Interesting Facts about the Lay Me Down
“Lay Me Down” is the folk song that Stan Hugill acquired from Patrick Shuldam-Shaw. Shuldam-Shaw did not mention exactly when, but what he says: “is when he did the talk about sea shanties in the Cecil Sharp House London”. He met Patrick Shuldam-Shaw and was on the lookout for some personal evidence of the song “Yellow Meal”, He mentioned the matter to him. Shuldam-Shaw said that; on one of his visits to the Shetland Islands collecting folk songs; and take down such a song from the singing of a certain John Stickle of Balla Sound, but he called it “Lay Me Down”. Here is this song.
The source of this song
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 299).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 299).
The Record
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
Lay Me Down
As I went one morning down by the Clarence Dock,
Who shipped I there. There but Tapscott,
“Good morning, Mister Tapscott”, “Good morning, six”, says he,
“Have you got any ship bound for New York and the Coast of Amerikee?”
– Lay me down, lay me down,
– Lay me down dead,
– Lay me down, ay-jer-bup, Mrs. McQuale,
– Lay me down, ay-jer-bup, Mrs. Mahoolichan,
– Jeannie go ‘hooch’!
– Fire away, Bridget, I’m dying for thee
* 2 *
‘I have a packet, a packet or two,
The one, the Georgie Walker, and the other, the Kangaroo.
The one, the Georgie Walker, on Friday she’ll set sail,
And all the provisions she’d got on board is a thousand bags of meal.’
* 3 *
Now I’m landed in New York, and working in a canal,
For me to go back in a packet ship, a thing I never shall,
I’ll go back on one of the White Star Lines. They carry both steam and sail,
And there I’ll get plenty of beef and soft tack, and none of your yellow meal.