| Author | Topic: Add: Bill Bones' Hornpipe | |
| dmcg | Posted - 05 Feb 05 - 11:29 am | |
On a harbour wall, in a sailor hat, Is an old, old man with an old grey cat; And he dreams all day of the time he twirled In a sailor's hornpipe round the world. It was many a weary year ago When he started off on nimble toe For to win the prize of a silver pound, He must dance the world around. From the harbour wall he began his dance, And he took the road on the way to France, And his old grey cat, for she loved him so, Did a hornpipe to on tail and toe: They danced to the deck of a sailing brig With a hornpipe first and then a jig For to win that prize of a silver pound They must dance the world around. Then the weeks went by, and the months grew long, And he danced the native tribes among, And the ju-ju men ran away in fear As the twirling man and his cat drew near. To the sandy wastes of Timbuctoo They had sped along in a year or two, For to win that prize of a silver pound They must dance the world around. But the years went by on the harbour wall And there came no news of the pair at all. And the people sighed, and they said "That's that!" And forgot Bill Bones and his faithful cat. But when twenty years had passed away Came an old, old man and a cat so grey For to win that prize of a silver pound They must dance the world around. Then the Mayor got up, and the Council too, And they quickly asked, "Now who are you, With your ragged clothes and your old black hat And your tarred pig-tail and your dancing cat?" "I'm Billy Bones and my feet are sore And I never want to dance no more, But I've come to claim that silver pound, For I've danced the world around." Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1984, BBC Publications Notes: "Germany" is given as the origin of this song. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 05 Feb 05 - 04:48 pm | |
The song also appeared in the Spring 1964 edition, where it was described as "traditional German; words by Alfred H Body". The song was quoted from Six Songs of Happiness, Set Two, Novello and Co. Ltd. Bibliographic details from the British Library are Macmahon, Desmond: Six Songs of Happiness. Set 2. Being arrangements, for School use, of six European Folk-Songs by D. Macmahon. Translations and new words by A. H. Body. London : Novello and Co, 1938. | ||
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Posted - 10 Feb 05 - 12:16 pm | |
From: greg What a nice song! | ||
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Posted - 28 Feb 05 - 09:53 pm | |
From: LRS For some reason this song popped into my head from way back, I sang it at school some time in the early 60's, ran the first line through google and got straight here! We definitely did't have the third verse though. Perhaps even then it wasn't quite PC. | ||
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Posted - 13 Mar 05 - 07:11 pm | |
From: Wrinklie I sang this song (all verses)at Primary School in 1953. However, the tune to which we sang it certainly didn't sound Teutonic - I have always assumed that we sang words set to a traditional Welsh folk-tune. (I can even imagine the harp). Any thoughts? | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 13 Mar 05 - 09:06 pm | |
Is the database tune the one you remember? There often isn't a noticeable structural difference between (say) Welsh, English and German folk tunes of the same period. The "Celtic", "Anglo-Saxon" or "Teutonic" feel of a tune is often the result of the listener's expectation rather than of anything inherent in the melody, I suspect. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 13 Mar 05 - 09:52 pm | |
Perhaps sightly off what Malcolm is saying and perhps not. There is crossover with tunes. I'm not very good at it but often would be able to tell (make a guess) you the same tune even was Scottish or Irish just by how it was played. Welsh is an odd one. It has at times sounded to me to have more in common with say a Northumbrain tune than Irish or Scottish. It really is funny the way we hear something and place it because what our ears pick up, Edited By Jon Freeman - 13-Mar-2005 11:08:17 PM | ||
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Posted - 27 Jul 05 - 06:11 pm | |
From: Michael Walker I remember singing this song as a child during a Schools' broadcast by the BBC in 1963 or 1964, using their published song books; (Rhythym & Rhyme?) The words in the first verse were slightly different, and I distinctly recall that the old sailor "couldn't parlez-vous" in the second verse of the 1960s schools' broadcast version. The BBC song books showed a charming illustration of Billy Bones and his (almost triangular) cat, sitting on the harbour wall. The tune was so catchy I have remembered it ever since. A happy time indeed! | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 28 Jul 05 - 01:19 am | |
You're right; there's a verse omitted here. It should follow the second above: In the land of France they'd a how-d'ye-do, For old Billy Bones couldn't parlyvoo, And the folk all stared at his sailor hat, And his pigtail tarred and his dancing cat. From the coast of France to Gay Paree The Frenchmen cried, "La, la! Oui, oui! Oh, he'll win the prize of a silver pound, If he'll dance the world around." (Singing Together, Spring 1964) The illustration you remember was by Peter Edwards. | ||
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Posted - 06 Dec 05 - 09:49 am | |
From: Sarah K We used to sing this at my school in the 1980s, and my mother used to try to get me to sing this when she was brushing my hair to distract me. Never worked. I was singing it in the car this morning and realised I couldn't remember all of the words so I googled it, and hurrah! | ||
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Posted - 26 Jan 06 - 05:31 pm | |
From: Nigel L I used to sing this at school in 1964, and have Altavista-ed, Asked Jeeves, and Googled for it for years without success. Over the years my kids picked up the first verse from me (and the jaunty tune is the first they pick out on a piano) - though owing to its absence online I suspect they doubted its existence. THANKS! | ||
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Posted - 01 Jul 06 - 10:24 am | |
From: Viv C I learned this song at school in the late '60's. I LOVED it. I've searched for it for years. I am very happy :) | ||
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Posted - 04 Jul 06 - 06:56 pm | |
From: A. L. Mikkelsen In Denmark the melody is known as "Feder Mikkel", a traditional dance tune. It is however quite plausible that it originates from Germany. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 04 Jul 06 - 08:41 pm | |
Thanks for the information, A.L. | ||
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Posted - 05 Mar 07 - 12:09 pm | |
From: guest thankyou so much for putting the lyrics up! I too have been searching for quite some time. We sang it at school in the 80's. I could only remember one or two verses. My children like it too, but thanks to you, I have just had the pleasure of singing it in full for the first time in many years! thankyou | ||
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Posted - 05 Mar 07 - 01:08 pm | |
From: Tim Radford There is a very good version of this song on the following CD from Forest Tracks Records: GEOFF JERRAM Bedlam FTCD 208 19 songs - 72 minutes Geoff Jerram, unaccompanied vocals and self-accompanied on guitar and concertina. Steve Jordan duets on track 4 Geoff is a well known and much respected singer, musician and morris dancer. A familiar face on the south's folk scene since the 1960s, for a while he was a resident singer at Southampton's Fo'c'sle folk club. This is Geoff's first CD, although he can be heard on previous Forest Tracks' releases: The Flour of the Forest and Folk Songs From Hampshire and Dorset. It has been much awaited, especially after Geoff guested on Steve Jordan's Trees Scarce Green, to much critical acclaim. These days Geoff is best known for his singing at Morris feasts and Ring Meetings and many of the songs he has made his own at such gatherings are included on this CD. | ||
| andygoona (guest) |
Posted - 15 Sep 07 - 10:01 am | |
Bill Bones is also mentioned in the Libertines Song Time for Heroes off thier debut album "up the Bracket" | ||
| JN (guest) |
Posted - 30 Nov 07 - 10:25 am | |
And I sang it at school with BBC Singing Together in the late forties or early fifties and am delighted to have found it again for my grandchildren! | ||
| leonoramc | Posted - 15 Jan 08 - 10:28 pm | |
I too remember this very well from the early 60's. Am so pleased to be reaquainted with the words - the tune has been in my head for more than 40 years! Leo | ||
| Guest (guest) |
Posted - 21 Apr 08 - 04:31 pm | |
I always associate this song with Pete Twitchett, one time organiser of the Croydon Folksong Club. He has a lovely version of it. | ||
| quokka (guest) |
Posted - 23 Apr 08 - 03:48 pm | |
Don't the Pogues have a ref. as well in one of their songs? - 'Where is Billy Bones resting now?' | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 24 Apr 08 - 12:51 am | |
There is Billy's Bones: Hey billy son where are you now Dont you know that we need you now With a ra-ta-ta and the old kow-tow Where are billys bones resting now But I don't see a connection | ||
| Tanya (guest) |
Posted - 04 Jul 08 - 08:04 am | |
At the day centre in my son's residential home they had a music session jingling sleigh bells and stuff to a record of German marching style songs. Although none of us understood German, except perhaps the careworker from the Phillipines who is probably a graduate, the music worked really well and the response was wholehearted. One tune I recognized, and remembered some of the words from school. Had to stop jingling and jumping around so I could concentrate and sing them. So glad to have all the words again now! | ||
| Diane (guest) |
Posted - 01 Sep 08 - 03:05 pm | |
I learnt this song as a teacher in Australia from the weekly schools' broadcast. I assumed it was ABC, but perhaps we took our material from the BBC. I think the story would make a wonderful basis for a stage musical or TV programme for kids. | ||
| Lawrie Hodges (guest) |
Posted - 24 Oct 08 - 02:23 pm | |
I learnt this song from Geoff Jerram in about 1984 and have been singing it occasionally on morris evenings since. In about 1998 I heard Michaela Petri (recorders) play a set of variations on the tune, by Carl Scheindienst. In the programmes for her concerts, the tune is claimed to be a Danish folksong although the title given is "Gestern Abend war Vetter Mikkel da". According to Lars Hannibal, who accompanies Petri on the lute and guitar, the tune has various set of words associated with it, some of them scurrilous. | ||
| Ian12 (guest) |
Posted - 22 Apr 09 - 02:31 pm | |
I remember the song well. It was sang in schools in the NE of England in the early 1960's including the "French" verse. I also remember the charming illustrations. Well done the BBC! | ||
| DMB (guest) |
Posted - 19 Oct 09 - 07:17 pm | |
I sang this, also from the BBC, back in the late 1940s. It popped into my head recently, but I cold only remember four verses.So then I did a search and came here. Thank you for putting it up! | ||
| Tilly (guest) |
Posted - 07 Mar 10 - 03:39 pm | |
When I was at school in Sydney, Australia, we sang this as part of our repertoire one year for the Gordon Choir Festival. (This was an annual event where the upper primary school choirs in our region came together for an evening of singing and a few recorder pieces in front of a large audience, probably mostly composed of family, friends, and the few education department "bigwigs" who couldn't get out of it.) I don't recall if we were allowed to join the choir in grade 3 but if so, it would have been in 1973, 1974, 1975 or 1976. Our version was similar; we sang the first, second, fourth and fifth versions, however in the second verse, we sang the part about the Frenchmen crying, "La, la! Oui, oui!" ...did a hornpipe too on tail and toe. From the coast of France to Gay Paree, The Frenchmen cried, "La, la! Oui, oui!" although why they should be calling out "yes, yes" is anyone's guess! Perhaps the clue is in the version someone else gave, that the Frenchmen are saying, yes he'll win the prize. That is the tune we sang it to, and it's a tribute to the skills of our choirmaster and mistress at our school that even after all these years, I can sing the tune accurately. There aren't many tunes that I've picked up by myself that that can be said of! This is one of the ones I sang to my children from time to time as they grew up although whether they remember it now, I don't know. Ah, nostalgia! I did enjoy being in the choir and our "big" night each year! And learnt a lot of songs I enjoy that I would probably never had known, including this one. :-) | ||
| mb (guest) |
Posted - 18 Jul 10 - 06:17 am | |
Have been singing this song since about 1975 when I never learned any maths in grade 4 as the class next door had a brilliant music teacher and all I did during maths was listen to them sing. Could never remember all the lines so googled them today - was pretty accurate though! You're the only one who mentions the 70's although I can't believe it goes back to schools in the 40's and 50's! Love it! | ||