Golden Vanity

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There were a lot of sea chanties that dealt with the
subject of the Captain's daughter. Can you imagine
the desire that the common sailors must have felt for
the only pretty woman on board ship, during a long
voyage? They must have nearly gone mad.

In the same manner, the Captain would have guarded his
daughter with an overwhelming sense of protective jealousy.
That's what happens in this story. After using the poor
cabin boy to do his dirty work, the cruel Captain leaves
him to drown, thus saving his daughter for himself.

I've loved this song, ever since learning it at the
Old Town School of Folk Music in the late '50s. Although
I performed it at the coffee houses on Rush Street in Chicago,
I never got around to recording it until now.

Lyrics:
C

Oh there was a lofty ship and a lofty ship was she

F G

And the name of that ship it was the Golden Vanity

C Am

And she feared she would be taken by the Turkish Enemy

F G C Am

As she sailed on the lowland, lowland low

F G C

As she sailed on the lowland sea

Up stepped a little cabin boy, a cabin boy was he

And he said to the Captain what will you give to me

If I sneak alongside the Turkish Enemy

And I sink her in the lowland, lowland low

And I sink her in the lowland sea

Oh I will give you silver and I will give you gold

And the hand of my daughter your bonnie bride will be

If you'll sneak alongside of the Turkish Enemy

And you'll sink her in the lowland lowland low

And you'll sink her in the lowland sea

So he jumped overboard and overboard jumped he

And he swam alongside of the Turkish Enemy

And with a little drilling tool he boar-ed holes three

And he sank her in the lowland lowland low

He sank her in the lowland sea

Then he turned himself around and back again swam he

'Til he came to the side of the Golden Vanity

But the Captain would not heed, for his daughter he did need

And he left him in the lowland lowland low

He left him in the lowland sea

Well his shipmates brought him out, but upon the deck he died

And they wrapped him in his blanket that was so soft and wide

And they cast him overboard and he drifted with the tide

And he sank beneath the lowland lowland low

He sank beneath the lowland sea

And he sank beneath the lowland lowland low

He sank beneath the lowland sea

© 1998 McGuinn Music – Roger McGuinn

Cold Coast of Greenland

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Lyrics:
A F#m
FAREWELL AND ADIEU LOVE
D A
I'M BOUND FOR TO SAIL
A F#m
TO THE COLD COAST OF GREENLAND
D A
TO CAPTURE THE WHALE
F#m D
AND THERE'LL BE NO TEMPTATION
D A
TO TARRY THERE LONG
A F#m
FOR THE WIND AND THE SNOW LOVE
D A
WILL SING US THEIR SONG

IT'S A HARD SEA TO TRAVEL
THROUGH THE STORM AND THE GALE
AND THERE'S NO COMPENSATION
BUT TO HUNT FOR THE WHALE
WITH OUR OILSKINS AND SLICKERS
AND OUR BOOTS TO THE KNEE
WE WILL ROLL AND WE'LL PITCH
THROUGH THE COLD GREENLAND SEA

OH THE PRIZE THAT WE SEEK LOVE
IS AS BOLD AND AS FINE
AS THE FASTEST OF STEEDS
OR THE FINEST OF WINE
HE COULD EASILY SEND US
WITH THE POWER OF HIS TAIL
TO A WATERY GRAVE
AH THE GREAT GREENLAND WHALE

FAREWELL AND ADIEU LOVE
I'M BOUND FOR TO SAIL
TO THE COLD COAST OF GREENLAND
TO CAPTURE THE WHALE
AND THERE'LL BE NO TEMPTATION
TO TARRY THERE LONG
FOR THE WIND AND THE SNOW LOVE
WILL SING US THEIR SONG

New York Girls

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This is another example of a young sailor's warning about the dangers of shore leave. Getting drunk and into trouble with the women in seaport towns was a common theme that ran through many sea chanties. This verse in the song 'Go To Sea No More' is another illustration of the sailor's admonitions.

Come all you bold seafaring lads
Who listen to my song
And when you go out on them long trips
Pray that you don't go wrong
Take my advice drink no strong drink
Don't go sleeping with no whore
But get married lads and have all night in
And go to sea no more

Lyrics:
G
As I walked down the Broadway
C
One evening in July
G C
I met a maid who asked me trade
C D
And a sailor John says I

To Tiffany's I took her
I did not mind expense
I bought her two gold earrings
And they cost me fifteen cents

G
AND AWAY, YOU SANTEE
C G
MY DEAR ANNIE
C Am
OH, YOU NEW YORK GIRLS
D G
CAN'T YOU DANCE THE POLKA?

Says she, 'You Limejuice sailor
Now see me home you may'
But when we reached her cottage door
She this to me did say

My flash man he's a Yankee
With his hair cut short behind
He wears a pair of long sea-boots
And he sails in the Blackball Line

He's homeward bound this evening
And with me he will stay
So get a move on, sailor-boy
Get cracking on your way

So I kissed her hard and proper
Afore her flash man came
And fare ye well, me Bowery gal
I know your little game

I wrapped me glad rags round me
And to the docks did steer
I'll never court another maid
I'll stick to rum and beer

I joined a Yankee blood-boat
And sailed away next morn
Don't ever fool around with gals
You're safer off Cape Horn

John Riley

garden.gif

I first heard this song in 1960, at the Club 47, in Cambridge Massachusetts. Joan Baez was performing. She was young and beautiful, with long, flowing black hair. She played and sang with more feeling than anyone I had ever seen before. Her finger-picking technique particularly impressed me, because a lot of folk singers just strummed. But she could really pick.

I was in love that autumn, with the colors and smells of Cambridge and with Joan Baez.

The 12-string is in the Dm position, but played in the key of E with a capo on the second fret. The 5-string banjo is in the G position with the fifth string tuned down to E.

Lyrics:
[Dm] Fair young maid [G] all in her [Dm] garden
Strange young man [G] come riding [Dm] by
Saying fair young [F] maid will you marry [C] me?
And this dear [Em] sir was her [Dm] reply

Oh no dear sir I cannot marry thee
For I've a love who sails the deep salt sea
Though he's been gone for seven years
Still no man shall marry me

What if he's died all in some battle slain?
Or if he's drownded in the deep salt sea
What if he's found another love
He and his new love both married be?

Well if he's died all in some battle slain
Or if he's drownded in the deep salt sea
I'll remember his good name
And still no man shall marry me.

And if he's found some other love
He and his true love both married be
I wish them health and happiness
Where they now live all across the sea

He picked her up all in his arms
And kisses gave her one two and three
Saying weep no more my own true love
For I'm your long lost John Riley
Saying weep no more my own true love
For I'm your long lost John Riley

Argonaut, The

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There are many versions of this old sea chantey. Some are called 'Blow Ye Winds Of Morning.' This one is a classic tale of disaster at sea. Working aboard the whaling ships of the Nineteenth Century was a treacherous way to make a living. Sailors were often killed during shore leave, but in some cases their ships would never return to their home ports.

The 12-string guitar and banjo are tuned down one half step to F#, but the chord pattern is in the 'G' position.

Lyrics:
[G] 'Twas the twenty-first of [D] January
[G] Eighteen fifty [D] three
[G] Our gallant ship the [D] Argonaut
Set sail for [Em] jubilee
Singin' [G] blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds [C] hi ho
[G] Stow away your [C] runnin' gear and
[G] Blow [C] boys [G] blow [C] [G] [C] [G]

We headed up to Greenland
Into the wintry seas
Where there's ice and snow, and the whale fish blow
And Jamaca rum would freeze
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow

Our captain Davy Grant me boys
He give us all a treat
And that is why we caught a whale
That measured fifty feet
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow

And when reached Cape Harrison
The weather it turned clear
Our pilot aimed us to the south
And homeward we did steer
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow

But shortly out of Newfoundland
A storm began to rise
The seas kicked up, the mast it broke
The Argonaut capsized
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow

Of all those bold, brave sailors
On that day did set sail
Well I'm the only one alive
Left to tell the tale
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow

It was the twenty-first of January
Eighteen fifty three
Our gallant ship the Argonaut
Set sail for jubilee
Singin' blow ye winds of morning
Blow ye winds hi ho
Stow away your runnin' gear and
Blow boys blow