Interesting Facts about the Serafina
“Serafina” the halyard shanty bearing a Spanish lady’s name. Very popular song for raising t’gallant yards in ships on the West Coast of South America Saltpetre Trade. Stan Hugill get this song from an Irish sailor called Jack Connolly. Meny’s verses, according to Stan Hugill, were unprintable, and he claims the song never was in print before.
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the halyard shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 397).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 397,398).
The Record of the Serafina
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
And the full lyrics
Serafina
In Callyo there lives a gal whose name is Serafina,
– SE-rafina! SE–rafina!
She sleeps all day an’ works all night, on the ol’ Cally marina,
– SE-rafina, oh, SE–rafina!
* 2 *
She’s the Queen, me boys, of all the gals that live in the ol’ Casino,
She used to kiss for monkey nuts but now she works for vino,
* 3 *
At robbin’ silly sailors, boys, no gal was ever keener,
She’ll make ye pay right through the nose, that lovely Serafina.
* 4 *
She’ll guzzle pisco, beer, an’ gin, on rum her mum did wean ‘er.
She smokes just like a chimney stack, or P.S.N.C. steamer.
* 5 *
Serafina’s got no shoes, I’ve bin ashore an’ seen ‘er,
She’s got no time to put ’em on, that hard-worked Serafina.
* 6 *
When I wuz young an’ in me prime, I first met Serafina,
In Callyo we saw the sights an’ then went up to Lima.
* 7 *
But the finest sight I ever saw wuz little Serafina,
But the very next day as we sailed away I wisht I’d never bin there.
* 8 *
For I wuz skint, me clothes wuz gone, an’ so wuz Serafina,
She’d done me brown, she’d sunk me down, that dirty she-hyena!