The Sailors Prayer

[Rob-T]

Does anyone have the words to The Sailors Prayer
Oh Lord above send down a dove with teeth as sharp as razors....etc.

post to group or reply to Ro...@cropwell.demon.co.uk or after March 1st
Ro...@cropwell.force9.co.uk

[Martin Graebe]

Rob

I've heard:

The Lord above sent down a Dove
With wings as sharp as razors
To cut the throats of anyone
As sells bad beer to sailors

I was in a session a couple of weeks ago where a few variants emerged but
my memory isn't what it used to be (and probably never was)

Cheers!

Martin

Rob-T <ro...@cropwell.force9.co.uk> wrote in article
<ykow2.3360$1l1.476@wards>...

[barry finn]

SAILOR'S PRAYER
(Tom Lewis)

This dirty town has been my home since last time I was sailing
But I'll not stay another day, I'd sooner be out whaling

Oh Lord above, send down a dove,
With beak (wings) as sharp as razors
To cut the throat of them there blokes
Who sells bad beer to sailors

Paid off me score and them ashore, me money soon was flying
With Judy Lee upon my knee in my ear a lying

With my newfound friends, my money spent just as fast as winking
But when I make to clean the slate, the landlord says, "Keep Drinking"

With me money gone and clothes in pawn and Judy set for leaving
Six months of pay gone in three days, but Judy isn't grieving

When the crimp comes round, I'll take his pound and his hand I'll be
shaking
Tomorrow morn sail for the Horn just as dawn is breaking

So for one last trip from port I'll ship but next time back I'm swearing
I'll settle down in my hometown and go no more seafaring

The chorus is traditional (with wings instead of beak). Tom found this, I
think in a book, & wove a beautiful song around it. For those that don't
know Tom, he's a retired British Submariner now living in the Pacific
Northwest & writing & singing many fine songs. Barry

Martin Graebe <martin...@btinternet.com> wrote in article
<01be554c$7a6ea6a0$ee3bac3e@default>...

[barry finn]

Gee, I didn't see the name right off to the above post. While I'm giving a
fine song writer his due I should add that Martin here is another that
wears that hat well. I only recently found out that it was he that wrote
"Jack In The Green" (but probably I'm the Johnny come lately here & most of
you already knew that), & all these years I've been singing it I thought it
was traditional (I now make sure that you get the credit for so great a
song Martin, well done). Barry

barry finn <nc...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in article
<01be556a$1274ee60$cbb34f0c@my-computer>...

[Jim Lucas]

You can find the lyrics on The Digital Tradition
<http://www.mudcat.org/folksearch.html>. Put the words "dove" and "razors"
in the search box, and you'll get just one hit: Sailor's Prayer.

[P.Hood]

Martin Graebe wrote:

> The Lord above sent down a Dove
> With wings as sharp as razors
> To cut the throats of anyone
> As sells bad beer to sailors
>

Tom Lewis uses it as a chorus for the song called appropiatly 'Sailors
Prayer' on the excellent 'Surfacing' cd. He gives the last two lines as
,
To cut the throats of them there blokes
what sell bad beer to sailors'
I like the rhyme of blokes with throats it sounds nautical somehow.

Peter

[bogus address]

"barry finn" <nc...@worldnet.att.net> writes:
> I only recently found out that it was [Tom Lewis] that wrote "Jack

> In The Green" (but probably I'm the Johnny come lately here & most
> of you already knew that), & all these years I've been singing it
> I thought it was traditional

There's a traditional dance called called Jack in the Green; goes
back to the early 18th century. Is there any connection?

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