Lyr/Chords Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'

Subject: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:33 AM

I'm on the lookout for lyrics/chords to this song (I believe the title's correct) which is sung to the tune of "A Blacksmith courted me" and "To be a Pilgrim" of course. Thanks for any help here.

Gordon Tyrrall sings a great version of this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: MMario
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:39 AM

This one?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:39 AM

In the DT as Our Captain Cried All Hands

Subject: Lyr Add: OUR CAPTAIN CRIED ALL HANDS
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:40 AM

http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~zierke/martin.carthy/songs/ourcaptaincriedallhands.html

Our captain cried, All hands and away tomorrow
Leaving these girls behind in grief and sorrow.
What makes you go abroad, fighting for strangers
When you could stop at home, free from all dangers?

You courted me a while just to deceive me
Now my heart you have gained, and you means to leave me
Saying, There's no belief in men, not my own brother
So girls if you can love, love one another

When I had gold in store oh you did invite me
And now I'm low and poor you seems to slight me
Dry off your brandy tears and leave off weeping
For happy we shall be at our next meeting

Oh I'll roll you in my arms me dearest jewel
So stay at home with me and don't be cruel
She fell down on the ground like one was dying
This house was full of grief, sighing and crying

Farewell me dearest friends, father and mother
I am your only child, and I have no brother
It's in vain to weep for me for I am going
To where the lasting joy's with fountains flowing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:44 AM

The speed of response of you mudcatters just amazes me! - thanks folks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 10:17 AM

There have been several earlier discussions here of this song, and the text recorded by Carthy posted more than once, I think. All too often people post songs without indicating any traditional source, but I've provided some of that information in earlier threads. For a list of relevant material available here, see my post in

Lyr Req: Lyrics and the unknown title

The rather useful onsite search engine returns a fair few hits for, for example, our captain cried (including the thread mentioned above), but the song isn't always called by that name, so it's a question of following a series of links.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 10:20 AM

Thanks Malcolm - and I'm getting the point about using the mudcat searches before making requests! - I'll look around for the chords now....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: Terry K
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 12:37 PM

Jim, if you find the chords, come back and post them for us. Thanks.

Terry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: pavane
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 02:54 PM

This is one of the many songs which can be found in the Bodleian Ballad library. It is found under the name The Distressed Maid

In fact, To Be a Pilgrim is sung to the tune of Our Captain cried, which was the original, rather than the other way round.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: asirovedout
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 04:39 PM

Any ideas about the meaning of the last ('fountains flowing') verse?

Because in the version I knew it included 'I have no brother', I've always assumed that this verse, like the first, is spoken by the young man causing the distress (who I believe is running off to the war where he can conveniently disappear, presumed gloriously killed).

@

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 12:32 PM

I'm still searching for the Chords to this song - anyone help please?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 12:58 PM

It's a fairly clear verse , I thought.

'I'm dying, don't be sad for me, I'm going to heaven'

Streams or fountains of (living) water are a common image in many hymns and elsewhere, and genrally smybolise Heaven, and specifically a peaceful and easy life there.
It comes from John 4.10, where the original symbolism is it as the acceptance of the knowledge of God. If anybody with a better knowledge of theology wants to correct me, you're welcome, but I'm sure that's the jist of it...

Don't have a clue on the chords, but can't you just transcribe from a recording? I've got the MC/swarb one, and I'm guessing that a fiddle as accompanyment isn't much use for chords. There must be a guitar one about somewhere, though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Captain cried 'All Hands!'
From: GUEST,Anne Croucher
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 01:03 PM

I don't have the fountain couplet, and the others wander about freely between verses. Once again I have no source - I can only date it to the 1970s, and that is when I wrote it down.

'Dry up your briny tears' is the second part of 'my' first verse.

The last two verses I have are

Down on the ground she fell, like one a dying
Spreading her arms abroad sighing and crying
There is no trusting man, not your own brother
So girls if you must love, love one another

Fairwell my dearest friend, Father and Mother
I am your only child you have no other
T'is vain to weep for me, for I am going
The lad I lov'd so dear has been my ruin.

Anne