lyrics wanted "thankgod we're surrounded by water"?

Peter Rayner

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May 17, 1994, 5:20:45 PM5/17/94

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I'm looking for the lyrics of a song I know as
"Thank god we're surrounded by water"
The chorus of which runs
The Sea O the Sea
(something dropped by poor memory)
Long may it roll between England and me
It's a sure guarantee than soon all will be free
Thank God we're surrounded by water

Anyone have a pointer, I think the Digital Tradition, Soodlum's, Rise
up Singing and another couple of word books failed me on this one.
Thanks in advance
--
Peter Rayner, Program in Oceanic |"Beer is best drunk fresh. My
and Atmospheric Sciences Princeton | advice is if you see a beer, drink
University | it." (the other Michael Jackson)

David Dalton

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May 19, 1994, 5:22:55 PM5/19/94

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In article <1994May17.2...@Princeton.EDU> p...@splash.Princeton.EDU (Peter Rayner) writes:
I'm looking for the lyrics of a song I know as
"Thank god we're surrounded by water"
The chorus of which runs
The Sea O the Sea
(something dropped by poor memory)
Long may it roll between England and me
It's a sure guarantee than soon all will be free
Thank God we're surrounded by water

---------------------

There is a Newfoundland version as well.
But I don't have it handy.
--
David Dalton ------------------------------ <Dal...@Geop.UBC.Ca> ------
Dept. of Geophysics & Astronomy, (604) 822-2267
2219 Main Mall, University of British Columbia fax 822-6047
Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4 home 733-1303

gary campbell

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May 20, 1994, 5:46:25 PM5/20/94

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In article <1994May17.2...@Princeton.EDU>
p...@splash.Princeton.EDU "Peter Rayner" writes:

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> From: p...@splash.Princeton.EDU (Peter Rayner)
> Subject: lyrics wanted "thankgod we're surrounded by water"?
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> Date: Tue, 17 May 1994 21:20:45 GMT
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>I found this version of the chorus in Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy.

"The sea, oh, the sea, a gradh gheal mo chroide,
Oh, long may you roll between England and me,
God help the poor Scotchmen, they'll never be free,
But we're entirely surrounded by water."

Scott C DeLancey

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May 24, 1994, 12:28:50 AM5/24/94

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In article <1994May17.2...@princeton.edu>,

Peter Rayner <p...@splash.Princeton.EDU> wrote:
>I'm looking for the lyrics of a song I know as
>"Thank god we're surrounded by water"

I've seen it called "The Sea Around Us". Here are some lyrics
(some of these lines don't make a lot of sense to me, so I may
have some bits wrong):

They say that the lakes of Killarney are fair,
No stream like the Liffy could ever compare
If it's water you want, you'll find nothing so rare
As the stuff that's made down by the ocean.

Oh the sea, oh the sea, a gradh gheal mo chroide,*
Long may it roll between England and me**
It's a sure guarantee that some hour we'll be free

Thank God we're surrounded by water

Tom Moore made his waters meet fame and reknown
A great lover of anything dressed in a crown
With brandy the bandy old Saxon he drowned
And thrown ne'er a drop in the ocean

The Scots have their whiskey, the Welsh have their leeks
Their poets are paid about ten pence a week
Provided no harsh words on England they speak
Oh Lord, what a price for devotion

Two foreign old monarchs in battle did join
Each wanted his head on the back of a coin
If the Irish had sense they'd drown both in the Boyne
And Partition throw into the ocean

Now the Danes came to Ireland with nothing to do
But dreamed of the plundered old Irish they slew
But you will and your Viking, says Brian Boru
And he threw them back into the ocean

*Thanks to Cho...@bubble.demon.co.uk (gary campbell) for
the Gaelic here.

**And thanks even more for his line;

God help the poor Scotchmen, they'll never be free,

which is better than the one I knew.

--
Scott DeLancey dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Department of Linguistics
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403, USA

Michael Robinson

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May 24, 1994, 4:15:53 AM5/24/94

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Peter Rayner (p...@splash.Princeton.EDU) wrote:
: I'm looking for the lyrics of a song I know as

: "Thank god we're surrounded by water"
: The chorus of which runs
: The Sea O the Sea
: (something dropped by poor memory)
: Long may it roll between England and me
: It's a sure guarantee than soon all will be free
: Thank God we're surrounded by water

I don't have the words, but I believe the song was written by
Domenic Behan.

Michael Robinson