Lyr Req: Wreck of the Athens Queen (Stan Rogers)

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Lyr Req: Wreck of the Athens Queen (Stan Rogers)

21 Nov 99 - 11:07 AM (#139160)
Subject: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Stoddard19@aol.com

21 Nov 99 - 12:23 PM (#139176)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Joe Offer

I thought this one would be on the Stan Rogers Page (click), but I can't find this song there. Anybody got the lyrics?
-Joe Offer, back in the land where the toilets have seats-

21 Nov 99 - 04:23 PM (#139237)
Subject: Lyr Add: WRECK OF THE ATHENS QUEEN (Stan Rogers)
From: Owlkat

Well, it just so happens that I added it to my database two days ago. Here are the words. I haven't quite got the formatting thing down pat, so you may have to copy it to your word processor, and monkey with it a bit. As far as chords go, if you know the song, you'll be able to figure it out.
Anyway, here goes...

THE WRECK OF THE ATHENS QUEEN
Words and music by Stan Rogers © 1976

We were drinking down to Ready's house,
When first we heard the blow.
It seemed to come from Ripper Rock
So boldly forth we go
And sure enough a rusty tub
Could just be barely seen
As her stern was high up in the air
We made out Athens Queen
Oh the Lovely Athens Queen

Me boys I must remind you
There's a bottle left inside
So let us go and have few
And wait until low tide
And if the sea's not claimed her
When the glasses are licked clean
We ill then set for the some dories, lads
And see what may be seen
On the Lovely Athens Queen

Some songs and old tall stories then
Came out to pass the time
Nor could a single bottle
Keep us all until low tide
And so it was before we left
The house we were at sea
So I scarcely can remember how
We made the Athens Queen
Oh the Lovely Athens Queen

Oh the waves inside me belly
Were as high as those outside
And though I'm never seasick
I lost dinner overside
'Twas well there was no crew to save
For we'd have scared 'em green
We could scarcely keep ourselves from falling
Off the Athens Queen
Oh the Lovely Athens Queen

Well, Ready goes straight down below
And comes up with a cow
"Hello", I said, " what would you be
Wanting with that now?
You'll never take a cow home
In a dory in such seas."
"Well, me son", he says, "I've always fancied
Fresh cream in my tea
'Fore the lovely Athens Queen

I headed for the galley, then,
As I was rather dry
And glad I was to get there quick
For what should I espy?
Oh what a shame it would have been
For to lose it all at sea
Forty cases of the best Napolean
Brandy ever seen
From the Lovely Athens Queen

I loaded twenty cases boys,
Then headed for the shore
Unloaded them as quick as that
And then pulled back for more
Smith was pulling for the shore
But he scarcely could be seen
Under near two hundred chickens
And a leather couch of green
From the Lovely Athens Queen

Well, here's to all good salvagers
Likewise to Ripper Rock
And to Napolean Brandy
Of which now we have much stock
We eat a lot of chicken
And sit on a couch of green
And we wait for Ripper Rock to claim
Another Athens Queen
Oh the Lovely Athens Queen

Line Breaks
added.
-Joe Offer-

21 Nov 99 - 04:27 PM (#139239)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Owlkat.

Poop. Oh well, there are the words. Go boldly forth and folk.

22 Nov 99 - 10:58 AM (#139508)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: stoddard19@aol.com

Thanks very much. I have been trying to find those words for a long time.

22 Nov 99 - 03:33 PM (#139631)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: lamarca

I've always loved this song! Does anyone know if this was based on an actual incident, or just a character sketch of "salvagers" in general?

22 Nov 99 - 05:23 PM (#139665)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Bill Cameron

Funny you should ask--I love to answer that question, cause I found out the answer by accident! (And no one's ever asked before).

You may be familiar with the Canadian writer Farley Mowat. Stan certainly was since Mowat is one of our cultural eminences (now a sort of aged enfant terrible in the literary scene). Mowat wrote two books, many years ago, chronicling the activities of certain deepwater salvage tugs in the North Atlantic--the books are "Grey Seas Under" (1959) and "The Serpents Coil" (1962). One of them recounts an anecdote with a lot of similarities to "Wreck of the Athens Queen", concerning the wreck of an ancient tramp freighter which was the oceangoing home of an extended Greek family, so they had all kinds of goats and chickens and so on on board.

In this case, the salvage attempt had been abandoned due to terrible weather, which sent the 200' ocean-going tug running for shelter--only to encounter, on her way into harbour, a bunch of hardy Newfoundlanders heading out to the wreck (now fair game) in dories and little Cape Islanders and what have you.

Both these books are a damn good read if you like that kind of thing--and I believe there's more song-fodder in those pages yet!

The liner notes, as I recall, mention that Stan finished the song just in time to record it, and hardly ever played it again. Wish I could toss 'em out and throw them back like that.

Bill

22 Nov 99 - 05:47 PM (#139671)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: lamarca

Thanks, Bill, I'll look for those - the only Mowat I've read is "Never Cry Wolf" (I love the mouse recipes...) and two I read as a kid, "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be" and "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float", neither of which I remember much about except I liked them.

I've been steamed when I read that he's been denied entry into the USA again because of his "objectionable" politics - I assume our State Dept. is ticked off about his writing against our corporate rape of habitats and wildlife...The Right to Free Speech evidently doesn't apply to foreigners who criticize our government and industries!

22 Nov 99 - 06:12 PM (#139686)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Dave Swan

See also Born Naked, Mowat's autobiography.

22 Nov 99 - 09:36 PM (#139791)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Owlkat

Joe, How the heck did you do that? Really, I can be taught.

23 Nov 99 - 03:53 AM (#139853)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Musicman

there is a story not necessarily to do with the origins of this song in particular, but of the fact of the Newfoundlanders obtaining materials from these wrecks.... I have a buddy in NFLD, who will remain anonymys to protect the innocent, who relays the following stories...

It is a well know fact that when a shipped is wrecked on the coastline, once the salvage companies have given up on the vessel, it then becomes fair game to the island folk. They will take their dories and go to sea in the worst of weather to gain any materials that might be of any use left on the ship... However, it is unofficially reported that in some areas along the coast, the NFLDers would actually set false lights to lure the ships onto the rocks when they were needing supplies..... Not confirmed to my knowledge (limited), but an interesting twist, and quite probable..... I would think....

Love the song myself, sing it whenever I get the chance....

23 Nov 99 - 08:54 AM (#139897)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Bill Cameron

I've heard that one too, related to a specific location on one of the points in south-east Newfoundland. Definitely not a factor in the incident Mowat describes, which involved a ship that should have been broken up for scrap years before, and occurred I believe in the Belle Isle Straits area.

As for Mowat getting barred from entering the States, has it happened again? During the Reagan era he made some joke about shooting down American bombers if they ventured over his Ontario farm enroute to test Cruise missiles--this resulted in his being barred from the U.S, which he considered hilarious as well as a badge of honour. He's not really dangerous unless you're throwing a hoity-toity literary cocktail party.

Lately the right-wing press has taken him to task for allegedly exaggerating his Arctic experience and blurring the line between fiction and non-fiction...in a book he wrote about fifty years ago, "People of the Deer". Big freakin deal.

Bill

03 Jan 01 - 12:44 AM (#367552)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: chullainn

Can anyone help with chords for Athens Queen? I *know* it's probably very simple to work out, but I am simpler yet.

Thanks

03 Jan 01 - 02:05 AM (#367581)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Extra Stout

The lyrics to all the songs on the CD are included in "Remembering Stan Rogers, An East Coast Tribute II" (Atlantica Music 02 50561). I can't make a list in a column,but the songs are The Wreck of the Athens Queen, Sailor's Rest, The Bluenose, The Jeannie C., White Squall, Giant, Fisherman's Wharf, Rolling Down to Old Maui, The Flowers of Bermuda, Delivery Delayed, Working Joe, Oh No, Not I, So Blue, and Barret's Privateers. I'm told its out of print, but my daughter found it in the fifteenth record shop she visited. I had never heard of Rogers, but my son-in-law thought I'd like Barrett's Privateers. He was right. Does anybody have more songs in Rise Up Singing than Rogers?

03 Jan 01 - 05:46 AM (#367651)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stan Rogers Athens Queen
From: Willie-O

ES, it's quality, not quantity. And that person-of-unspecified gender "Trad" has more contributions to RUS.

As for the chords, C-descending to Am, quick F, quick G, C for the first line. Then C, Am, F for the second and third lines, finally C desc> Am F C G C.

If you sing it in C, anyway.

W-O (aka Bill Cameron)

03 Jan 01 - 06:00 AM (#367656)
Subject: Chords Add: WRECK OF THE ATHENS QUEEN (Stan Rogers
From: Dan Calder

Here you go.

Enjoy,

Dan

We were (A)drinking (A/G#)down to (F#m)Ready's (F#m/E)house,
When (D)first we (E)heard the (A)blow.
It (A)seemed to (A/G#)come from (F#m)Ripper (F#m/E)Rock
So (D)boldly (D/C#)forth we (Bm)go
And (D)sure enough a (A)rusty tub
Could just be (A/G#)barely (F#m)seen
(D)As her (A)stern was high up in the air
We (F#m)made out Athens Queen
(D)Oh the (A)Lovely (E)Athens (A)Queen