SONGS THAT SAILORS LOVE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 18 May 1912, Page 12 (Supplement)

SONGS THAT SAILORS LOVE.

BY FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S

Author of "The Cruise of the Cacha-

lot," etc,

ON this particular topic connected with the sailor's ldfe I can certainly claim to be «.n authority on the moat substantial grounds, since, during the twelve years or so which I spent in a ship's forecastle as a sailor, I always achieved a certain grade of popularity «s a singer, and a player upon that handy but much-derided instrument, the German concertina.

With this egotistical prelude I would say, then, that the sailor loved best what- out present up-to-date writers would call the mawkishly sentimental song, of which "Mother Kissed flVfe in •My Dreams" and "Father, Dear Father, Come Home With Me Now" are good examples. Indeed, all songs of -sentiment always met with tremendous approval, the more pronounced in proportion ns the sentiment was pure and elevating., IN PRAISE OF HOME AND MOTHER. I confess this always seemed strange to* me, considering the usual topics of conversation among my shipmates and tho language* in which they invariably expressed their ideas. Bait such aro the facts; the mystery remains «is groa6 as ever. To see a ship's company of hard-bitten men, who apparently thought in foul language, and whose conversation invariably gravitated in one direction — towards the sewer—sitting silent with working features and glistening eyes, listening to a small boy warbling ditties in prake of home and mother, and tho domestic virtues, has been a very frequent experience with me, and one that defies explanation. Next in point of popularity I should "place tho ban<al music-hall song. One of the most utterly stupid in words and wretched in tuns that ever I remember was called "The Marble Arch." To a. generation enjoying the felicity of never having heard it I will Bay tihat "Yip-i-nddy-i-ay" is a prize lyr^c compared with it; words cannot express its badness, yet if a man knew it and could sing it, it was an asset of great value in a ship's forecastle, or in a sing-song parlour—or, rather, taproom—whero sailors congregated when ashore. Sutih ditties seemed to have an overpowering fascination for sailors, which was the more strange because, owing to the mixed nature of our crews, wo had representatives of the most musical nations on earth among us. But they could not sing in Engljsh, and amid our polyglot crowdfc that was the only medium of communi'efftion common to us all. "HILLY, HAULLY, HO!" Bat what about sea-songs? I hear someone say. Truth compels me to say that in all my experience I never onco heard a Ss.a-so.ng such as. "Ten, .Bowling" or "The Anchor's Weighed" sung in a ship's forecastle, except by myself, and then with far less applausa than I should have received for "AH An-ong -Mie Hay" or "Mr Lancashire Lass;" . ". •■■ ■.•-".

1 do not wonder at the modern seapong being tabooed, such as "Larbeard Watch,/ Ahoy!" or "Anchored," .sinceyour sailor is far too keen a critic of words to allow the rubbish that nasses

muster as sailor-talk in such songs to go down with him... H© doesn't like being told that,he'll soon be coming back singing,) "Hilly, haully. ho," -because he knows that he never did, never could, and never would do such a thing, any more than ho would "hoist hte clacks" or "shiver his-timbers," being a sailor, and-,jiot a pretty girl oil el music-hall stage. \

Patriotic eongs? Well, yes, in mod« eirtibri; but I am afraid you will not find much patriotism in a shin's forcer; stfe.' There; isn't room for it. Neither can you look for patriotism, hopefully, amidst a body of, say,' a cioen men belonging to six differing r.'fJibnali'ies Here is where the Germans score over us so heavily in seafaring matters, 'hit- 'spirit of tho Fatherland is in all their vessels, from tho Yon der Tann ■or Amei*ik.a; down to the smallest master. Officers and crews are Germans ; none others are e-ljgible, extent m a very fey spseia.l cases, and then ci.ly in small ships. Patriotic pongs there «re more frequent than any others. ;and dr a very gre"t don I to■vuuds ke?n"ng the flame of patriotism burning -high. CLEVER COMEDIANS. Having never been in a modern liner's forecastle, I cannot say anything either of tho songs sung (I fear they are few) or tho conversations carried on there; but thu I do know, that occasionally a performance for the amuse, i-cnt ef the passengers is given by members of the crew. These are invariably men of the st-&w.n.rds' staff, ami many of them are performers of qi;it<* sufficient merit to give them places upon a -music-hall stage. Bui t-Koy would bo the last persons on earth or seta fo claim the title of sailors. They rut seafarers by accident, but. their duties nro those of a great hotel rased to x higher power by reason of the'r be>n£»; carried on at sea, and efficiently so, in suit© of the great handicap of tho weather. OLD FAVOURITES. " Songs That S-aiJors Lovo" are of two classes— thore Tsed for rorireat;on nml thoso wMoh JitrJ-.ton LaWnr «.nd persist ff>om i'Tne i]V> memo rial in one sha^e or another. Even tho mty-t b-nrbnrous t\ oir work, and have done, I suppose, since the d-aivn of pe.pfa.nnjr. 1' pass by the sad fact—at least, it i-n: ras so to me—that modern eeafaring ms displaced the "chanty" by the rati^o of the steam-win oh or the hiss of the IhycJi-auKio crane. I will net enlarge 'iron tho publication of books or chanties ond their tunes —which, to me, n chantyman from my youth up to mature manhood, bear no relation to the real thing—but pass at one© to triose ancient lovely songs of '. he. sea whmh are really too gootl to die. Anything more delightful than the oi.J. old "Farewell and Adieu to Yon, Spanish Lnd'eV. I cannot imagine. As a capstan or windlass chanty i J- is nn•fiuproa&hable. and its wailing minor has tlv very voice of the hungr/ Ohannel \ r. it for all who will hoar. J?e-loVnt ■>r the Southern dnrkies' im«pre«aiWe humour is the "Year of Jubilo." though not spo-rrVtHv oonTuvtH vr\}\ tho sea, if by. seafnrers appropriated; as is al^o "Ma'-chintT TVoup-^ Georcn' and "'Frerdom F<ir "^vpt " "R-+. o" ohantip« proper give me "gailly lirnwn. Bh«\ r> PriVhf, TVTiil"tf«»" " "MiKM^r Dir.-h." «a»'pb«r «o n <i»,Ti .Mt AiiTit-Bal," "ST,« i* a FWh P»»Vc* * P.^ckefc of Famn.-" «p{ o (s T ,^ e •,, "Stovmalong.s' The list is a ton ß one

nf old favourites sung to the jaiaing of tin anchor and the heaving alongside ot the ship, whose very names vrtll son* bt forgotten.

Perhaps I should not be far wronw in saying that after all these are the songs that sailors love. Remember that sailors properly so called are fast disappearing. Thore are some left to hanolo the dwindling fleet of sailing B hips oux very soon tho ability to manipulate areas of canvas to the best advantage forgetting a few thousands of tons of precious cargo between port and port, at a cost of nothing save knowledge a-id time, will have joined tho lost arts —will become, in fact, as obsolete sa tho cuanty, the song that a sailor rcsallr loves.

Teacher: " Can you tell mo when tho Dark Ages were?" Brieht Boy: "That was tho tima when they had so many knights."