Lyr ADD: Lime Juice Ship

Subject: Lime Juice Ship
From: ChanteyMatt
Date: 29 Aug 01 - 02:56 PM

OK, I'll admit that I'm a bit lazy. I'm putting together a small song book to go along with a chantey singing workshop I'll be teaching at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (Sept. 7-9). I can't find the words to "Lime Juice Ship" in digitrad or elsewhere. Now I could pull out my "Stan Hugill" and transcribe them, but like I said, I'm a bit lazy.

Anyone out there got the lyrics at hand?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: MMario
Date: 29 Aug 01 - 03:05 PM

here

url=http://victoria.tc.ca/Culture/Vnsc/prev/lime_juice_ship.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Aug 01 - 03:08 PM

Yes. Here and here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: ChanteyMatt
Date: 29 Aug 01 - 05:12 PM

Thanks to both of you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: JennieG
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 12:55 AM

There is an Oz song called Lime Juice Tub but it's nothing like Lime Juice Ship! It's not as refined for one thing.
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: Lyr Add: LIME JUICE SHIP^^
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 01:17 AM

Come on guys, you know yer supposed to post them!

~S~

=============================================

LIME JUICE SHIP

If you want to join a merchant ship and sail the sea at large
You'll not have any trouble if you have a good discharge
Signed by the Board of Trade with everything exact
And then you'll get your month's advance according to the Act.

CHO:
So haul boys your weather mainbrace and ease away your lee
Hoist jib and topsails lads and let the ship go free
Shout boys shout I tell you it's a fact
There's nothing done in Lime Juice ship contrary to the Act.

Now when you join the ship me boys you'll here your Articles read
They'll tell you of your pork and beef, your butter and your bread
Your coffee, tea and sugar boys, your peas and beans exact
Your lime juice and your vinegar according to the Act.

Now it's watch and watch the first day out according to the Act
And then me boys we all lay aft to get our lime juice whack
Break out a Handy-Billy and slap her on a tack
For we're going to set the mainsail-o according to the Act.

Now it's up on deck me bully boys with many a curse we go
Wishing that eight bells be struck, that we may go below
Eight bells is stRuck, the watch is aft, the log is hove exact
Relieve the wheel go down below according to the Act.


NOTES:
Alternatively use chorus above as a fifth verse and for chorus:
"Shout, boys, shout! For I tell you it's a fact
There's nothing done on a limejuice ship contrary to the Act."

"Limejuicers" - American reference to British seamen who were given same at prescribed intervals at sea to fight scurvey. Eight Bells struck at the end of a watch. From Mariner's Dictionary ed. Gershom Bradford:. "Handy Billy" - a watch tackle, "Watch Tackle" - one comprising a single & double block, "Tackle" - (Tay-kle), a purchase composed of blocks("pulleys") and ropes. "Tack" - the rope holding down the lower forward corner of a fore and aft sail or the lower corner to the weather side of a square sail.

Collected by Stan Hugill.

SOURCE:
Including above notes, VICTORIA NAUTICAL SONG CIRCLE, http://victoria.tc.ca/Culture/Vnsc/prev/lime_juice_ship.html

LP, MS, SH^^

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THE LIME-JUICE TUB^^
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 05:42 AM

G'day,
This is the Australian song, The Lime-juice Tub to which JennieG referred above. As you should see, it is shearing song, in which the local shearers poke borak at 'newchums' – recent immigrants (usually English) and tell them to go back home in their "lime-juice tub" … an English ship, where lime-juice was issued as an anti-scorbutic.

The song comes from the late hand-shearing period … c. 1880s … in New South Wales, which is why it is also called The Whaler's Rhyme (and which should be spelled The Waler's Rhyme, because it is a song of someone from New South Wales – a 'Waler'). The song has also been collected with the title The Tar Boy's Tub.

When it was printed in The Bulletin ("The Bushman's Bible") magazine in 1898, the tune was stated as Paddy's Land, which could be something like the Keady Town song sung by Tommy Makem, starting with the words "Well here I am in Paddy's land, a land of high renown …" and called, by him, Bold O'Donahoe (no relation to the Australian songs, ancestral to The Wild Colonial Boy about Jack Donahoe). I have also seen references to the song being sung to the tune The Rose Tree or Portlairge. Neither of these tunes appears in the collected versions.

THE LIME-JUICE TUB

When shearing comes lay down your drums,
Step on the board, you brand-new-chums,
With a rah-dum, dah-dum, rub-a-dub-dub,
We'll send you all home in a lime-juice tub.

Here we are in New South Wales,
Shearing sheep as big as whales,
With leather necks and daggy tails,
And fleece as tough as rusty nails.

There's brand-new chums and cockies' sons,
They fancy that they are great guns,
They fancy they can shear the wool,
But the beggars can only tear and pull.

Since they have crossed the briny deep,
They fancy they can shear the sheep,
With a rah-dum, dah-dum, rub-a-dub-dub,
We'll send them home in a lime-juice tub.

The very next job they undertake
Is to press the wool, but they make a mistake,
They press the wool without any bales,
The shearing's hell in New South Wales.

They tar the sheep till they're nearly black
Roll up! roll up! you'll get the sack!
Once more, once more on the wallaby track,
Once more to look for work outback.

And when they meet upon the road,
From off their backs throw down their load,
Then at the sun they take a look,
And reckon it's time to breast the cook.

We camp in huts without any doors,
Sleep upon the dirty floors,
With a pannikin of flour and a sheet of bark
We can wallop up a damper in the dark.

You cockatoos, you never need fret,
For to show you up I'll not forget,
For I'm the man who's willing to bet
You're up to your heads, heels first in debt.

And though you live beyond your means,
Your daughters wear no crinolines,
Nor are they troubled with boots or shoes,
For they're wild in the bush with the kangaroos.

It's home, it's home I'd like to be,
Not humping the drum in this country,
Sixteen thousand miles I've come,
To march along with a blanket drum.

Here is the MIDItext of the standard tune. I'll incur the wrath of JennieG, because I have left it in the key of 'F' … not the most popular key with guitarists … but it seems to be the best key for average singers (indicated by the fact that I sing it in 'E').

MIDI file: limejuic.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 69 080 0144 0 69 064 0036 1 70 080 0048 0 70 064 0012 1 72 080 0096 0 72 064 0024 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 67 080 0096 0 67 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0192 0 65 064 0048 1 65 080 0144 0 65 064 0036 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 60 080 0144 0 60 064 0036 1 60 080 0048 0 60 064 0012 1 57 080 0096 0 57 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 60 080 0096 0 60 064 0024 1 60 080 0144 0 60 064 0036 1 60 080 0048 0 60 064 0012 1 65 080 0144 0 65 064 0036 1 67 080 0048 0 67 064 0012 1 69 080 0096 0 69 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 62 080 0096 0 62 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064 0024 1 65 080 0096 0 65 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
A3/2^A/2cAGFF2|F3/2G/2AFDCC3/2C/2|A,CCFDCC3/2C/2|
F3/2G/2AFDFF3/4||

Regards,

Bob Bolton ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 08:15 AM

Just a point ofinformation, I've heard "Lime Juice Ship" under the title "According to the Act".

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 08:37 AM

G'day Walrus,

Yes ... I've heard the song in Australia - and that's pretty much the usual name. I had thought to mention it in my posting above about the shearing song The Limejuice Tub ... but I'm not sure of any Australian collecting history for The Limejuice Ship, so I skipped it.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 08:53 AM

G'day again,

I should check the references before I try posting from what I like to think of as my memory ... I find that there was a version of According to the Act or Limejuice and Vinegar or The Limejuice Ship collected in Australia (Under the first of these names).

It was collected in Victoria, from Capt Hartley Watson, in the mid-196Os and covers pretty much the same ground as Stan Hugill's version found at the links posted above. I'm just podering whether to scan it in and post it ... there may be enough variation to warrant this ...

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 09:29 AM

I've heard a different chorus several times, something like:

Shout, boys, shout. Proclaim the Jubilee. Damn and bugger the Navy, boys - a merchant ship for me!

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 10:03 AM

Ah. Now this is just an observatioon-- I finally understand the most important reason why requested lyrics should always be posted here as well as a link given-- it facilitates the discussion of and comparing of lyrics between variants and/or versions and/or similarly-named or themed pieces.

GREAT WORK BOB, and here I am now interested in something I had never even heard of till yesterday!

Especially that whaler-waler thing-- as a former proof reader and copy editor I would have committed the sin of assumer WALER to be wrong!

~Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: beachcomber
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 03:32 PM

I believe I have an old LP of the "Spinners" singing sea-songs which includes a version of "According to the Act" a slightly sarcastic rendition , if my memory serves me correctly but, nevertheless, a good one.

beach

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 04:07 PM

Nice work, Bob!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: ChanteyMatt
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 06:57 PM

It's amazing where a thread goes sometimes. A simple request for lyrics turns into a research quest and all sorts of stuff comes up. I love it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 07:31 PM

Let's call it thread escape-- when it suddenly bursts over the levee and runs wild!

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: raredance
Date: 30 Aug 01 - 09:17 PM

I would offer a slight alternative or perhaps correction to the "Lime Juice Tub" lyrics that Bob so kindly entered. I would offer

You cockies too you never need fret
For to show you what I'll never forget.

My understanding ( a long way from Australia) is that "cockies" were the poor farmers. "Cockatoos" are birds. These sound-alikes impart a bit of different meaning.

rich r

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: ACCORDING TO THE ACT^^
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 02:13 AM

G'day again,

Rich r: Both terms are, in some senses, synonymous. The erarlier form of the epithet for poor, small-acre farmers was "cockatoo farmers", possibly because the 'squatters' (large holding, old money, farmers) claimed that'selectors', under the land selection acts of the 1860s, 'cockatooed' - pick out the 'eyes' (the good land and water) of their old holdings. Possibly also (or later) because they were said to only raise cockatoos - thaty came and ate all their seed and crops.

Anyway, both terms are "corect", in their place.

WYSIWYG: I do a bit of proofreading in my job ... and I know how important it is to check back with the expert ... then argue from high ground ... if you still standing there!

Anyway, I decided there is enough variation to warrant posting the Austalian collected song and tune:

ACCORDING TO THE ACT

Now if you want to join an English ship, you must roam around at large
If you want to join an English ship, you must have a good discharge,
Signed by the Board of Trade and with everything exact,
Or else there's no advance on board for it's contrary to the act
Chorus:
So shout, boys, hurrah, I'll tell you it's a fact
There's nothing done aboard a ship, contrary to the act,
So lay aft boys lay aft, and see you get your whack,
Lime-juice and vinegar, according to the Act.

Now when you signed your articles, of course you heard them read.
They tell you of the beef and pork, the butter and the bread,
The sugar and the marmalade, and with quantities exact,
Lime-juice and vinegar, according to the Act.
Chorus: So shout, boys, hurrah …

Now when you join the ship, my boys, your heads are always sore,
And you expect that watch an' watch, just as you had before.
But the mate he shouts, "Lay aft, and do as I exact –
For watch on watch the first day out's contrary to the Act".
Chorus: So shout, boys, hurrah …

Now slack away our weather main brace, and haul upon the lee.
Swell up your jib halliards, and let your sheets go free,
And bring along the watch tackle, to board the stout main tack,
For I want to see the main-sail set, according to the Act.
Chorus: So shout, boys, hurrah …

Collected by Maryjean Officer and Norm O'Connor of the Folklore Society of Victoria, from Captain Hartley Watson, and published in Tradition, No. 13, April 1967.

This would come from late in the history of sail, as it refers to the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894, prescribing conditions and discipline aboard British merchant ships.

Some versions of the song suggest that many things were, in fact, not done according to the Act. Capt. Watson's version probably reflects a different point of view from that of Stan Hugill, the shantyman!

Here is the MIDItext of the tune, as collected by Officer and O'Connor. It's not quite the tune I can remember hearing – this one is in a Dorian mode (C# Dorian, as sung by Capt. Watson) and strikes me as more of a forebitter version than a working shanty. The tune seems to be related to tunes encountered for a few Australian Bush songs, such as Cockies of Bungaree and Wallaby Stew.

MIDI file: acctoact.mid

Timebase: 240

TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Tempo: 150 (400000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0360 1 56 080 0096 0 56 064 0024 1 56 080 0096 0 56 064 0024 1 56 080 0096 0 56 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0552 0 61 064 0048 1 68 080 0048 0 68 064 0012 1 68 080 0048 0 68 064 0012 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 68 080 0048 0 68 064 0012 1 68 080 0048 0 68 064 0012 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 63 080 0552 0 63 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 73 080 0192 0 73 064 0048 1 73 080 0096 0 73 064 0024 1 73 080 0192 0 73 064 0048 1 73 080 0096 0 73 064 0024 1 73 080 0288 0 73 064 0072 1 73 080 0192 0 73 064 0048 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 64 080 0048 0 64 064 0012 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 68 080 0552 0 68 064 0048 1 56 080 0096 0 56 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0144 0 64 064 0036 1 61 080 0048 0 61 064 0012 1 61 080 0048 0 61 064 0012 1 61 080 0048 0 61 064 0012 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0552 0 61 064 0048 1 56 080 0096 0 56 064 0024 1 61 080 0288 0 61 064 0072 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 64 080 0288 0 64 064 0072 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0552 0 61 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 70 080 0096 0 70 064 0024 1 70 080 0192 0 70 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 63 080 0288 0 63 064 0072 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 73 080 0288 0 73 064 0072 1 73 080 0192 0 73 064 0048 1 73 080 0096 0 73 064 0024 1 73 080 0552 0 73 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 68 080 0096 0 68 064 0024 1 68 080 0192 0 68 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 68 080 0384 0 68 064 0336 1 61 080 0288 0 61 064 0072 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 64 080 0096 0 64 064 0024 1 64 080 0192 0 64 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 63 080 0192 0 63 064 0048 1 63 080 0096 0 63 064 0024 1 61 080 0192 0 61 064 0048 1 61 080 0096 0 61 064 0024 1 61 080 0288 0 61 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:6/8
Q:1/4=150
K:C
^G,4^G,^G,|^C2^C^C2^D|E2EE2E/2E/2|^D2^C^C2^C|
^C5^G/2^G/2|^A2^A^A2^A|^A2^G^G2^G/2^G/2|^G2^D^D2^D|
^D5^G|^c2^c^c2^c|^c3^c2E/2E/2|^G2^G^G2^D|
^G5^G,|^C2^C^C^D2|E2EE3/2^C/2^C/2^C/2|^D2^D^C2^C|
^C5^G,|^C3^C2^D|E3E2E|^D2^D^C2^C|^C5^G|^A2^A^A2^A|
^A2^G^G2^G|^G2^D^D^D2|^D3^G2^G|^c3^c2^c|^c5E|
^G2^G^G2E|^G6|^C3^C2^D|E2EE2^C|^D2^D^C2^C|
^C19/8||

Regards,

Bob Bolton^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 02:42 AM

G'day yet again,

Errr ... sorry about the typos! Ever since I loaded the update CD from my ISP, there has been some untraceable point that disconnects me from the internet after 5 minutes of "inactivity" (like - reading the page in from of me ... or typing up a long reply on Mudcat (with html).

I have located the normal disconnect time option and set that to 30 minutes, but they have hidden another away where I can't find it. I guess it keeps the telcos rich ... and saves resources for the ISP ... and makes me type too fast and proofread too little.

Regard(les),

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: MMario
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 08:26 AM

Thanks Bob!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: MMario
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 08:47 AM

Hmmm- I thought I'd seen LIME JUICE TUB in the DT - but I couldn't find it the other day.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lime Juice Ship
From: MMario
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 08:51 AM

"Lime Juice Tub" is also in the DT asNew South Wales

The three versions are a little different - mostly verse order. "New South Wales" is an abreviated version.

Subject: ADD: Lime Juice Ship^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Aug 01 - 02:26 PM

You'll note that Bob Bolton's posting of the "Lime Juice Tub" has many more verses than we have in the Digital Tradition. Here's "Lime Juice Ship" from Stan Hugill's "Shanties from the Seven Seas." It's similar to the two versions posted above, but I think it's worth posting.
-Joe Offer-

---

THE LIMEJUICE SHIP

1. Now, if ye want a merchant ship to sail the seas at large,
Ye'll not have any trouble if ye have a good discharge,
Signed by the Board o' Trade an' everything exact,
For there's nothin' done on a Lime juice ship contrary to the Act.

CHORUS
So haul boys yer weather mainbrace an' ease away yer lee
Hoist jibs an' tawps'ls lads an' let the ship go free,
Hurrah, boys, hurrah! We'll sing this Jubilee,
Damn an' legger the Navy, boys,
A merchant ship for me!

2. Now when ye join a merchant ship ye'll hear yer Articles read.
They'll tell ye of yer beef an' pork, yer butter an' yer bread,
Yer sugar, tea, an' coffee, boys, yer peas an' beans exact,
Yer limejuice an' vinegar, boys, according to the Act.
[Alternative last line: For what's the use of growlin' when ye know yer get yer whack.]
Ch. So-o! Haul, boys, yer weather main brace, etc.

3. No watch an' watch the first day out, according to the Act.
Ten days out we all lay aft to get our limejuice whack.
Fetch out her handy billy, boys, and clap it on the tack,
For we gonna set the mains'l, oh, according to the Act.
Ch. So-o! Haul, etc.

4. It's up the deck, me bully boys, with many a curse we go,
Awaiting to hear eight bells struck that we may go below.
Eight bells is struck, the watch is called, the log is hove exact;
Relieve the wheel an' go below, according to the Act.
Ch. So-o! Haul, etc.

Another version exists, sung to a similar tune as far as the verse is concerned, but with five verses, the fifth one being Hugill's chorus. The chorus, however, is:

Shout, boys, shout! For I tell you it's a fact,
There's nothin' done on a limejuice ship contrary to the Act.



Alternate title: ACCORDING TO THE ACT, LIME JUICE SHIP, LIME-JUICE SHIP

Source: "Shanties From the Seven Seas," Stan Hugill, 1961

@ship @sailor @English
filename[ LIMESHI3
JRO^^

Subject: Lyr Add: ACCORDING TO THE ACT / MERCHANT SHIPPING
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Aug 22 - 10:36 AM

I’ve been searching for examples of this song older than Hugill’s book, and this is what I have found:


From F. W. H. Symondson, Two Years Abaft the Mast: Or, Life as a Sea Apprentice (Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1876), page 150:

His songs were capital in every way, but the one which always sent us raving in sympathy of mind and heart was one entitled “The Merchant Shipping Act”—a clever, ironical skit upon that blundering piece of marine red-tapism. It was a little deficient in rhyme, but Jack does not mind that so long as his feelings are expressed. The chorus went

“So what’s the use of growling when you know you get your ‘whack’—
Tea, sugar, and coffee, and everything exact?
So what’s the use of growling when you know it is a fact—
Lime-juice and vinegar according to the Act?”

* * *
From Robert Elliott, “Act of God” (London: Duckworth & Co., 1907), page 356.

Hudson could hear them singing above his head a rough doggerel ditty which usually signifies discontent aboard ship, beginning, “What’s the use of growling when you know you get your whack?” Twice of late the crew had all come aft in a body to demand sufficient water, “according to the Act”; and once they had demanded more meat too.

* * *
From The Mariner’s Mirror, Vol. 6, No. 1 (London and Birmingham: J. G. Hammond, January, 1920), page 31, under the heading “Queries.”

18. The “Merchant Shipping Act.”—Can anyone give me the complete words of this song? I have heard it sung fairly often, but only remember odd lines and the chorus. A friend has sent me three stanzas and a variant of the chorus; but my recollection is that there are about a dozen verses. I have asked a number of people for the words, but though everyone remembers something of it, no one can add to what I already have, and an old friend who used to sing it through some years ago can now remember no more than the chorus. I have looked to see whether it is included in any of the several books of sea songs, but have not succeeded in finding it, nor indeed can I remember ever to have seen it in print. An alternative title is “The Lime Juice Ship.”

I’ll sing about a sailor man that sails upon the sea
In coasters and deep-water ships, wherever they may be,
Incurring needless hardships in earning others wealth.
Now this is true what I tell you, for I’ve seen it all myself.

Chorus.
But what’s the use of grumbling? You know you’ve got the whack.
You’ve got your pound, you’ve got your pint, according to the Act.
So what’s the good of grumbling? You know it is a fact
That all aboard the Lime Juice Ship’s according to the Act.

They’ve done away with coffin ships, and that’s a danger past.
It’s time enough they gave a thought to Jack before the mast.
He knows that winds and weather must somehow be endured,
But Jack could heave a rope, if things could easily be cured.

Now sometimes it’s all well enough, but other times its hard
To be hauling out to leeward with two hands upon the yard.
You set two hands to steer the wheel; that leaves the watch with four,
About enough to navigate a barge around the Nore.

The Chorus, as I have heard it, runs:—

Then shout, boys, Hurrah! For you know it is a fact
There’s nothing done in a lime-juice ship contrary to the Act.
Then what’s the use of growling when you know you get your whack,
Exactly what you signed for, by the Merchant Shipping Act.—L. G. C. L.

- - -
From Ibid., No. 3 (March, 1920), page 96, under the heading “Answers.”

18.—"The Merchant Shipping Act."—I think L. G. C. L. will find the song he wants in a collection of sea songs called “Shanties and Forebitters,” published by Curwen, 24, Berners Street. In this book I think the song is called “The Merchant Ship,” but am not sure as I have not a copy myself and am trusting to memory.—H. O. H.

* * *
From Adventure, Vol. 39, No. 4, (New York and London: The Ridgway Co., March 10, 1923), page 177:

Or, here’s an old rackety lime-juicer’s ditty:

"Cheer boys, hurrah, for I tell ye for a fac’,
There’s nothin’ done in a lime-juice ship contrary to the ac’,
Then wots the use o’ growlin’ wen ye know ye got yer whack
Of lime juice an’ vinegar, accordin’ to the ac’?”!