Forebitter

Interesting Facts about the Paddy West

“Paddy West”, according to Stan Hugill many collectors state that song has always been Forebitter, but Hugill says his informants (not named unfortunately), state that the song was used as the Capstan shanty. The song is as old as the time of the Western Ocean Packets (probably 40s of the nineteenth century). The man from the title, Paddy West was a real historical person, he lived in Great Howard Street, Liverpool, where he was the owner of the sailor’s boarding house. The uniqueness of the way how he keeps his boarding house, he can turn the farmer into able-bodied seamen, in a couple of days. I think the lyrics of the song best explain the methods of the Paddy West to coaching the farmers, and after all this way of acting with farmers was way better than Shanghaiing.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 335).

The lyrics:  “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 335, 336).

The Record of the Paddy West

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

Paddy West

Oh, as I wuz a rollin’ down Great Howard Street,
I stroled into Paddy West’s house,
He gave me a plate of American hash,
an’ swore it wuz English scouse,
Sez he, “Look ‘ere, young feller, yer very jist in time,
To go away in a big clipper ship, an’very soon ye’ll sign.

– Then it’s put on yer dungaree jacket,
– An’ give the boys a rest,
– An, think of the cold nor’wester that blows,
– In the house of Paddy West’s!

* 2 *

Now he axed me if I had ever been to sea,
I told him not till that morn;
‘Well, be Jasus,’ sez he, ‘a sailor ye’ll be,
From the hour that jiz wuz born;
Just go into a perlour, walk round the ol’ cow horn,
An’ tell the mate that ye have been, oh, three times round the Horn!”

* 3 *

When I got into ol’ Paddy West’s house,
The wind began to blow;
He send me up to the lumber-room,
The fore-royal for to stow;
When I climbed up to the attic, no fore-royal could I find,
So I jumped upon the window stilland furled the winder-blind.

* 4 *

It’s Paddy, me bhoy, he pipes all hands on deck,
Their stations for to man.
His wife, Sarah Ann, stood in the backyard,
A bucket in her hand,
His wife let go the bucket, the water flew on its way;
‘Clew up yer fore t’gallant, me sons, she’s takin’ in a say!’

* 5 *

To every two men that graduates,
I’ll give wan outfit free,
For rwo good men on watch at once
Ye never need to see;
Oilskins, me bhoys, ye won’t want, carpet slippers made o’ felt
I will dish out to the pair o’ ye, an’ a ropeyarn for a belt.

Related to this Forebitter

The Fishes – W. B. Whall

The Limejuice Ship (Short Chorus)

Oh, Aye, Rio

Interesting Facts about the Blow Ye Winds (C)

Blow Ye Winds (C) is Joanna C. Colcord’s from the “Songs of American Sailormen” (1938), it is the whaling version, and the last line has been camouflaged. It was a common line in shanties, forebitters, and whaling songs:
Where the Old Man bought a whore-house out for half a barrel o’ flour.
Joanna C. Colcord obtained this song from an old logbook in the New Bedford Public Library.
Because music notation has a lot of differences, instead of Stan Hugill’s version “A”, I took melody straight from Miss Colcord’s book. This song will be reconstructed as a forebitter.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 219).

The lyrics:  “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 223, 224).

The Record of the Blow Ye Winds (C)

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

Blow Ye Winds (C)

‘Tis advertised in Boston, New York, and Buffalo,
Five hundred brave Americans a-whaling for to go.

– Singing blow, ye winds, in the morning,
– And blow, ye winds, high-O!
– Clear away yer running gear,
– And blow, ye winds, high-O!

* 2 *

They send you to New Bedford, that famous whaling port,
And give you to some land-sharks to board and fit you out.

* 3 *

They send you to a boarding house,there for a time to dwell;
The thieves they there are thicker than the other side of hell!

* 4 *

They tell you of the clipper ships a-going in and out,
And say you’ll take five hundred sperm, before you’re six months out.

* 5 *

It’s now we’re out to sea, my boys, the wind comes on to blow;
One half the watch is sick on deck, the other half below.

* 6 *

But as for the provisions, we don’t get half enough;
A little piece of stinking beef, and a blamed small bag of duff.

* 7 *

Now comes that damned old compass, it will grieve your heart full sore.
For theirs is two and thirty points, and we have forty four.

* 8 *

Next comes the running rigging, which you’re all supposed to know;
‘Tis “Lay aloft, you son of a gun, or overboard you go!”

* 9 *

The coopers’s at the vise bench, a-making iron poles,
And the mate’s upon the main hatch, a-cursing all our souls.

* 10 *

The Skipper’s on the quarterdeck, a-squinting at the sails,
When up aloft the lookout sights a school of whales.

* 11 *

“Now clear away the boats, my boys, And after him we’ll travel,
But if you get too near his fluke, he’ll kick you to the devil!”

* 12 *

Now we have got him turned up, we tow him alongside;
We over with our blubber hooks, and rob him of his hide.

* 13 *

Now the boat-steerer overside the tackle overhauls,
The Skipper’s in the main-chains, so loudly he does bawl!

* 14 *

Next comes the stowing down, my boys, ’twill take both night and day,
And you’ll all have fifty cents apiece on the hundred and ninetieth lay.

* 15 *

Now we are bound into Tonbas, that blasted whaling port,
And if you run away, my boys, you surely will get caught.

* 16 *

Now we are bound into Tuckoona, full more in their power,
Where the skippers can buy the Consul up for half a barrel of flour!

* 17 *

But now that our old ship is full and we don’t give a damn,
We’ll bend on all our stu’nsails and sail for Yankee land.

* 18 *

When we get home, our ship made fast, and we get through our sailing,
A winding glass around we’ll pass and damn this blubber whaling!

Related to this Forebitter

Ratcliffe Highway

Blow Ye Winds in the Morning

Rolling Home – W. B. Whall

Interesting Facts about Roll Alabama Roll! – Forebitter

This forebitter has a very similar tune to “Roll The Cotton Down”, “Roll Alabama Roll! – Forebitter”. Stan Hugill has “Roll The Cotton Down” – Forebitter version, from New Zeland Lady which he met, in New Zeland in 1925, whose husband had been a seaman in “Alabama”.

The source of this forebitter

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 159).

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 159).

The Record of the Roll Alabama Roll! – Forebitter

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

Roll, Alabama, Roll!

Oh, in eighteen hundread an’ sixty one,
– ROLL, alabama, ROLL!
This ship her building wuz begun.
– Oh ROLL, alabama, ROLL!

* 2 *

When the Alabama’s keel was laid,
This ship her building was begun.

* 3 *

Oh, she was build in Birkenhead,
Built in the yard of Jonathan Laird

* 4 *

And down the Mersey she rolled one day,
An’ across the western she ploughed her way

* 5 *

With British guns, oh, she was stocked,
She sail from Fayal – in Cherbourg she docked.

* 6 *

To fight the North, Semmes did employ,
Any method to kill an’ destroy.

* 7 *

But off Cherbourg, the Kearsage lay tight,
Awaiting was Winslow to start a good fight.

* 8 *

Outside the three-mile limit they fought,
An’ Semmes escaped on a fine British yacht.

* 9 *

The Kersarge won – Alabama so brave,
Sank to the bottom to a watery grave.

Related to this Forebitter

The Five-Gallon Jar

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A)

Interesting Facts about Susannavisan (Stan Hugill Translation)

In the case of Susannavisan (Stan Hugill Translation) song, Stan Hugill again mentioned the source “Sang under Segel” Sigurd’s Sternwall’s Swedish shanty book (Reference to its being sung at the capstan is to be found in the Preface, page 12). From this book, Stan Hugill gives us two verses and melody to this beautiful song, the construction of the verses is really close to Stephen Foster’s version of “Oh Susanna”. Additionally, worth noting this version is a personal translation of Stan Hugill, so I think it deserves to sing it.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 117).

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 117).

The Record of the Susannavisan (Stan Hugill Translation)

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 full lyrics

Susannavisan (Stan Hugill Translation)

Oh, I was born on Sweden’s Coast,
Where the fine ships sail along,
And a fine ship was my heart’s desire,
Since I was very young.

But the first time that he went aboard,
He kissed me tenderly,
And unto me he said these words,
‘You are all the word to me.’

– Oh, Susanna, now don’t ye cry for me,
– Be faithful to your sailor boy
– Till I come home from sea.

* 2 *

On a long voyage he went away,
I sat alone and sighed.
And when the wind was howling wild,
‘Tis oft at night I cried.

But when the tears ran down my cheecks,
My sailor boy came home.
He sang to me in deep content,
From these arms I’ll never roam.

– Oh, Susanna, oh, don’t ye cry for me,
– I’m homeward bound to you at last,
– And now I’m safe with thee.

Related to this Forebitter

The Five-Gallon Jar

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A)

Susannavisan