Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli

01 Apr 00 - 08:21 AM (#205024)
Subject: Lord Franklin or Lady Franklins lament
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Someone tells me that the chords for this are the same as "The Croppy boy" anyone help this struggling melody player trying to learn chords on the guitar.

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01 Apr 00 - 11:17 AM (#205096)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Ed Pellow

G                                                 Am
It was homeward bound one night on the deep
                                        D/F#
Swinging in my hammock, I fell asleep
G                                     C/G        G
I dreamed a dream, and I thought it true
                  Am        D               G
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew.

With 100 seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Where we poor sailors do sometimes go.

Through cruel hardships his men did go
His ship on mountains of ice was drove
And the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through

In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin among his seamen do dwell

And now my burden it gives me pain
For my Lord Franklin I'd sail the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To know Lord Franklin, and where he lives.

For anyone interested in the story of Sir John Franklin, there's a nice site The Fate of Franklin here.

Ed

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01 Apr 00 - 01:05 PM (#205146)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: GUEST,Brianwylie

Thanks very much Ed, it might seem simple to those people who can play guitar but chords are completely alien to me , so far. thanks a lot.

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01 Apr 00 - 07:29 PM (#205338)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Alan of Australia

G'day,
A couple of variations of the lyrics:

Verse 3, line 1
Through cruel hardships they bravely strove

Verse 4, line 1
Many people seem to sing Baffin's Bay, the proper name is Baffin Bay.

Verse 5, line 2 & line 4
For my long-lost Franklin I would cross the main
To say on earth that my Franklin do live.

There is an Aussie connection to Franklin - he was governor of Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land (watch the spelling)) & gave his name to one of Tassie's rivers. The Franklin River was contoversial in recent time on conservation issues.

A newspaper article from 1837:

Hobart Town, Jan 5. Sir John Franklin, naval hero, Arctic explorer and member of the Royal Society, has today arrived to take up his appointment as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land. It may well prove the most difficult commission of all.

In the party were his wife, Lady Franklin, and Captain Alexander Maconochie RN, his private secretary.

Regrettably, his service in His Majesty's Navy has not necessarily prepared him well for the nest of intrigue the colony has become.

Cheers,
Alan

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01 Apr 00 - 07:42 PM (#205349)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Ed Pellow

Goodness Alan!

You are getting very 'pickey'- and quite correct too!

You are right of course. As the query was for the chords, I simply pasted the rest of the lyrics from the first page that I came across...

I'm well aware that it's not 'Baffins' bay...

Regards

Ed

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02 Apr 00 - 01:54 PM (#205660)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Pelrad

I've always liked the version that Doerflinger gives in his Shanty Men and Shanty Boys book. He claims it is the earliest version he has come across. All I know is that it is a great version from the Lady's point of view.

It was homeward bound one night on the deep
Lying in my hammock I fell fast asleep
I dreamed a dream that I thought was true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew.

It was as we neared the English shore
I heard a lady sadly deplore
She wrung her hands and seemed to say
"Alas, my husband is long away.

"It's seven long years since that ship of fame
First bore my husband across the main
With hearts undaunted and courage stout
To seek a northwestern passage out.

"In Baffin Bay where the whalefish blows
Is the fate of Franklin, nobody knows.
Oh, Arctic Seas, what you've concealed
On the Judgement Day will be revealed.

"A voice within I cannot control
Is my assurance of his peace of soul
Ten thousand pounds would I freely give
To learn my husband still did live.

"God bless the widows who now must weep
Who've lost their husbands all on the deep.
They've left their homes like many more
They've left their homes to return no more."

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04 Apr 00 - 01:28 PM (#206592)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Eric the Viking

John Renbourn sings and plays a good version of "lord Franklin" in the Key of E. It is on several of his CD's ie-the best of John Renbourn etc

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04 Apr 00 - 02:02 PM (#206613)
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Add: Lord Franklin or Lady Frankli
From: Malcolm Douglas

For more background information and variants, have a look on these earlier threads,  here  and  here.

Malcolm

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