| Author | Topic: Add: The Bosun's Alphabet | |
| dmcg | Posted - 12 Dec 02 - 02:05 pm | |
Bosun's Alphabet [Sailor's Alphabet] A is for the Anchor that lies at our bow, B is for the Bowsprit an' the jibs all lie low, Oh! C is for the Caps'n we all run around, D is for the Davits to low'r the boat down. Chorus: Sooo! merrily, so merrily, so merrily sail we, There's no mortal on earth like a sailor at sea, Blow high or blow low! as the ship sails along, Give a sailor his grog an' there's nothing goes wrong! E is for the Earring when reefing we haul, F is for the Fo'c'sle where the bullies do brawl, Oh! G is for the Galley where the saltjunk smells strong, H is for the Halyards we hoist with a song. I is for the Eyebolt - no good for the feet, J is for the Jobs, boys, stand by the lee sheet, Oh! K is for the Knightheads where the shantyman stands, L is for the Leeside hard found by new hands. M is for the Maindeck - as white as new snow, N is for the Nigger gals in the land to which we go, Oh! O is for the Orlop, 'neath the 'tweendecks it lays, P is for the Peter flow on sailin' day. Q is for the Quadrant - to the wheeel it lies near, R is for the Rudder - it helps us to steer, Ih! S is for the Sheerpole over which we must climb, T is for the Topman, 'way loft every time. U is for the Uniform - only worn aft, V is for the Vangs running from the main gaff, Oh! W is for the Water -we're on pint and pound, X marks the spot where Ol' Stormy was drowned. Y is for the Yard-arm - needs a good sailorman, Z is for Zoe - I'm her fancy-man, So this is the end of me bully ol' song. Heave away, buckos, oh, heave long an' strong! Source: Hugill, Stan, (1969), Shanties and Sailors Songs, London, Herbert Jenkins Database entry is here | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 12 Dec 02 - 03:04 pm | |
There is a version of this on Fairport Convention's "Babbacombe Lee". Because of the unconventional way tracks were labelled on that LP/CD, it will not appear using our standard searches. | ||
| SINSULL | Posted - 18 Dec 02 - 12:43 am | |
The Boarding Party does a slightly different version. A Folk-Legacy CD | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 18 Dec 02 - 05:31 am | |
THE SAILOR'S ALPHABET [Sung by Capt. Leighton Robinson at Mill Valley, California, 1951. Recorded by Sam Eskin.] "The Sailor's Alphabet" is not a shanty, but, rather, a song sung by the men when they were relaxed in the forecastle, or enjoying themselves ashore. It does not appear in either Doerflinger or Colcord, but it is quite obviously patterned on, or related to, the various other "Alphabet" songs, such as "The Lumberman's Alphabet" and "The Soldier's Alphabet." * * * Chorus: So merry, so merry, so merry are we, No mortal on earth's like a sailor at sea, So merry are we as we're sailing along, Give a sailor his grog and then nothing goes wrong. Oh, A is the anchor and that you all know, B is the bowsprit that's over the bow, C is the capstan with which we heave 'round, And D are the decks where our sailors are found. Oh, E is the ensign our mizzen-peak flew, F is the fo'c'sle where we muster our crew, G are the guns, sir, by which we all stand, And H are the halyards that oft-times are manned. Oh, I is the iron of our stunsail boom sheet, J is the jib that oft weathers the bleat, K is the keelson away down below, And L are the lanyards that give us good hold. M is our mainmast so stout and so strong, N is the needle that never points wrong, O are the oars of our jollyboat's crew, And P is the pennant of red, white, and blue. Q is the quaterdeck where our captain oft stood, R is the rigging that ever holds good, S are the stilliards that weigh out our beef, And T are the topsails we oft-times do reef. Oh, U is the Union at which none dare laugh, V are the vangs that steady the gaff, W's the wheel that we all take in time, And X is the letter for which we've no rhyme. Oh, Y are the yards that we oft-times do brace, Z is the letter for which we've no place, The bo'sun pipes grog, so we'll all go below, My song it is finished, I'm glad that it's so. --From "notes" to Folk Music of the United States: American Sea Songs and Shanties (I) [LP], edited by Duncan B.M. Emrich (Library of Congress AAFS L26, pp. 11-12) ~Masato Edited By masato sakurai - 12/18/2002 2:23:41 PM | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 18 Dec 02 - 08:03 am | |
Total drift but our Gracenote/CDDB search does pick up the CD I think Sinsull is referring to. Seems a shame that a label and reference no. aren't there. Jon | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 18 Dec 02 - 02:29 pm | |
Earlier sound recording sung by Leighton Robinson with friends (recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Belvedere, California on November 12, 1939) is online at the California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties site. The lyrics are the same. ~Masato | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 18 Dec 02 - 05:00 pm | |
Fairport Convention's lyrics are HERE and HERE. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 19 Dec 02 - 01:52 am | |
"The Sailor's Alphabet" (LC recording quoted above) is also in Duncan Emrich's Folklore on the American Land (Little, Brown, 1972, pp. 471-472; with music). Another version is in Emrich's American Folk Poetry: An Anthology (Little, Brown, 1974, pp. 489-490; without music). THE SAILORS' ALPHABET ["The Sailors' Alphabet" was collected from Mr. Fred Phippen of Islesford, Maine, 1925, and reported in Fannie Hardy Eckstorm and Mary Winslow Smyth, Minstrelsy of Maine, New York, 1927, p. 233 (Gryphon Books reprint, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1971).] A is the aftermost part of the ship, B is the bowsprit on the bow of the ship, C is the capstan the sailors goes round, D is the davits where the jolly boat hangs down. E is the ensign red, white and blue, F is the forecastle that holds the ship's crew. G is the gangway where the mate takes his stand, H is the halliards that never could stand. I is the iron that binds the ship round, J is the jibboom on the bowsprit is found. K is the kilson that leads fore and aft, L is the larboard where the backstays hold fast. M is the mainmast through the deck rove, N is the nasty old cook and his stove. O is the orders for us to beware, P is the pumps that cause the sailors to swear. Q is the quadrant that guides the ship round, R is the rigging that never can break. S is the starboard side of our ship, T is the topmast that never can split. U is the ugly old Captain so blunt, V is the victuals as salt as brine, XYZ will bring it in a rhyme. | ||