| Author | Topic: Add: La Pique | |
| dmcg | Posted - 21 Jul 06 - 10:48 pm | |
It's of a fine frigate, La Pique was her name, All in the West Indies she bore great fame. For cruel bad usage of ev'ry degree, Like slaves in the galley we ploughed the salt sea. (Chorus) Derry down, down, Down, derry down. Now at four in the morning our work does begin, In our 'tween decks and cockpit a bucket might swim; Our main and top foreman so loudly do bawl For sand and for holystone both great and small. Now Mr McKeever we know him too well, He comes up on deck and he cuts a great swell; It's "Up on them yards, boys, and open your eyes, I've a pump handle here to trim down your size." And now, my brave boys, comes the best of the fun, It's hands about ship and reef tops'ls in one; It's lay aloft topmen and the hellum goes down, And clew up your tops'ls as the mainyard comes round. Source: Singing Together, Summer 1979, BBC Publications Notes: Roud: 2563 (Search Roud index at VWML) | ||
| Jim Irvine | Posted - 22 Jul 06 - 12:22 am | |
Just thought I'd throw in the version I know. I've being trying to remember where I learned it but the best I can do is that it was around the time/or just before I came to Liverpool viz; Somewhere in Edinburgh c.1976 or slightly earlier You will see that it's almost certainly not learnt from the "Singing Together" version although I cannot now remember where I got it from. I know you really want a source but I thought I'd let you see this anyway. Flash Frigate Itâ??s of a flash frigate, Flash Frigate of fame She hailed from the east and La Pique was her name We had cruel hard usage in every degree Far away to the windward we plough the salt sea Derry down, down, down derry down At four in the morning the game is begun To the cockpit the waisters for buckets must run For fore and main topmen so loudly they bawl For sand and for stones both large and small Oh! Master Make-Clever you know very well He comes upon deck and he cuts a great swell It's â??Bear a hand here boys and bear a hand thereâ? And all round the gangway he takes a broad stare Our decks being washed and our sheets being home â??Stand by your hammocks, boys every one Seven turns with your lashings so equal must show And all of a size, boys and through the hoop go.â? Our hammocks being stowed and our breakfast is done Weâ??re ranked in divisions with our white hats all on With our speeguls and lashings so black they must shine With our white frocks and trousers we must all be a line Our divisions being over the next thing comes on Jack oâ?? Clubs here is calling for swabs in his song Three or four dry swabs each cook he must find And the bright iron hoops on the mess kits must shine Our pikes and our cutlasses shine as the sun Our shot racks are copper, boys, every one Our pumelins and handspikes and belaying pins also With our bright iron stanchions we cut a fine show And now my brave boys comes a bit of the fun All hands to make sail, going large, is the song From under two reefs in our topsails we lie Like a cloud in the air in an instant must fly Thereâ??s topsails and staysails, topgallant sails too Thereâ??s stuâ??nâ??sails on both sides, aloft and below Thereâ??s royals and skysails, stargazers so high By the sound of one pipe everything it must fly And now me brave boys comes the best of the fun About ship and reef the topsails in one Our hands go aloft when the helm it goes down Lower away topsails when the mainyard goes round Trace up and lie out and take two reefs in one In a moment of time all this work must be done Man your head braces, your halyards and all And hoist away topsails when itâ??s â??Let go and Haulâ? Come all brother seamen wherever you be From all fancy frigates Iâ??d have you keep clear Take compassion all on us and never forget Those poor pipeclay rangers So called of late | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 22 Jul 06 - 07:05 am | |
The Singing Together set is taken from Seeger and MacColl, The Singing Island, London: Mills Music, 1960, p 68. The tune has been transposed up a tone, and the time signature changed from 6/4 to 3/4. The two final verses have been omitted: Now your quids of tobacco, I'd have you to mind, If you spit on the deck, that's your death-warrant signed; If you spit over bow, over gangway, or starn, You're sure of three dozen by way of no harm. So now, brother sailors, where'er you may be, From them West India frigates I'll have you keep free, For they'll haze you and work you till you ain't worth a damn And send you half-dead to your dear native land. The song was contributed by A L Lloyd, who commented "The Pique was a 36-gun frigate, and was, according to Whall [Sea Songs and Shanties], 'the flash packet of the Navy in her day'. He puts the date of the song at about 1838, a period when the ship was particularly notorious for spit-and-polish. The song seems to have been a favourite in both Navy and merchant service, and 'The Dreadnought' was made in imitation of it." Lloyd did not, however, indicate where he had come by the song. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 22 Jul 06 - 08:26 am | |
At some point soon, then, I will add "The Dreadnought" from Hugill's "Shanties from the Seven Seas". You will see that that doesn't look like the source of your words either, Jim! | ||
| Jim Irvine | Posted - 23 Jul 06 - 09:47 pm | |
When you get round to it you can compare it with the version I have Dave. Flash Packet There is a flash packet, Flash packet of fame She hailed from New York And the Dreadnaughtâ??s her name Sheâ??s bound to the westward where the stormy winds blow Bound away in the Dreadnaught to the westward weâ??ll go Chorus: Derry down, down, down derry down Now the Dreadnaught she lies In the River Mersey Awaiting for the tug boat To take us to sea Out around the Rock Light Where the salt tides do flow Bound away to the westward In the Dreadnaught weâ??ll go Now the Dreadnaughtâ??s a-howling Down the wild Irish Sea Our passengers merry With hearts full of glee Her sailors like lions Walk the deck to and fro Sheâ??s the Liverpool packet, Oh! Lord let her go Now the Dreadnaughtâ??s a-sailing The Atlantic so wide Where the dark stormy seas Roll along her black side With her sails tautly set For the red cross to show Sheâ??s the Liverpool packet, Oh! Lord let her go Now a health to the Dreadnaught And all her brave crew To bold Captain Samuels, His officers too Talk about your flash packets Swallowtail & Black Bull The Dreadnaughtâ??s the flyer That outsails them all | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 23 Jul 06 - 10:50 pm | |
Where did you get it? | ||
| Jim Irvine | Posted - 24 Jul 06 - 09:33 pm | |
Good question! I've been collecting songs since around 1966 when I first encountered folk music. I had a series of small notebooks where I wrote down songs I liked. I still have a couple of these but most have disappeared over the years. Unlike Lloyd, Lomax etc I had no idea about noting down where I sourced them from and that is causing real problems now that I'm trying to collate and catalogue the collection. As to "The Dreadnaught/Flash Packet" and "La Pique" I can only work out a rough time scale. They both appear on my computer in a "Sea Songs" book This book was put together whilst I was off work doing an MSc in archaeology c. 1996. That book derives absolutely from my first set of computerised song books which I typed out and saved to floppy between c. 1986 and 1989 whilst working in an office environment. Between 1982 and 1986 I had little exposure to folk music due to work and family commitments. 1979 to 1982 moved around the country working in archaeology and often visiting folk clubs. I am fairly sure that I learned La Pique in Edinburgh somtime between 1966 and 1976 when I moved to Liverpool and the Dreadnaught sometime between 1976 and 1982. Sorry! That's the best I can do. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 24 Jul 06 - 09:38 pm | |
Ok, here's "The Dreadnaught". Hugill's book is a bit confused here - or I am - because it simply declares the tune to be "same as The Flash Frigate"; Unfortunately, that reference to the Flash Frigate is the only one in the index. It then provides an alternative tune "The Don Pedro" 'joined to the words of The Dreadnaught'. That alternative tune is in the Hugill Collection here, number 196. There's a saucy wild packet, a packet o' fame, She belongs to New York, an' the Dreadnaught's her name, She's bound to the west'ard where the wide waters flow, Bound away to the west'ard in the Dreadnaught we'll go. The time of her sailin' is now drawin' nigh, Farewell, pretty maids, we must bid ye goodbye; Farewell to ol' England, an' all we hold dear, Bound away in the Dreadnaught, to the west'ard we'll steer. An' now we are haulin' out o' Waterloo Dock, The boys an' the gals on the peirhead do flock; They'll give us three cheers while their tears freely flow, Sayin' "God bless the Dreadnaught where'er she may go!" Oh! the Dreadnaught's awaitin' in the Mersey so free, For the old Independence to tow her to sea. For to round the Rock Light where the Mersey does flow; Bound away in the Dreadnaught, to the west'ard we'll go! Now the Dreadnaught's a-howlin' down the wild Irish Sea, Her passengers are merry, an' their hearts full o' glee; Her sailors like tigers they walk to an' fro, She's a saucy flash packet, O Lord let her go! Now the Dreadnaught's a-sailin' the Atlantic so wide, Where the high roarin' sea roll along her black side; With her topsails set taut for the Red Cross to show, Bound away to the west'ard - O Lord let her go! Now the Dreadnaught's becalmed on the Banks o' Newf'n'land, Where the water's so green an' the bottom's all sand; Where the fish o' the ocean do swim to an' fro, Bound away in the Dreadnaught to the west'ard we'll go! Now the Dreadnaught's a-lyin' off the Long Island shore Awaitin' the pilot as we've waited before; "Fill away yer maintops'l, board yer main-tack also!" Bound away to the est'ard in the Dreadnaught we'll go! Now the Dreadnaught's arrived in New York once more, So go ashore, shipmates, to the land we adore; With wives an' wi' sweethearts so merry we'll be, An' drink to the Dreadnaught where'er she may be. Then a health to the Dreadnaught and all her brave crew, To bold Cap'n Sanuels an' his officers too; Ye may talk o' yer fliers Swallow-tail and Blackball, But the Dreadnaught's the flier that can beat 'em all! Now me story is ended and my tale she is told, Forgive me old shipmates if ye think that I'm bold; For this song was composed while the watch was below, Bound away to the west'ard in the Dreadnaught we'll go! | ||