Interesting Facts about The Fishes A
This is a great shanty, sang usually at the capstan and at the pumps “The Fishes”. In this particular version, Stan Hugill learned from an old seaman who sailed in the cooper ore barques of the Bristol Channel, the version will include an alternative starting verse learned from a mentioned seaman. In the book, Stan Hugill gives us only two first stanzas, due to the other ones were taken from the “Blow The Man Down” shanty, so I took another 3 verses from the mentioned shanty, to make this reconstruction a sensible length, and a bit more entertaining.
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the capstan shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 198).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 198).
The Record of The Fishes A
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
The Fishes A
Oh, a ship she was rigged, and ready for sea,
And all of her sailors were fishes to be.
– Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow,
– Our ship she’s in full sail,
– Now steady she goes!
* 2 *
First came the herring sain’, ‘I’m King o’ the seas,
He jumped on the poop, ‘Oh, the Capen I’ll be!’
* 3 *
The next was a flat-fish, they call him the skate,
“If you be the captain, why sure, I’m the mate.”
* 4 *
The next came the hake, as black as a rook,
Says he, “I’m no sailor, I’ll ship as the cook.”
* 5 *
The next came the shark, with his two rows of teeth,
“Cook, mind the cabbage and I’ll mind the beef.”
Related to this sea shanty
South Australia (Doerflinger Version)