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31 Aug 00 - 12:04 PM (#288620) Subject: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Barbara This came up on a related thread, Joe was looking for why a tune was familiar, and I know the chorus to this, sort of, but no verses. We're kings of the Western Ocean It's plain to see we are We've left our mark on many a barque We stink of fish and tar --- --- --- --- --- ---- -- When up aloft we fly The devil take the laggards, Jack, It's do your best or die!
Can anyone supply the rest of the words and/or tell me more about this song? |
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02 Sep 00 - 08:53 PM (#290112) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Bob Bolton G'day Barbara,
I hope someone can find some more about this interesting song. It is obviously ancestral to the Australian song Lachlan Tigers, a shearers' boasting song form the New South Wales Riverina area, that starts:
A lot of Lachlan Tigers, This not only preserves the general structure, but most of the actual rhyme scheme! Many sailor's songs ran aground in Australia, as sailors were paid off, settled here or jumped ship for the gold rush (as my Gt. Gt. Gt. Grandfather Jan Van Kampen apparently did). It is common to find droving song versions of sailors' songs and not surprising to see them amongst the songs of itinerant shearers as well. I hope someone can come up with more on this song. Its descendant Lachlan Tigers is a very lusty scion and popular in modern bush band repertoires. Regards, Bob Bolton |
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03 Sep 00 - 10:17 PM (#290545) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Marcus Campus Bellorum The plot thickens. The Lachlan Tigers, The Great Northern Line, Knickerbocker line, Musselburgh Fair/Field, and Bachgen Bach O Dincer and know The Kings of the Western Ocean (and the list goes on). This is definitely a good tune. I look forward to some info on the linkages between the various incarnations. I have been looking for such linkages since my first naive post to this forum around 8 months ago. More info please.
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05 Sep 00 - 01:40 AM (#291206) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Barbara I'll be singing tomorrow with the person I know who sings this song. I'll ask him then. Stay tuned. It certainly sounds like it is closely related to the Lachlan Tigers, Bob. Blessings, Barbara |
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06 Sep 00 - 08:53 PM (#292516) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Barbara Well, I learned that Kings of the Western Ocean is a recently composed song by Seattle songwriter, uhm, Tim, Tom Latimore, Latimer, something like that, and I hope the person who knows will be along shortly to correct me and add to the info about this song. JOe says that the answer to his question, "What is the song I know that goes to the tune 'Bachgen O Dincar' is (d) none of the above. See related thread here. blessings, Barbara |
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06 Sep 00 - 11:33 PM (#292580) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Marcus Campus Bellorum Full circle? Does that mean that "Kings of the Western Ocean" is based on Bachgen Bach o Dincar/Lachlan Tigers/Knickerbocker line? Why did uhm, Tim, Tom Latimore, Latimer, something like that, use the tune for his words. Does he know Lachlan Tigers or Bachgen Bach? Are you out there TimTom?
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11 Sep 02 - 11:37 PM (#781749) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Jim Dixon According to http://www.rambles.net/latimer_live.html The song title is "We are Kings of the Western Ocean" and the author is Tony Latimer. |
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11 Sep 02 - 11:45 PM (#781753) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Jim Dixon I should have also mentioned that the above-linked review also contains this quote: We are Kings of the Western Ocean. It's plain to see we are. We've left our mark on many a bark. We stink of pitch and tar. "All hands" cries the mate And up aloft we fly. The devil take the laggard, Jack. It's do your best or die. |
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11 Sep 02 - 11:55 PM (#781761) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Bob Bolton G'day Jim, Thanks for that link! It is interesting to see the ascription: "...This piece borrows a traditional Australian melody but uses original lyrics ..." when it seems to be somewhat the reverse - The lyrics draw heavily on Lachlan Tigers (at least, in the first stanza and chorus) while the tune is, as is proper for a sailors' song, well-travelled internationally. In another thread of Mark Campbell's, we concluded that the tune is shared, not only by Bachgen Bach o Dincar/Lachlan Tigers and Knickerbocker Line, but by the Australian song Great Northern Line (based on Knickerbocker Line), Sam Larner's English song The Dogger Banks (?) and the American Cruise of the Bigler. (We also seem to have agreed that Bachgen Bach o Dincar was an attempt by monoglot Welsh kids to derive something in Welsh from the English song Knickerbocker Line)being foisted on them, along with a foreign language, at school. Regards, Bob Bolton |
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12 Sep 02 - 10:16 PM (#782660) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Jon Bartlett It's on Tony Latimer's new CD, along with a bunch of other fine songs. |
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09 Aug 06 - 08:47 PM (#1805776) Subject: Lyr Add: KINGS OF THE WESTERN OCEAN From: Peace I find variants intriguing, and felt there was room for a deep-sea version of this wonderful old tune. With a tip of the hat to The Bushwackers, one of my all time favourite Aussie bands. KINGS OF THE WESTERN OCEAN (Words: A. Latimer. Melody: trad.) We're kings of the Western Ocean. It's plain to see we are. We've left our mark on many a bark. We stink of pitch and tar. "All hands," cries the mate and up aloft we fly. The devil take the laggard, Jack. It's do your best or die. The captain turns and looks aloft. The mate he does likewise. Nothing's said, just the nod of the head and the movement of their eyes. With topsails backed and rode hove short, she slowly bears away. "Beware the calm before the storm," the shellbacks often say. Now you've heard the tales of races sailed, of the Aerial and Taeping, Of Thermopylae and Cutty Sark. They make the rafters ring; But many's the time in foreign climes the race for life was won By a daring claw from a dead lee shore or a pirate's threatening gun. The captain and the mate have schemes of more sails yet to set. You can tell by the look on the face of the cook what's riding on the bet. To sail a ship at a hell of a clip through icebergs is insane. "All hands on deck," the mate calls down and here we go again. The arrival scene's a lively one and ought to be admired. No ship's done a better run since Bully Hayes expired. Along the quay, the girls all smile and the crimps all turn away. Now you can talk. You're the cock o' the walk. Enjoy it while you may. That is from www.tonylatimer.com/crits/debruyncrit.htm
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10 Aug 06 - 02:20 PM (#1806502) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kings of the Western Ocean From: Charley Noble Nice one! Charley Noble |