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PLEASE
HELP -
- IDENTIFY THESE
The
aim of this site, is to illustrate the songs, music, ditties
and all the musical yarns, one liners, shouts or special phrases
that have actually been sung or
used by the sailors of the Royal Navy.
This
project has originated, because these naval ditty songs along
with the unique language associated with them, are in danger
of being lost for ever. - I therefore challenge all ex RN sailors
to contribute to this project and thereby save our heritage
for future generations.
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Girls
What is a Sailor

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Although
there are many songs on the web with a maritime theme, very few of
them can truthfully be said to have ever been used by sailors of the
Royal Navy.
- In the 'Andrew', we have our own traditions, which musically
speaking, are structured upon certain types of song. Songs that are
in popular use, either in our Sods Opera concerts and messdeck song
sessions, or in our everyday life.
- The
Sods Opera is essentially a ships concert which might be a formal
thing with stage and costumes, but more generally refers to a ad-hoc
sing-a-round in bar room or canteen, where the old traditional and
favorite entertainment songs are featured. As with the music hall
of days gone, these can be humorous, very sentimental ballads, folk
or story song, and more often in recent decades are heavily spiced
as the men get into their cups, with the bawdy items, which are so
loved on a sports run.
-
Songs of everyday usage, tend to express the 'moment' of
a situation or the mood of the singer, and often incorporate spoken
one-liners or short dits.
-
Finally and closely related to the everyday song, sung as we wield
a broom or squeegee the bathroom deck. There is a third type, which
is often used in a work situation. Not as some might think to regulate
the rate of work, but more to comment upon the situation.
Such
songs are used to 'gloat' or remark on an oppo's misfortune,
perhaps a long anticipated run ashore. Similarly they might be an
aide memoir to a steamy, whilst locating pipe runs, the navigator
to spot the headlands of bonny England, the leadsman to mark
the progress with a heaving lead and the Gunner to time his
salutes.
In such context we can think of one sailor setting of ashore,
another doing his dhobying and a third singing an accompaniment
to the bugle call for 'flying stations' etc. All choosing perticular
songs which are kept only for such occasions.
In order to illustrate these properly it is our general intention
to provide within the finished work and on the site generally, information
on the usage of each song or ditty, noting how and when it would generally
be performed.
In order that this
might be done with any authority, it is evident that my own memories
and observations within the service, collated over 28 years, are insufficient.
I therefore desperately need your assistance, to provide depth and
colour to that information. So please enjoy a couple of hours, wandering
around these pages. But afterwards as your mind inevitably travels
back to those halcyon days - When you sat on the focsle in the evening
watch, with flying fish landing amongst the links of the anchor chain
etc. Or remember, that sudden flash you get as the tropic sun sets
in its majestic array of colour, please remember that we need to know
the songs you sang.
On the other hand, Your memories may
recall those prickly sweaty times, you crawled in the bilges, cursing
the chef for putting sweet corn on the menu, as you freed a blockage
in the sludge tank.
What ever the situation, misfortunate or trials. Please don't say;
"What a plank, he ought to have got that right", please
criticize the site and tell us where we go wrong. Please correct the
errors and the omissions, although band width, often is a limiting
factor. When we choose which songs are illustrated, Bur please remember,
we need to pass these songs and memories on to our grandchildren.
They will one day ask what was it like, and here we hope you will
be able to share those experiences.
Also don't forget those short one liners
, that tumbled off the tongue during moments of stress; Perhaps, as
we cursed in the scran queue when there was only a gooey looking pasta
left, or at the sight of fried cockroach's amongst the chips on your
tinplate.
All your comments, are wanted such as tose made when the cutlery,
disappeared into the gash chute, or those calls at the Crown &
Anchor board or the Tombola session, or the names we gave to eggs
on toast.
Shipmates
Missing Life at Sea

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As
you read these pages and you recall those almost forgotten
moments,
Please send those memories, fragments and odd verses
Into us
here - at info@navysong.co.uk
Please do not assume somebody else will know
a more complete version.
THEY DON'T
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In every case, you can be assured that the songs illustrated on this
site, have either been taken directly or auto biographically from
the 'voice' of the Royal Navy sailor.
The
idea is to compile, not only the lyrics, those elusive tunes, but
also when and how each was used in performance, so that we might attempt
to date and catalogue there usage. So please! if you recall
any song, dit. etc. being used, please email
me with its details, hopefully telling me where and when you
sang it, even if you see the same or similar here, that information
is of great value.
Also most importantly if you recall any song being used in the execution
of your duties. PLEase PLEAse PLEASE tell me about it - songs like
'She has a Face Like a Mess Deck Scrubber', (of which I only have
fragments) or perhaps it was something very saucy, performed at the
work face.
If
anybody recalls -
- Coaling
Ship please tell me about it!
- If
like myself, you ever sang a Shanty for a special task, what
was it?
- Have
you ever holystoned (On your knees) the quarterdeck, we are seeking
evidence of the last occasion when this was done???
- Do
you recall any CHANTS for the Crossing The Line.
- Sung
Naughty Words at Church Parade or to a Marching Tune.
- Tell us
what songs were sung at a Banyan and what games or sports were used.
- Or
on Tropic Evenings with Flying Fish coming over the bow.
- Do
you have a description of how - or a scan of a photo of when the Hornpipe
was danced.
- Uckers
Shouts - See Games Section
- Names
we called the Scran - Tinkle Tinkle little Spoon,
- Tombola
Calls - Games Section
Please
any input no matter how seemingly trivial is bound to be the missing
piece of this jigsaw.
PS
Does Anybody know the full text of the Gunners call "Fire
One .etc. etc..."
I
welcome contact wih all of you and would enjoy hearing your opinion
on the site. Remember communication is a two way thing - I am also
here to help you remember those lost lyrics - We do extra-ordinarly
well at it.
Finally
- Remember even well known songs existed in many different variations.
As some ships have their very own version of 'Uckers',
so they also had their own songs and versions of songs.
So you old China fleet and Home Fleets hands. Please help with this
information, which probably only now rests with you,
and may well pass over the bar without being recorded for future generations.
~~~
You
can
pass any information on to me here at this site to info@navysong.co.uk
or see the CONTACTS
page for more details -
Just
to have the information on why a song was sung would be sufficient,
but to have a few words or even a poor rendition of the tune would
be the equivalent for me of once again, participating in an up-harbour
night at sea after a long deployment.
Thanking
you in anticipation, Yours Aye,
Barry
E. Scott
Who Am
I -
Barry
E. Scott is both the Editor and Author of this site. He Served in
the Royal Navy between 1964 and 1993, retiring as a Chief Petty Officer
. During his time in the Andrew, he collected the Naval Ditty Songs
that were being sung around him. Since 1980, he has been actively
contacting other ex RN's for assistance in preserving the songs and
ditties of the Navy for future generations and has amassed information
on several hundred items from biographical sources.
What
Happens to this Collection -
Please
Follow the link - COLLECTION
on the Navigation Bar
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