Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title

Subject: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: Lou McErlean
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 08:16 PM

I'm trying to find the title and artist(s) of an Irish folk song. Here's what I remember of the lyrics:

The ocean waves do roll, And the stormy winds do blow, And we poor sailors, a skippin' at the top While the land lubbers lie down below, below, below While the land lubbers lie down below.

I think it's either the Clancy Brothers or the Irish Rovers, but I need some HELP!

Thanks.

Lou

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From:
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 08:19 PM

Child ballad, "The Mermaid", in DT, and undoubtably not Irish.

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 08:31 PM

Hi Lou!

The other part of your answer is right there in your question. THE CLANCY BROTHERS. The title is "The Mermaid" as noted above. Much of The Clancys repetoire was not Irish, strictly speaking. Many a wise Irishman has observed that any song which has come to Ireland and exists there now is Irish. Let's call it Irish by adoption.

Good singing to you!

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: A Celtic Harper
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 08:49 PM

umm, aye. There's a rip-roaring bluegrass version of the same out there on the airwaves somewhere. Very odd to hear in that genre after being acustomed to the Clancys.

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: Bruce O.
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 08:56 PM

An earlier version than the Child ballad one is on an English broadside ballad, no later than 1632, "The praise of Sailors", which is given in full in the Scarce Songs 2 file on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: SeanM
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 09:42 PM

And it's even more than the Clancys... I have around 10-15 different recordings of 'Mermaid'. It's arguably one of the better known 'shanties' that probably never saw life aboard a ship.

Subject: RE: Irish Folk Song -- Need Help w/ Title
From: DonMeixner
Date: 09 Mar 99 - 10:56 PM

Another traditional Forebiter written in 1899 when someone needed a traditional song for some musical revue. Like " I've A Whale of a Tail(Tale)" or "Asleep in the Deep"

Get saloon song tho' and a fun bit to play as well.

Don