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11 Aug 04 - 12:38 PM (#1244877) Subject: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: Roberto My attempt to get the text of THE BOLD PIRATE as sung by Dick Snell, on As We Were a-Sailing, Argo ZDA 137, 1970. It needs a general check, and there are critical points where I've put a question mark. Thank you. Roberto THE BOLD PIRATE `Twas on the twelfth of March, me boys, from Bristol we set sail The wind it was West-North-West, it blew a pleasant gale We sailed all that livelong day till night was coming on And there we found a bold pirate sailing two feet to our one He hailed us in English and he asked us whence we came We told him from Bristol Town, and on our course was bound - Lower down you fore and main topsail and let your ship lie to And if you fire one shot at all it's to the yardam (?) with you Then up spake our commander bold – Well, I hope that shall never be When we have twenty-eight brass guns to bear us company When we have got three hundred men, most British seamen bold Which values more their honor than misers do their gold Then the bold pirate he boarded us with three hundred of his men But at a word from our commander bold, we soon did slaughter them They stroke down our blue silk (?) ensign, thinking our warlike ship to take But we gave them such a feel, me boys, has made their hearts to ache Then the bold pirate he boarded us with the remainder of his men But at a word from our commander bold, we soon did slaughter them Out of five hundred seamen bold we reduced them all to two And lo (?), for mercy they did cry, but to none of them 't was due Then the bold pirate he bore (?) from us and he tried to run away But a broadside from our gallant ship it caus-ed him to stay We lowered down our boats, me boys, and boarded him immediately And there we found the bold pirate with the two legs from his thighs(?) Saying – You won the prize, me Bristol boys, and forward (?)you fought bold Go down there below, you'll find five hundred chests of gold We took her in tow, me boys, what a glorious sight to see Till we come to the sign of Bristol town, longside the Bristol quay Well, every man his fortune made and we came safe on shore We'll join together and we'll thank one another and will go to sea no more |
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11 Aug 04 - 12:47 PM (#1244887) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca BTW, we do have a version of this song, but seems different in many parts. |
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11 Aug 04 - 01:12 PM (#1244901) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: nutty The Bodleian Library has this broadside The Bold Pirate Printers: Scott, J. (Pittenweem); Wood, J. (Edinburgh) Date: 18-- Imprint: J. Scott, Printer, Pittenweem; J. Wood, 49 N. Richmond [street, Edinburgh] |
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11 Aug 04 - 01:13 PM (#1244903) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: Malcolm Douglas You don't mention where Dick Snell got this song, but it appears to be the set noted by the Hammond brothers from Joseph Elliott at Todber, Dorset, in September 1905. It was printed in The Journal of the Folk-Song Society vol 7 (issue 27) 1923, pp.61-62. A few words vary in minor particulars and spelling, with the usual interjections of "well" and the like. The final line of verse 2 I can't help much with, as Mr Elliott sang "And if you fire a shot at all you'll walk the plank"; Henry Hammond indicated that there were words missing. Presumably the line has been re-constructed here. The word you want will be "yardarm" no doubt. Mr Elliott sang the parts you mark as doubtful as follows: They struck down our blue silk ensign, thinking a warlike ship to take But we gave them such a peal, my boys, that made their hearts to ache. And they did loud for mercy cry, but to none of them 'twas due. The bold pirate he bored from us and he tried for to run away But a broadside from our warlike ship did causèd him to stay We hpisted out our boats, my boys, and boarded him immediately And there we found the bold pirate with his two legs from his thigh. "Forward" in the penultimate verse is right. |
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11 Aug 04 - 01:35 PM (#1244918) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: Roberto Thank you all. The notes on the LP's cover don't say anything about Dick Snell's sources for this song. |
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11 Aug 04 - 02:42 PM (#1244973) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dick Snell's The Bold Pirate From: nutty The penultimate verse of the Bodleian Broadside uses "foret" or "for it" eg. "it's foret you fought so bold" meaning "you fought for the gold" This makes much more sense than the word "forward". |
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16 Aug 04 - 12:27 AM (#1248406) Subject: Lyr Add: From THE BOLD PIRATE (from Bodleian) From: Jim Dixon From Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads THE BOLD PIRATE 'Twas on the twenty-first of August from Bristol we set sail. The wind it was southwest, my boys, and it blew a pleasant gale. We cruis'd all that clear long day till night was coming on. We found she was a pirate, sailèd three feet to our one. He came bearing down upon us with great honour and disdain. He hailèd us in English and ask'd from whence we came. Our answer was from Bristol, my boys, and on a cruise was bound. We asked him the reason of bearing so fast down. "The reason," says the pirate, "we soon shall let you know. Haul up your fore and main courses, and let your ship lie to; And if you fire one shot at us, this instant you shall sink, And every man on board this day shall walk the plank." "Oh, no!" says our gallant captain. "I hope that ne'er shall be, For we have got fifteen guns, my boys, to bear our company. Besides, we have got three hundred men, of courage stout and bold, That values more their honor, my boys, than a miser of his gold." The pirate called all hands on deck and thus to them did say: "They have got fifteen guns, my boys, and we have got twenty-five. Besides, we have got five hundred men, and they have got but three, But that if we are taken my boys, all hangèd we shall be." The pirate then he boarded us with fifty of his men. With the word of our commander, my boys, we soon did slaughter them. The pirate then he boarded us with two hundred more of men. With our hoarding pikes and cutlasses, we soon did slaughter them. The pirate then he bearing up, he tried to run away. With a broadside of canister, we soon made him to stay. We lowered our boats, my bonny boys, and we boarded him immediately. We found the captain was a pirate with both legs off to his thighs. "It's foret now, my bonny boys. It's foret you have fought bold. Go down below, and there you'll find three hundred chests of gold." We took her in tow, my bonny boys. What a glorious sight to see! And we cruis'd all that clear long day till we came to Bristol Quay. So each man had his fortune made and landed safe on shore. We all agreed together, my boys, for to go to sea no more. |
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04 Apr 11 - 06:27 PM (#3128566) Subject: Lyr Add: The Bold Pirate (2) From: JeffB 1 'Twas on the twelfth of March me boys from Bristol we set sail, the wind it blew from west-nor-west a fine and a pleasant gale, we sail-ed all the livelong day til the setting of the sun, and there we spied a bold pirate sailing two leagues to our one. 2 He hail-ed us in English and he asked of our home town. We said we was from Bristol and on our course was bound. "Lower down lower down your tops'l yards and let your ship lie to, and if you fire one single shot then it's death to all your crew. 3 Oh then up spoke our captain bold, "Oh that will never be while we have got twenty-eight brass guns to keep us company, while we have three hundred men most British seamen bold that values more their honour bright than a miser does his gold." 4 That bold pirate he boarded us with three hundred of his men but at a word from our commander bold we began to slaughter them. They cut down our blue silk ensign our warlike ship to take, but our guns did give them such a peal as it made their hearts to ache. 5 That bold pirate he bore from us, he tried to get away, but a broadside from our warlike ship oblig-ed him to stay. Straightway we lowered down our boats, boarded him immediately and there we found this bold pirate with his two legs from his thigh. 6 Saying, "Well done well done you Bristol boys, you fought most forward bold, go down below and you will find five hundred chests of gold." We took that pirate ship in tow, a glorious sight to see and we sailed til we moored in Bristol Town alongside Bristol Quay. Then every man his fortune made, we all went safe ashore, and we joined together to thank one another and to sea we will go no more. |
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04 Apr 11 - 08:10 PM (#3128626) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Bold Pirate (2) From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Source? |
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05 Apr 11 - 05:15 AM (#3128799) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bold Pirate (Dick Snell? / Bodleian) From: GUEST Whatever happened to Dick Snell? Does anyone have a contact? |
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05 Apr 11 - 10:43 AM (#3129010) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bold Pirate (Dick Snell? / Bodleian) From: Les from Hull 28 guns and 300 men would class this ship as a 'private man of war' rather than a trading vessel. |
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05 Apr 11 - 05:50 PM (#3129373) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Bold Pirate (Dick Snell? / Bodleian) From: JeffB Sorry Bob, don't know the source off-hand but by next week I'll be seeing someone who might have it. |
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