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FAREWELL TO YER BRICKS AND MORTAR, |
The best years of our lives we spend working on the docks,
Building mighty wharves and quays from earth and granite rocks,
Our wages keep our lives secure, but I’ll not rue the day,
That I take a trip in a sailing ship, to the shores of Botany Bay.
Now the boss came up this morning, and he said, “Why Pat, hallo!
If you do not mix that mortar quick, be sure you’ll have to go!”
Well of course he did insult me, I demanded all me pay,
And I’ll take a trip in a sailing ship, to the shores of Botany Bay.
HEY!!!!!!
2. FIDDLER'S GREEN
English, © written and composed by John Conolly
As I walked along one evening so fair, to view the still waters and breathe the salt air
I heard an old fisherman singing this song, “Take me away boys, me time is not long,”
WRAP ME UP IN ME OIL SKINS AND JUMPER,
NO MORE ON THE DOCKS I’LL BE SEEN
JUST TELL ME OL’ SHIPMATES I’M TAKIN’ A TRIP, MATE,
AND I’LL SEE YOU SOME DAY ON FIDDLER’S GREEN.
Now Fiddler’s Green is a place, they do tell,
where fishermen go when they don’t go to hell,
Where the skies are clear blue and the dolphins they play,
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away,
[CHORUS:]
Now Fiddler’s Green there is never a gale,
And the fish jump on board with a swish of their tail,
You can lie at your leisure, there’s no work to do,
And the Captain’s below making tea for the crew.
[CHORUS:] [INSTRUMENTAL:]
Now the long voyage over and port hoves in view,
There’s pubs and there’s clubs and there’s lassies there too,
Where the girls are all pretty, and the beer it is free,
And there’s bottles of rum growing off every tree,
[CHORUS:]
I don’t need a harp nor a halo, not me,
Just give me a ship and the good rolling sea,
I’ll play me ol’ squeezebox, as we roll along,
With the wind in the rigging to sing me a song!
[CHORUS:] [FIN]
3. BILLY BLIGH
written and adapted by Parbery & Parbuckle ©1995 from ‘Packet Ship’ c.1795
Bounty was a packet ship PUMP SHIP, PACKET SHIP!
Sailing on a cruising trip IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC!
Billy Bligh, that lucky man PUMP SHIP, PACKET SHIP!
Was the Master, in command IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC!
Tried to sail her round The Horn all the crew were held in scorn
Had to sail her East about lucky that the world is round
Then every sailor’s dream come true tropic maidens in the nude!
Mr. Christian found a wife always bound to lead to strife.
Then the time to sail on home the sailors didn’t want to go
Captain Bligh then laid the rules not for soft and silly fools
Spitting on the quarter deck punishment; a broken neck!
“Where’s my cocoa-nut?!” said Bligh Mr. Christian had to lie!
Billy Bligh said, “That’s enough!” in between his sniffs of snuff
And at last, that Billy Blight with Mr. Christian had a fight
They put Billy in a boat with his loyal crew, afloat
Bounty then sailed out of sight no-one knows her final plight.
4. BLACK IS THE COLOUR
‘Traditional’, arranged by Parbery & Parbuckle 2000 A.D.
BLACK IS THE COLOUR, OF MY TRUE LOVE’S HAIR
HER LIPS ARE LIKE, SOME ROSES FAIR
SHE HAD THE SWEETEST SMILE, AND THE GENTLEST HANDS
AND I LOVE THE GROUND, WHERE ON SHE STANDS.
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I write her a letter, just a few short lines, I go to my cabin, to grieve and to weep, |
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5. THE WHALE
Australian © Terry Fielding & Fred Dyer 1972
We saw the whale one morning, when the weather it was fair,
Where the wind would take us, the Captain didn’t care.
We sang and drank and danced all night, and opened up a keg,
We’re off to find the monster whale that took the Captain’s leg
Di di di di-di-di di.
So…
BEND YER BACKS AND ROW ME LADS, AND TAKE ME TO ME WHALE
TONIGHT WE’LL SING AND DANCE, AND TOMORROW NIGHT WE’LL SAIL.
WE’LL SAIL INTO THE HARBOUR, NO PROUDER MEN THERE’LL BE,
WE’LL SHOW THEM ALL WE CAPTURED THE MONSTER FROM THE SEA,
DI DI DI DI-DI-DI DI.
We saw the whale one morning, rising from it’s lair,
The men were white as ghosts, but the Captain didn’t care,
“I’ll take the whale meself,” he said, “The weak can stay behind,
The strong can share me glory and tonight they’ll share me wine
Di di di di-di-di di.
[CHORUS:]
The whale, it was a monster, it was bigger than the sky,
We lowered down the boats and we heard the Captain cry;
Now!
[CHORUS:]
The whale, it came so close it almost tipped the boat,
The Captain raised his spear and he rammed it down its throat.
The whale it gave a mournful cry and lifted its great tail,
And brought it down a-smashing on the boat, worse than a gale.
Di di di di-di-di di.
[CHORUS]
Now a hundred years have passed since the Captain and his men
Went below to spend their days in Davy Jone’s Den.
The whale it goes on living, but inside it bears a scar ^^^^^^
And if you’re ever near that place, a voice comes from afar;
“Di di di di-di-di di!”..............................................................
[CHORUS:] [CHORUS]
7. MAGGIE MAY
An early version of this song dates to before 1830, and it was often sung as a capstan shanty. It later became popular in the 1950s & 60s amongst the Liverpool skiffle groups…
Ah, well I do remember when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising down along ol’ Canning Place
And she had a figure finer than the fastest ocean liner
So me bein’ a sailor, I gave chase.
First night ashore since Sierra Leone, I’d been paid off, gone to the home
And four pound ten a month had been me pay
With a pocket full of tin I was soon taken in
By a girl of the name of Maggie May
OH MAGGIE, MAGGIE MAY, THEY HAVE TAKEN HER AWAY
SHE’LL NOT BE SEEN DOWN LIME STREET ANY MORE
SHE’S ROBBED SO MANY SAILOR, AND FLEECED SO MANY WHALER
THAT DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDREL MAGGIE MAY
Next morning I awoke, I was flat and stoney broke
No trousers, shirt, or waistcoat could I find
When I asked her where they were, she laughed and told me, Sir!
They’re down at Kelly’s Knocker Number Nine
To the pawn shop I did go, but no clothes there could I find
So a copper came and took the girl away
And the judge, he guilty found her, for robbing this homeward -bounder
So he fixed her passage across to Botany Bay.
8. THE SIGNALMAN’S ALPHABET
Adapted from THE BOSUN’S ALPHABET © Parbery & Parbuckle 2004
This song was written to help my fellow sailors learn their phonetic alphabet and international code flags. Each code flag has a ‘single letter meaning’, which can be understood by mariners from every language, and also corresponds with Morse code. The most commonly known is the white & blue swallow tail flag (A), meaning “I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed.”
A is for ALPHA, a diver down low,
B is for BRAVO, my cargo might blow,
C is for CHARLIE, meaning YES, if you please, and
D is for DELTA, keep well clear of me.
MERRILY, SO MERRILY, SO MERRY SAIL WE,
NO MORTAL ON EARTH LIKE A SAILOR AT SEA
SING HIGH AND SING LOW AS THE SHIP ROLLS ALONG
GIVE A SAILOR HIS (HER) GROG, AND THEN NOTHING GOES WRONG.
E is for ECHO, to starboard one peep!
F is for FOXTROT, disabled, please speak,
G is for GOLF, a pilot please, Lord, and
H is for HOTEL, and now he’s on board.
INDIA to port, two short blasts you’ll hear,
JULIET is danger, on fire and keep clear,
K is for KILO, I must speak to you, and
L is for LIMA, you must stop yourself now!
MIKE says I’m stopped, and perfectly so,
N for NOVEMBER, meaning no, no, no, NO!
O is for OSCAR, our man overboard,
P the blue Peter (PAPA), and it’s ALL HANDS ABOARD!
Q for QUEBEC, I’m healthy and free,
R is for ROMEO, no signal for thee,
S for SIERRA, three short blasts astern, and
T is for TANGO, beware the pair trawl-in’
U is for UNIFORM, you’re running into strife,
V is for VICTOR, I need help alright!
W for WHISKY, a doctor here, please,
X is for XRAY, stop that and watch me!
Y is for YANKEE, dragging anchor, oh dear
Z is for ZULU, need a tug over here,
And that is the best I can make it in rhyme,
If you can do better, you can sing it next time!