Help with fake sea shanty

[Carl Fogelin]

When the renovated Baltimore harbor was first reopened, I remember a
celebration down on the Constellation (I think that's the boat down
there) where sea shanties were sung. There was one in particular
which was very funny because it was suppose to be a land-lubbers attempt
at a shanty. I can only remember the refrain (which I've listed below).
I was wondering if anyone knows it, if anyone knows any more lyrics, or
even what it's called.

Lime, scurvy, ambergris, marmalade
Hoist the petard, and we'll pull away the buoy boys,
Lime, scurvy, ambergris, and blubberworth,
On my way to Cincinati.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Fogelin (foge...@pt.cyanamid.com) "All opinions are strictly mine"

Up the long ladder and down the short rope,
To Hell with King Billy and God bless the Pope. -- traditional

[John C Shockey]

In article <21k288$7...@c3po.jvnc.net> foge...@pt.Cyanamid.COM writes:
>When the renovated Baltimore harbor was first reopened, I remember a
>celebration down on the Constellation (I think that's the boat down
>there) where sea shanties were sung. There was one in particular
>which was very funny because it was suppose to be a land-lubbers attempt
>at a shanty. I can only remember the refrain (which I've listed below).
>I was wondering if anyone knows it, if anyone knows any more lyrics, or
>even what it's called.
>
> Lime, scurvy, ambergris, marmalade
> Hoist the petard, and we'll pull away the buoy boys,
> Lime, scurvy, ambergris, and blubberworth,
> On my way to Cincinati.
>

The song you're looking for is "The Captain's Shanty", written by a
bunch of Boston area folkies.

The song can be found, along with many more such gems, in the book
"Partially Sage" by Shari Ajemian and Sarah Newcomb, and dedicated to,
among others, "all the singers and folklorists from whose work we have
drawn and quartered". (I particularly recommend "Denson's Regret" to
all Sacred Harp singers.) I have no financial connection to this book,
but I'd definitely recommend it to any folkie with a sense of humor.
The humor can't be entirely reproduced here, as it goes beyond the
words, and includes aspects of the tunes, introductions, footnotes, and
illustrations.

The book used to be available from:
Robinson Lynn Publishers
100 Walnut Place
Brookline, MA 02146

(If you try this address and it's no longer correct, send me e-mail and
I'll try to find a current one.)

Here are the rest of the words to the song you heard (or at least their
original version, if the folk process has been at work):

The Captain's Shanty
Words and Music by Elliot Crawford Finch
(In this instance: Susan Deane Miller, Sarah Newcomb, Carrie Lamont,
Susan Cooper, Austin Lamont, and Sandy Davis)

I've been a sailor since my birth
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
Took my home, for all it's worth
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum

(Chorus:)
Lime, scurvy, ambergris and marmalade
Hoist the petard, and we'll haul away the bully boys
Lime, scurvy, ambergris and blubber, we're
Bound for Cincinnati,

Fifteen years and we haven't seen a shore leave
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
Heave. Heave.
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum

(Chorus)

Sight the bowsprit, down the grog
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
Carve the turkey in the log.
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum

(Chorus)

Come the day she's out of port
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
Keel the bosun o'er the thwart.
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum

(Chorus)

Through a fluke the spout did wail,
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
And that's the end of my scrimshaw tale.
(pause for length of: Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum)

(Chorus)

<><><><><>

John Shockey
jsho...@world.std.com

[J. Lani Herrmann]

It's "The Captain's Shanty," perpetrated by a bunch of Bostonia who
have been (individually and severally) been doing this for eons:
pen name 'Eliot Crawford Finch,' "in this instance, Susan Deane

Miller, Sarah Newcomb, Carrie Lamont, Susan Cooper, Austin Lamont,

and Sandy Davis" and copyright 1972 by Sarah Lamont and Susan D
Miller.
It's in _Partially Sage: A Comic Look at Common Songs,
annotated, with all the words and music, household hints, travel
tips, historical facts, and so much more._ By Shari Ajemian &
Sarah Newcomb. Brookline, MA (100 Walnut Place, 02146): Robinson
Lynn Publishers, 1983.
Last I looked, it cost something like $10 plus postage from
the publisher-author. Is full of similar exercises in parody.

Not to keep you in suspenders any longer:

THE CAPTAIN'S SHANTY
Words and music by Elliot Crawford Finch

1. I've been a sailor since my berth

Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum
Took my home, for all it's worth
Yo ho ho and a ruddy bum bum

CHO: Lime, scurvy, ambergris and marmalade,

Hoist the petard, and we'll haul away the bully boys
Lime, scurvy, ambergris and blubber, we're

Bound for Cincinnati.

2. Fifteen years and we haven't seen a shore leave
Heave. Heave. [hint: I've seen this performed, er, graphically.]

3. Sight the bowsprit, down the grog

Carve the turkey in the log.

4. Come the day she's out to port

Keel the bosun o'er the thwart.

5. Through a fluke the spout did wail,

And that's the end of my scrimshaw tale.

Enjoy. -- Lani

<||> Lani Herrmann * School of Library and Information Studies * South Hall
<||> la...@info.berkeley.edu * University of California, Berkeley 94720