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Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)

07 Jul 08 - 06:26 PM (#2383327)
Subject: Lyr Req: Willie went to sea.. Brian Bedford
From: brid widder

I've just got back from Cleckheaton festival... Hilary Spencer... formerly of Artisan, sang a brilliant song to the tune of the sailors hornpipe... I just about had the hang of the chorus by the end...

Willie went to sea for a sailor he would be he planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper so he hid inside the rigging while the crew were busy jigging to the rythm of a hornpipe on the deck below..

I'm hoping against hope that someone will have the lyrics... any chance

07 Jul 08 - 07:02 PM (#2383355)
Subject: Lyr Add: WILLY WENT TO SEA (Brian Bedford)
From: Charley Noble

Brid-

We have the lyrics somewhere, never fear. Ah, here they are:

Words by Brian Bedford © 2001 Bedspring Music
As sung by Hilary Spencer on AFTERIMAGE
Tune; traditional Sailor's Hornpipe

WILLY WENT TO SEA

Willy went to sea for a sailor he would be
He planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper
So he hid inside the rigging while the crew was busy jigging
To the rhythm of a hornpipe on the deck below.

From Man at C & A he bought his sailor's things
First a parrot and an eye-patch and some broken rings
For he'd promised he would marry Flo and Mo and little Carrie,
Mary, Nancy, Ann and Sally were all after him.

Willy went to sea for a sailor he would be
He planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper
So he hid inside the rigging while the crew was busy jigging
To the rhythm of a hornpipe on the deck below.

Well Sally wouldn't dally on the quay all day
For she longed to see her Willy who was far away
So she dressed up as a fella and they say you couldn't tell her
Though I'm sure that you could smell her from a mile away!

For she sailed the seven seas for seven years or more
And she wouldn't take a bath in case the sailors saw her
But she didn't realize that all the crew was in disguise
And everyone was after Willy went they came on shore.

Willy went to sea for a sailor he would be
He planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper
So he hid inside the rigging while the crew were busy jigging
To the rhythm of a hornpipe on the deck below

Now Nancy took a fancy to this sailor's charms
So she placed a little silver in a gypsy's palm
Then she dressed up as a sailor and she signed on board a whaler
And she sailed the seven seas in search of Willy's arms.

Well, she field collected shanties from the shanty crew
As a Brownie she could tie the knots all sailors do
This dainty little filly planned a clove-hitch for her Willy
And this filly would have Willy 'for the year was through.

Willy went to sea for a sailor he would be
He planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper
So he hid inside the rigging while the crew were busy jigging
To the rhythm of a hornpipe on the deck below.

Then came the fateful day when Willy stowed away
On a ship called Mary Something out of Yarmouth bay
When he went into the galley there was Flo and Mo and Carrie
Mary, Nancy, Ann and Sally - Willy turned quite grey!

Well, he jumped into the sea although he couldn't swim
There were seven smelly sailors swimming after him
And as their ship Mary Celeste slowly sailed into the west
Seven maidens grabbed their Willy with a broken ring.

Willy went to sea for a sailor he would be
He planned to be the skipper of a packet or a clipper
Well sad to say our friend finally met a sticky end
With seven sailors holding Willy He was drowned at sea.


Cheerily,
Charley Noble

08 Sep 08 - 08:18 AM (#2433975)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)
From: brid widder

thank you Charley

08 Sep 08 - 01:30 PM (#2434293)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)
From: Leadfingers

Be Warned ! This is NOT an easy song to sing , despite the ease with which Hilary sings it .

08 Sep 08 - 09:11 PM (#2434767)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)
From: Charley Noble

Leadfingers-

Not easy? Why the chorus is the epitome of facility!

It does help to have an instrumental hornpipe break after the chorus so the lead vocalist can catch a breath. Hillary, evidently, doesn't breath.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

01 Jul 13 - 05:07 PM (#3532456)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)
From: GUEST

Are these words the actual ones that Brian wrote or are you (like us) trying to get them from the Quicksilver CD?

01 Jul 13 - 09:07 PM (#3532548)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Went to Sea (Brian Bedford)
From: Charley Noble

Guest-

If you review this thread, it clearly states where the words are from:

"Words by Brian Bedford © 2001 Bedspring Music
As sung by Hilary Spencer on AFTERIMAGE
Tune; traditional Sailor's Hornpipe"

What is your problem?

Hilary may have modified some of the words but she sang with Brian for years as one third of Artisan.

Charley Noble