says the mate then, "Speak, lad. Say your say."
His eyes slowly filling with tear-drops,
He falteringly says, "May I pray?"

And the little chap kneels on the deck there,
And his hands he clasps o'er his breast
As he must have done often at home, lads,
At nighttime when going to rest;
And soft came the first words: "Our Father!"
Low and clear, from those dear baby lips;
But low as they were, heard like a trumpet
By each trueman aboard o' that ship.
Every bit of that prayer then he goes through,
To "for ever and ever. Amen!"
An' for all the bright gold in the Indies,
I wouldn't ha' heard him again.
Off his knees was the lad sudden lifted
And clasped to the mate's rugged breast;
An' his husky voice muttered, "God bless you!"
As his lips to his forehead he pressed.
"You believe me now?" then said the youngster.
"Believe you?" – he kissed him once more –
"You have laid down your life for the truth, lad.
I believe you from now evermore."

Subject: Lyr Add: STOWAWAY: 'From Liverpool 'cross the...'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 10:51 PM

Why not have it here?

Lyrics and commentary copied from GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador:

THE STOWAWAY

From Liverpool across the Atlantic
When the good ship sailed over the deep,
With the stars up above bright and shining
And the waters beneath us asleep.

Not a bad-tempered man was among us,
Not a jollier crew ever sailed,
Except the first mate, a bit of a savage,
Not a better seaman ever sailed.

One day he came up from below deck,
Clasping a lad by the arm,
A poor little ragged young youngster,
Who had ought to been home with his mom.

Then the mate asked the boy pretty roughly,
"How dare you to be stowed away,
A-cheating the owners and captain
And sailing along without pay?"

He said in a voice clear and whining,
"My step-father brought me on board.
He hid me away down below deck,
'Cause to keep me he could not afford.

"He told me this good ship would take me
To Halifax town oh so far;
He said, now the Lord is your father,
Who dwells where the good angels are."

"It's a lie," said the mate, "not your father,
But some of those bait-suckers here;
Some soft-headed, milk-hearted sailor,
Speak up, tell the truth, do you hear?"

The boy had a face bright and shining,
And a pair of blue eyes like a girl's;
He looked at this cruel first mate, lads,
And shook back his long shiny curls.

Then the mate drew a watch from his pocket,
As if he was drawing a knife,
Said, "In ten minutes more you don't tell it,
Here's a rope and good-bye to your life."

Eight minutes passed by all in silence,
Then the mate said, "Speak up, say your say."
With his eyes slowly filling with tear-drops
And flattering said, "May I pray?"

The little chap knelt on the deck there,
With his hands tightly clasped o'er his breast;
He must ofttimes done it at home, lads,
At night time when going to rest.

When soft came those first words: 'Our Father'
Low and clear from this dear baby's lips,
At first they were heard just like thunder
By every true man on that ship.

Every word of the prayer he went through it,
'Forever and ever. Amen.'
For all the bright gold of the Indies
We would not have hurt him again.

Off the deck was the lad sudden lifted
And clasped to the mate's rugged breast;
His husky voice whispered, "God bless you."
With his lips to his forehead he pressed.

"Do you believe me now?" said the youngster,
"Believe you?" -- the mate kissed him once more --
"You have laid down your life for the truth, lad,
I will believe you for now and evermore."

####.... Author unknown. Variant of an undated broadside ballad, The Little Hero, by an unknown publisher, archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Harding B 11(2162) ....####

Collected in 1959 from Kenneth Pink of Rose Blanche, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, Volume 3, pp.890-891, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved. A twelve-verse variant was published as From Liverpool 'cross the Atlantic in Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, #51, by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf and Grace Yarrow Mansfield (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1933; Folklore Associates, Hatboro, PA, 1968) but the tune is different.

Kenneth Peacock noted that although he was unable to find a printed source for this incredibly sentimental ballad, its 'literary' origin is unmistakable. The pseudo-religious prayer scene suggests that the ballad is the work of some over-zealous missionary. Whenever one of these hell-fire evangelical sects moves into an outport, one of their first propaganda ploys is the distribution of edifying songs to supplant the sinful material the people and their ancestors have been singing for hundreds of years. Fortunately, they seldom succeed. But when the religious life of a community has been completely taken over by one of these sects, traditional music disappears down the drain. When queried about the music their parents (and they themselves) used to sing, the people invariably reply: "Oh, we never sing those songs any more."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Mo the caller
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 08:18 AM

Yes, I think it must have been something like that, surprising that it was such a long song and only 1 line has stuck

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Peace
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 02:44 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Peace
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 02:09 AM

Mo, I think they are the lyrics you're looking for.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Peace
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 02:03 AM

Words here. BUT, it is entitled "The Stowaway".

. . . as are the songs in the post above this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Peace
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 01:59 AM

Info available here, maybe . . .

Enter the title where it says 'enter a search term'. That will take you to three record titles.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:39 PM

It sounds familiar, and I'm sure I've heard Hughie Jones sing something like it.

The Digitrad has The Loss Of the Atlantic Steamship. Could that be the one? The captain in that song isn't actually described as 'hard-hearted' as in the song you remember.

In the meantime it looks as if it is indeed "Farewell to the landing stage" after the Pier Head landing stage sank in an exceptionally high tide on Wednesday. The Mersey Ferries website describes this as "operational difficulties"!!!!!

Subject: Lyr Req: Form Liverpool across the Atlantic
From: Mo the caller
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 06:15 AM

This was a song I remember my mother, or Grandma singing.
It started
"From Liverpool across the Atlantic
(our bold ship was sailing one day ...or somesuch)
No hard hearted man was our captain
But....

I can't remember any more, but I doubt if anyone lived to tell the tale, or maybe I'm confusing it with the"Spanish Galillee" (it sank beneath the Lowlands)