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17 Sep 11 - 07:06 AM (#3224587) Subject: Lyr Req: Percy French Rafting Down The Rio From: GUEST,Jim Mc I borrowed a book about Percy French from the library years ago - found the lyrics to above and wrote a tune to go with it as apparently there was no known tune. I'm wanting to record song but can't find the lyrics now.. does anyone have them?? Starts Those old Jamaica days...... |
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17 Sep 11 - 08:16 AM (#3224602) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French Rafting Down The Rio From: GUEST,999 It is on p 19 of the book below. I cannot find lyrics but will search further. Title Prose, poems and parodies of Percy French Author Percy French Publisher The Talbot Press, 1929 Original from Oxford University Digitized Jan 22, 2008 Length 204 pages |
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17 Sep 11 - 08:35 AM (#3224614) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French Rafting Down The Rio From: GUEST,999 Finding no lyrics, but the book should be available through a public library or university library. University libraries--at least in Canada--are public also, but here they will restrict your right to borrow the book but allow you to park it and either photocopy of hand copy the poem. Best of luck. |
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17 Sep 11 - 09:38 AM (#3224634) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Percy French Rafting Down The Rio From: GUEST,999 That s/r 'photocopy OR hand copy'. |
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20 Sep 11 - 06:59 PM (#3226297) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: Jim Dixon Try also: Percy French and His Songs, edited by James N. Healy (Cork: The Mercier Press, 1966) Chronicles and Poems of Percy French, edited by Emily Lucy (French) Daly [his sister Mrs. de Burgh Daly] (Dublin, The Talbot Press Limited, 1922) I tried to piece this together from several snippets. I'm not sure it will be right; lines or verses may be out of order; it may be incomplete, etc. RAFTING DOWN THE RIO COME sit beside the fire, old friend, And dream that bamboo stems Have risen up around us 'Mid flowers that shine like gems. And we are back in fairyland, And thro' the golden haze We're rafting down the Rio — In the old Jamaica days. Oh ! the old Jamaica days ! Faintly through that leafy maze Comes the croon of Creole melodies As down the stream one strays; Till the fireflies sparkle round us In those darkened water ways, And we're rafting down the Rio — In the old Jamaica days. In those mighty mountain ranges What memories lie hid, Through the stricken streets of Kingston Stalks the ghost of Captain Kidd. While a phantom Henry Morgan Sets Port Royal in a blaze, As we're rafting down the Rio — In the old Jamaica days. Oh ! the old Jamaica days ! Faintly through that leafy maze Comes the croon of Creole melodies As down the stream one strays;... |
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20 Sep 11 - 07:33 PM (#3226306) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: MartinRyan Jim You have the first three of six verses there (and a stray repeat?). Here's the rest as given in "Songs and Poems by Percy French": ------------------ Oh ! the old Jamaica days ! How we used to lie and laze And think of people working As a curious kind of craze Wear and tear of brain and muscle How we wondered if it pays As we rafted down the Rio In the old Jamaica days There's a terror in the treetops And where the shadows brood For the wild cat and the scorpion And the snakes are seeking food The alligators blink at us From fever-haunted bays And the woods knew Devil worship - In those old Jamaica days Oh! The old Jamaica days! When the sun's mid-winter rays Have failed to pierce the fogs that fill Our murky alley ways We'll sit beside the fire, old friend, And as the embers blaze Go rafting down the Rio- In the old Jamaica days. Regards |
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20 Sep 11 - 08:53 PM (#3226336) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: Charley Noble Well, this is an interesting find. I love this kind of song, and the world long gone that it attempts to capture. Thanks! Love to know what tune you came up with? Is it based on a traditional tune? Charley Noble |
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24 Sep 11 - 04:47 PM (#3228452) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: GUEST Thanks Jim & Martin- that's brilliant...Charley it's an original tune that just seemed to fit those lyrics perfectly- once recorded I'll put up a link - jim |
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30 Jun 13 - 08:25 AM (#3532027) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: GUEST,Ciaran hey how about that melody line for this song ? |
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04 Jul 13 - 10:21 AM (#3533716) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: Jim Dixon I went to YouTube and searched for "rafting on the rio" hoping to find the song, and what I actually found were videos of people rafting on the Rio Grande river in Jamaica (among other rivers of the world; there are lots of them whose names start with "Rio—"). I'm guessing the local people have been entertaining tourists this way for generations. The rafts are made of bamboo, and are only about 3 feet wide at the front where the raft-poler stands, wider at the back where the passengers sit. It looks as if it might not have changed much since Percy French's day. If you want to see what inspired Percy French, watch this or any of these. There is even a song in this video called "Rafting on de Rio Grande" but I don't think it's Percy French's song; it sounds like it's in Creole. |
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04 Jul 13 - 04:44 PM (#3533853) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rafting Down The Rio (Percy French) From: MartinRyan I've put out an enquiry on this one to some Percy French enthusiasts. I've never heard it sung - nor even mentioned as song rather than poem. Regards |