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17 May 01 - 04:51 PM (#465011) Subject: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: bill\sables About thirty years ago I used to sing a song called Three Sailors from Bristol City bur I'm buggered if I can remember the words. It went something like; There were three sailors from Bristol City x 2 They stole a boat and went to sea x 2 It then went on about loading the boat and there being Gorging Jack and Gussling Jimmee and Little boy Billee and when they run out of food the decided to eat Little Billee but he was rescued in the nick of time by Admiral Nelson. Can anyone remember it? Cheers Bill |
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17 May 01 - 05:04 PM (#465019) Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE BOY BILLEE (sung by Bob Roberts) From: Charley Noble Stolen from a thread by Barry Finn: LITTLE BOY BILLEE (as sung by Bob Roberts) [Each line is sung twice.] There were three men of Bristol City. They stole a ship and went to sea. There was Gorging Jack and Guzzling Jimmy And also Little Boy Billee. They stole a tin of captain's biscuits And one large bottle of whiskey. But when they reached the broad Atlantic There were nothing left but one split pea. Said Gorging Jack to Guzzling Jimmy: "We've nothing to eat so I'm going to eat thee" Said Guzzling Jimmy: "I'm old and toughish So let's eat Little Boy Billee." "O Little Boy Billee, we're going to kill and eat you So undo the top button of your little chemie." "O may I say my catechism That my dear mother taught to me?" He climbed up to the main topgallant And there he fell upon his knee. But when he reached the Eleventh Commandment He cried: "Yo Ho, for land I see." "I see Jerusalem and Madagascar And North and South Amerikee. "I see the British fleet at anchor And Admiral Nelson, K.C.B." They hung Gorging Jack and Guzzling Jimmy But they made an admiral of Little Boy Billee. Bob Roberts (the singing Bargeman) sings this on "Sea Songs & Shanties" on Saydisc (CD-SDL 405) produced by Peter Kennedy. Peter says that the words are probably a translated & adapted by the poet William Thackeray from the French folksong "Le Petit Navire" (The Little Corvette). Bob learned the tune from Henry Trefusis, Falmouth in Cornwall. The Little Corvette can also be found in Peter Kennedy's "Folksongs Of Britain & Ireland", though the text & story is not as near complete as in this English version. Some of the other singers on the same CD are Harry Cox of Norfolk, Bob & Ron Copper, Sarah Makem, Tom Brown, Clifford Jenkins & Bill Barber of Cornwall. |
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17 May 01 - 05:11 PM (#465021) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: bill\sables Thanks Charlie, that's the one I want. Cheers Bill |
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17 May 01 - 06:24 PM (#465074) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: Dead Horse When I perform this one, I do the actions (hilarious) and repeat "climbed ut to the main topgalant" several times - its a tall mast. |
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17 May 01 - 08:03 PM (#465114) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: Malcolm Douglas See this previous thread for more than you could ever possibly want to know on the subject. It can easily be found through the "Digitrad and Forum Search" on the main Forum page, by searching for little billee, oddly enough: THE SHIP IN DISTRESS |
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18 May 01 - 04:52 AM (#465315) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: IanC I sing this one too (when anyone will let me - it's a bit long). After I had been singing it for some years, in the '70s, I found a book in a local Oxfam shop called "Little Billee". It turns out that the song was written by William Makepeace Thackeray, and performed as an opera. Will try to find a link if no-one beats me to it!
Cheers! |
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15 Jun 11 - 03:30 AM (#3170833) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: GUEST,ff does any know when and where it was written? |
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15 Jun 11 - 05:29 AM (#3170860) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: doncatterall written in 1845 - see EFDSS Foljk Music Journal 2010 paper by Paul Cowdell "Cannibal Ballads:Not Just a Question of Taste" |
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20 Jun 11 - 11:16 AM (#3173325) Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE BILLEE (William M Thackeray) From: Jim Dixon Here's the oldest copy I can find. A few words are different from those posted by Malcolm Douglas back in 2000, so I have boldfaced them. From Ballads and Tales by William Makepeace Thackeray (London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1869), page 228: LITTLE BILLEE* AlR—"Il y avait un petit navire." There were three sailors of Bristol city Who took a boat and went to sea. But first with beef and captain's biscuits And pickled pork they loaded she. There was gorging Jack and guzzling Jimmy, And the youngest he was little Billee. Now when they got as far as the Equator They'd nothing left but one split pea. Says gorging Jack to guzzling Jimmy, "I am extremely hungaree." To gorging Jack says guzzling Jimmy, "We've nothing left, us must eat we." Says gorging Jack to guzzling Jimmy, "With one another we shouldn't agree! There's little Bill, he's young and tender, We're old and tough, so let's eat he. "Oh! Billy, we're going to kill and eat you, So undo the button of your chemie." When Bill received this information He used his pocket handkerchie. "First let me say my catechism, Which my poor mamy taught to me." "Make haste, make haste," says guzzling Jimmy, While Jack pulled out his snickersnee. So Billy went up to the main-top gallant mast, And down he fell on his bended knee. He scarce had come to the twelfth commandment When up he jumps. "There's land I see: "Jerusalem and Madagascar, And North and South Amerikee: There's the British flag a riding at anchor, With Admiral Napier, K.C.B." So when they got aboard of the Admiral's He hanged fat Jack and flogged Jimmee; But as for little Bill he made him The Captain of a Seventy-three. * As different versions of this popular song have been set to music and sung, no apology is needed for the insertion in these pages of what is considered to be the correct version. [Author's note.] |
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21 Jun 11 - 02:17 PM (#3174019) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Sailors from Bristol City From: Jim Dixon Oops! I see I forgot to insert the HTML for the boldfacing. Oh, well, it's hardly worth the trouble to re-post the lyrics now. Those who want to know the exact differences can make the comparison themselves. |
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07 Oct 17 - 07:54 PM (#3880887) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 3 Sailors from Bristol City/Little Billee From: GUEST See "Come Let Us Sing" Copyright 1974 Christmas Country Dance School Berea College P.O. Box 287 Berea, Kentucky 40403 Printed by Berea College Press |
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08 Oct 17 - 04:21 PM (#3880985) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 3 Sailors from Bristol City/Little Billee From: Steve Gardham I have a copy published as sheet music in the 19thc which may be the source of the tune. It was obviously very popular in its own time. |
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09 Oct 17 - 07:06 PM (#3881211) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 3 Sailors from Bristol City/Little Billee From: GUEST,Dave Hunt I sing this as a last verse 'If you want to know who wrote this rubbish x 2 'Twas William Makepeace Thackeray x 2 |
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12 Oct 17 - 06:19 AM (#3881745) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 3 Sailors from Bristol City/Little Billee From: Mo the caller I like that addition Dave. Olive Taylor, who was a founder member of the Stockton Heath folk dance club used to sing this at our Christmas party sometimes - also a Pat Shaw song about a Hippopotamus (no, not Flanders & Swan - a "hippopotomight-have-been a hippopotomother") and one about how long to boil an ostrich egg. |