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Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia

07 Feb 12 - 10:31 AM (#3303712)
Subject: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Here's my musical contribution to the on-going saga of the wreck of the luxury liner Costa Concordia:

Charles Ipcar, ©2012
Tune: traditional Greenland Fisheries

The Wreck of the Costa Concordia

It was Friday night when we set sail,
January the thirteenth day,
When our gallant ship the Costa Concordia
For Giglio bore away, brave boys,
For Giglio bore away!

Our Captain rose from his dining seat,
A wine glass in his hand,
"Let's slip up to the bridge, my sweet,
You'll see us kiss the land," brave boys,
"You'll see us kiss the land!"

The night was clear and the moon was full,
And the sea was smooth like glass,
As our ship sped on full fifteen knots,
"Just see how close we pass," brave boys,
"Just see how close we pass!"

As our ship steamed in our Captain called
His old friend on the shore;
"Look sharp, old man, you'll soon see a sight
You'll remember evermore," brave boys,
"You'll remember evermore!"

The point loomed up as our Captain spoke,
And our helmsman began to sweat,
But it was not his place to raise his voice
And urge the course re-set, brave boys,
And urge the coarse re-set.

"Too close, too close!" our Captain cried,
"Full starboard, post hoc!"
Our helmsman swung her hard and fast,
But could not clear the rock, brave boys,
Could not clear the rock!

She scraped the rock as she swung by
And her hull was ripped asunder;
Her lights went out and she began to fill,
'Twas all a bloody blunder, brave boys,
'Twas all a bloody blunder!

There was mass confusion on the decks,
The passengers rushed the boats;
Our engines failed but the ship plowed on,
But would she remain afloat, brave boys,
Would she remain afloat?

As the list grew worse our Captain bold,
Swung the ship around,
She drifted in toward the shore,
And soon was hard aground, brave boys,
She soon was hard aground!

Some lifeboats failed to launch
And there was much alarm,
But our Captain slipped into his gig
With his broad clutched under his arm, brave boys,
With his broad clutched under his arm!

Most were saved but some were lost,
And the ship was a total wreck,
But our Captain paddled to the shore
Resolved to save his neck, brave boys,
Resolved to save his neck!

Now Giglio Isle is a romantic place,
When the moon and stars shine bright;
Best keep to the channel one and all
Or you will feel its bite, brave boys,
Or you will feel its bite!

I suspect this ballad will change some as more is revealed from the investigation, and if I can come up with some better lines or verses. Suggestions are welcome.

Charley Noble


07 Feb 12 - 11:14 AM (#3303741)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Sandy Mc Lean

Great stuff Charly!


08 Feb 12 - 09:14 AM (#3304311)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Three times around spun our gallant thread!

Thanks, Sandy.


08 Feb 12 - 09:35 AM (#3304324)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Keith A of Hertford

Climb back on board, the Coast Guard cried,
For to save your passengers' souls,
I will make for the shore,
And I will do no more,
For the night is dark and cold brave boys,
For the night is dark and cold


08 Feb 12 - 01:11 PM (#3304423)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Keith-

I always like internal rhyme.

It would be nice to have a verse focused on that part of the action, although "passengers" is a bit of a mouthful and "lives" would be better than "souls" if one could find a rhyme. Maybe this would work better:

"Climb back on board," the Coast Guard cried,
"To save your passengers, be bold!"
"No, I'll make for the shore, and do no more,
For the night's so dark and cold," brave boys,
"For the night's so dark and cold!"

Charley Noble


09 Feb 12 - 12:10 AM (#3304700)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: ChanteyLass

This was a song begging to be written! About time somebody did!


09 Feb 12 - 07:45 AM (#3304813)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Thanks, but this song needs quite a bit more polishing to make it singable. Here's another change to Keith's suggested verse, getting rid of the awkward "passengers" (let no passenger stand in the way of songwriting!):


"Climb back on board," the Coast Guard cried,
"To save more lives, be bold!"
"No, I'll make for the shore, and do no more,
For the night's so dark and cold," brave boys,
"For the night's so dark and cold!"

The Captain's sweetie/mistress/young friend, Moldovan dancer Domnica Cemortan, may be getting short shift in this poem; it was reported that search and rescue divers had found her lingerie, clothing and make-up bag in his cabin.

Charley Noble


09 Feb 12 - 08:22 AM (#3304832)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: GUEST,keith A

"The broad."
I enjoyed the reference to the rogues of Lynne.


09 Feb 12 - 08:55 AM (#3304844)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Keith-

I hoped someone would figure that reference out: "With his broad cloth under his arm"

Charley Noble


09 Feb 12 - 09:33 AM (#3304856)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Here's my update of this song to date:


Charles Ipcar, 2/9/2012
Tune: traditional Greenland Fisheries

The Wreck of the Costa Concordia

It was Friday night when we set sail,
January the thirteenth day,
When our gallant ship the Costa Concordia
For Giglio bore away, brave boys,
For Giglio bore away!

Our Captain rose from his dining chair,
A wine glass in his hand,
"Let's slip up to the bridge, my dear,
You'll see us kiss the land," brave boys,
"You'll see us kiss the land!"

As they gazed from the bridge the moon was full,
And the sea was smooth like glass,
As our ship sped on full fifteen knots,
"Just see how close we pass," brave boys,
"Just see how close we pass!"

As our ship steamed in our Captain called
An old friend on the shore;
"Look sharp, old man, you'll see a sight
You'll remember evermore," brave boys,
"You'll remember evermore!"

The point loomed up as our Captain spoke;
Our helmsman began to sweat,
But it was not his place to raise his voice
And urge the course re-set, brave boys,
And urge the coarse re-set.

"Too close, too close!" our Captain cried,
"Full starboard, post hoc!"
Our helmsman swung her hard and fast,
But could not clear the rock, brave boys,
Could not clear the rock!

She scraped the rock as she swung by
And her hull was ripped asunder;
Her lights went out and her engines died,
'Twas all a bloody blunder, brave boys,
'Twas all a bloody blunder!

There was mass confusion on the decks,
Crew and passengers rushed the boats;
As the water rushed in she began to list;
But how long would she float, brave boys,
How long would she float?

As the list grew worse our Captain bold,
Swung the ship around;
She drifted slowly toward the shore,
And with a crunch was hard aground, brave boys,
With a crunch was hard aground!

And some of our lifeboats failed to launch
And there was much alarm,
But our Captain slipped into his gig
With his broad clutched under his arm, brave boys,
With his broad clutched under his arm!

"Climb back on board," the Coast Guard cried,
"To save more lives, be bold!"
"No, I'll make for the shore, and do no more,
For the night's so dark and cold," brave boys,
"For the night's so dark and cold!"

Most were saved but some were lost,
And the ship was a total wreck,
But our Captain landed safe on shore
Resolved to save his neck, brave boys,
Resolved to save his neck!

Now Giglio Isle is a romantic place,
When the moon and stars shine bright;
But keep to the channel one and all
Or you will feel its bite, brave boys,
Or you will feel its bite!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble


09 Feb 12 - 12:13 PM (#3304939)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: GUEST,Klumper

"Post Hoc" is probably not the most lyrical or appropriate rhyme for "rock"
considering the 'alleged' adulterous circumstances ???


09 Feb 12 - 12:37 PM (#3304954)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Klumper-

What can I say? I was between a rock and a hard place for a rhyme.

Do you have a better suggestions?

Charley Noble


09 Feb 12 - 12:49 PM (#3304966)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: GUEST,Klumper

"Too close, too close!" our Captain cried,
and swiftly withdrew his...."


errrmm, perhaps not...........???

not really that kind of seafarers song.


09 Feb 12 - 01:06 PM (#3304972)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: GUEST,Klumper

though if it was, there's plenty of scope for ribald references to 'going down in his ship'.


09 Feb 12 - 02:33 PM (#3305015)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Klumper-

Did the Skipper say, "Let me slip into something more comfortable" as he exited the bridge and boarded his lifeboat?

"there's plenty of scope for ribald references to 'going down in his ship"

Well, there's the report from divers who found the clothing, as well as a beauty case, when they searched the private cabin of Capt Francisco Schettino, according to La Repubblica newspaper. The items are believed to belong to Miss Cemortan, a 25-year-old former cruise ship dancer and tourist rep who had dinner with the captain on the evening that he accidentally steered the 950ft long luxury liner into rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Charley Noble


10 Feb 12 - 03:12 AM (#3305192)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Keith A of Hertford

"Too close, too close!" a lookout cried,
"Hard a'starboard" cried the chief,
Our helmsman swung her hard and fast,
But he could not clear that reef, brave boys,
But he could not clear the reef!


10 Feb 12 - 08:26 AM (#3305311)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Wreck of the Costa Concordia
From: Charley Noble

Keith-

More better, indeed. Now we are clear of the "ad hocs."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble