Interesting Facts about the A Long Time Ago – Gordon Hitchcock version …
This song including A Long Time Ago – Gordon Hitchcock version, was very popular in English and American Ships. It was probably, in the nineties of the XIX century of the most-used halyard shanty of them all. Even the Germans and Scandinavians popularized versions in their tongues. This song was sung as a halyard shanty. Only one stanza; is given in Stan Hugill’s book.
This version comes from the mentioned “Shell Book of Shanties” (which is the wrong title, because the true title is “The Shell Book of Sea Shanties”) by Gordon Hitchcock (1952). Fortunately, I found the book, I bought one and a lonely available exemplar in the whole online world, and from Germany arrived mail with this book, so I can sing this shanty to you in the full four stanzas version.
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the halyard shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “The Shell Book of Sea Shanties” by Gordon Hitchcock (1952) (1st ed: p 20, 21).
The lyrics: “The Shell Book of Sea Shanties” by Gordon Hitchcock (1952) (1st ed: p 20, 21).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 104).
The Record of the A Long Time Ago – Gordon Hitchcock version
You also can find this record on my YouTube channel here or directly listen below. Additionally, if you want to share your opinion about the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here, or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog article.
The musical notation
The full lyrics
A Long Time Ago (Gordon Hitchcock version)
A long, long time and a long time a-go,
– To me WAY, hay, o-HI-o!
A long, long time and a long time a-go,
– A LONG time a-GO!
* 2 *
A smart Yankee packet lay out in the bay:
Awaiting a fair wind to get under way,
* 3 *
With all her poor sailors all sick and all sore:
They’d drunk all their lime juice, and couldn’t get more,
* 4 *
If she’s not; had a fair wind; she’s lying there still:
If she’s not; had a fair wind; she’s lying there still.