The Songs and Ditties given on this web site are extracted from material
collected by Barry E. Scott either during his naval service or in the
process of compiling this text. Many of the songs have also been sent
to him by ex- Royal Naval Men for inclusion in the project. As such
they come directly from the voices of those who sang them.
Details of the sources are given in the text
of each song. Such comment enables the reader to seek out further information
and references and where possible comment on their usage. To extend
this situation and access the voices of those men who have long since
passed over the bar. I have searched literally thousands of manuscript
diaries and letters etc in the expectation of locating similar reference.
In this case the songs are generally sans-tune but as they are noted
by the men that sang them, they can still effectively be said to come
from their voice or more exactlyr the hand of the performer. In similar
vein, much use has again been made of the printed autobiographies of
ex RN personnel.
Occasionally reference can also be found in other sources. In
such situations the merit of the item can only be assessed from the
context in which it appears. Such third hand report includes the various
published song books that were produced both by the Admiralty and private
companies to attract the interest of the sailor and according to the
admiralty served to improve on the type of songs that circulated. Such
song books are found in printed format and occassionaly (circa WW2)
were produced on roll film to be projected on to the ships cinema screen
etc. Where readers pocess such printed volumes, I would be pleased to
hear from them with a list of their titles and contents, as only by
such methods can we be sure of the current survival of suchitems and
the extent of their publication. Though these published works are of
much interest; their contents cannot beseen as prime evidence of the
type of song favoured by the RN lower deck sailor but more the type
of song their officers would have liked them to sing. Undoubtedly
some of the content of these songsters contained songs popular with
the men, but in many cases they were classed with the type of music
such as used at church services and seldom sung elsewhere than in 'organised
assembly', They must therefore only be assessed alongside contemporary
evidence pertaining to a songs popularity. Because classed amongst this
latter were most of the commercial songs written by professional song
writers such as Charles
Dibden. However some of these items particularly
during WW1 did occasionally find favour. Here we can nominate Tom
Bowling and I'm a Stoker, as well as several of the music
hall and sentimental songs which were well used in ships concert and
sods opera.
Finally of absolute top importance is the survival
of manuscript and typescript song, ditty or poetry volumes compiled
by the sailor. At best access to their contents are eagerly anticipated
and worst a description of their contents will be eagerly accepted.
COPYRIGHT
- In all cases - the reader is directed to these sources for addittional
information and no partof them is used without proper copyright permission.
That said many of the songs are in the public domain, but musicians
should always make their own assessment as to what use can be made of
any of the songs given here. All musical arrangements given or used
within this site are copyright to myself.
In providing a list of my references, I can do no better than to begin
with the principle work on this subject
and a must have for all enthusiasts is
TAWNEY,Cyril (1987) Grey
Funnel Lines – Traditional Song & Verse of the Royal Navy
1900 –1970 London ISBN 0-7102-1270-4
PRIMARY
REFERENCES
SCOTT, Barry E. Songs and Ditties of the Royal Navy &
Royal Marines (unpublished)
ROYAL NAVY
DESK REFERENCES - Music
HMS Heron Rugby Football Club 'Dit'
Book (Circa 1990)
- One of private printing containing 28 songs. From naval ditties to
several bawdy rugby songs and a couple of traditional Folk Songs.
ROYAL NAVY
REFERENCE - Auto Biographical
.)
ROYAL NAVY
REFERENCE - Historical
HMS Andromide In the Log of HMS Andromide 1904-06, Published
by the Naval Log Series (Copy Portsmouth Naval Library.)
OTHER REFERENCE
- Music
HUGIL, Stan Shanties from the Seven Seas: Shipboard
work-songs &c.1994 Mystic Seaport Museum ISBN 0-913372-70-6
PALMER, Roy Boxing the Compass
: Sea Songs and Shanties 2001 Heron Publishing ISBN 0-9540682-0-3
