Interesting Facts about the Shallow Brown – Cecil Sharp
Shallow Brown – Cecil Sharp version, this version in fact has the solo words from “Blow, Boys, Blow”, and the solo tune from “Hilo, Boys, Hilo”. Stan Hugill gives us only a sample of this song with one chorus and first stanza so the other five verses I get from Cecil Sharp’s “English Folk Chanteys” (1914), a song with lyrics and music notation can be found on page 35. Sharp’s description of this song from page 70 reveals us couple more details than Stan Hugill. So first it says:
“British ships, unlike American, always carried limejuice ; hence the British sailor was nicknamed ” a limejuicer ” by his American comrades.”
Also, the song has been collected by Cecil Sharp from a really famous shantyman: Mr. John Short, at Watchet. Because Cecil Sharp refers to this version, to the Ferris Tozer’s version from “Sailors Songs or Chanteys” (3rd Edition) – (1906), song number 43, page 80, and it is in chapter “Songs For Pumping The Ship Out”, it will be reconstructed as the pump shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “English Folk Chanteys” by Cecil Sharp (1914) (1st ed: p 35).
The lyrics: English Folk Chanteys” by Cecil Sharp (1914) (1st ed: p 35).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 257).
The Record of the Shallow Brown – Cecil Sharp
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
Shallow Brown – Cecil Sharp
– Shalow O, Shalow Brown, Shalow O, Shalow Brown,
A yankee ship came down the river;
– Shalow O, Shalow Brown.
A yankee ship came down the river;
– Shalow O, Shalow Brown.
* 2 *
And who you thing was master of her?
And who you thing was master of her?
* 3 *
A Yankee mate and a lime-juice skipper.
A Yankee mate and a lime-juice skipper.
* 4 *
And what do you think they had for dinner ?
And what do you think they had for dinner ?
* 5 *
A parrot’s tail and a monkey’s liver.
A parrot’s tail and a monkey’s liver.