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Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone

30 Aug 15 - 06:20 PM (#3734277)
Subject: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: GUEST,bdenz

Hi. My husband is trying to find a shanty-like song that has repeating lines that include the lyrics "Wide, Dark Waters, All alone."

Ideas?

30 Aug 15 - 06:35 PM (#3734279)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: maeve

Yep.
http://www.timberheadmusic.com/disc/darkoldwaters.htm
"Dark Old Waters"   

© 1992 Gordon Bok, BMI

"I wrote this for the film documentary of the short life of the schooner John F Leavitt, by the Atlantic Film Company. It's two ways of looking at the birth of a sailing vessel. "

(Full lyrics at the link given, above.)

30 Aug 15 - 06:45 PM (#3734282)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: maeve

Listen to a wee bit of it here: "Dark Old Waters" Gordon Bok

You can find it on Trickett, Bok, Muir's "A Water Over Stone" or "The First Fifteen Years", Volume 2.
"Dark Old Waters" Gordon Bok/ "First Fifteen Years" Vol. 2

30 Aug 15 - 07:21 PM (#3734286)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: BDenz

Thank you! You guys are fast!

30 Aug 15 - 07:26 PM (#3734287)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: maeve

You're very welcome. I just happen to sing and love that one.

30 Aug 15 - 07:38 PM (#3734288)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: BDenz

We will soon join you in the singing of that. ;)

30 Aug 15 - 07:49 PM (#3734291)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: contains Wide Dark Waters, All Alone
From: maeve

Wonderful! Gordon will be glad to know others continue to sing it.
(I will never tire of hearing Himself sing it.)

30 Aug 15 - 11:22 PM (#3734316)
Subject: DT Correction: Dark Old Waters (Bok)
From: Joe Offer

We have this song in our Digital Tradition Folk Song Database, but I find our transcription of the song very hard to read. Here's my modification of the version from Gordon Bok's Website that Maeve linked to above.


DARK OLD WATERS
(Gordon Bok)

Sung with a leader and chorus;
the chorus lines are in italics

Don't be thinking of me,
All away and alone,
On the rolling old sea,
On the foreign ground,
For I laid your keel and that's dandy for me
On the dark old waters, all alone.
Where you go, go well, and a fair wind home.

Don't be thinking of me... on the rolling old sea...
For I raised your frame and that's bully for me...

And where will you go... with your rail dipping low?...
And where you may wander there's none can know...

Don't be thinking of me... on the rolling old sea,...
For I hung your canvas and sent you to sea...

And where will you be... when the winter comes nigh?...
And where will you be when I'm thinking of thee?...

And how stands the wind?... Will he come as a friend...
And keep you from dangers that lie off the land?...

And how stand the stars... in the whispering dawn?...
May they guide you and bless you and the seas sail you on
On the dark old waters, all alone.
Where you go, go well, and a fair wind home.
…Oh hey, oh ho, heave an oar and go

Oh where will you bide... at the end of your ride,...
And who'll sing you songs when I'm not at your side?
On the dark old waters, all alone.
Where you go, go well, and a fair wind home.
…Oh hey, oh ho, heave an oar and go
…Oh hey, oh ho, heave an oar and go


Dark Old Waters is recorded on the Bok, Muir, and Trickett albums First Fifteen Years Vol. II
and Water Over Stone
and is also in the songbook One to Sing, One to Haul

©1992 Gordon Bok, BMI


Notes from Bok: I wrote this for the film documentary of the short life
of the schooner John F Leavitt, by the Atlantic Film Company.
It's two ways of looking at the birth of a sailing vessel.

 

 DARK OLD WATERS (Digital Tradition)
(Gordon Bok)

Don't be thinking of me,
All away and alone,
On the rolling old sea,
On the foreign ground,
For I laid your keel and that's dandy for me,
On the dark old waters,
All alone.

Where you go, go well,
And a fair wind home.

(Similarly:)

Don't be thinking of me
On the rolling old sea,
For I raised your frame and that's bully for me...
And where will you go
With your rail dipping low?
And where you may wander there's none can know...

Don't be thinking of me
On the rolling old sea,
For I hung your canvas and sent you to sea...

And where will you be
When the winter comes nigh?
And where will you be when I'm thinking of thee?

And how stands the wind?
Will he come as a friend
And keep you from dangers that lie off the land?

And how stand the stars
In the whispering dark?
May they guide you and bless you and the seas you sail on
Oh, where will you bide
At the end of your ride,
And who'll sing you songs when I'm not at your side?


Copyright Gordon Bok
Note: Written for a film documentary of the schooner John F.
Leavitt.
Recorded by Bok, Muir, Trickett, Folk-Legacy FSI-80
@ship
filename[ DARKOLD
RG

30 Aug 15 - 11:54 PM (#3734319)
Subject: Recordings: Dark Old Waters
From: Joe Offer

I think this is the version of the song from the movie, which is a bit different:
And here's the version I'm familiar with, by Anne Mayo Muir, Ed Trickett, and Gordon Bok: