Lyr Req: Heave Ya Ho (Battlefield Band)

Subject: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From:
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 01:35 AM

HELP ME PLEASE!! MY DYING GRANDMOTHER WANTS HEAVE YA HO TO BE SUNG AT A CONCERT IM DOING IN A FEW MONTHS.. i NEED LYRICS POST HASTE!!! PLEASE HELP IF YOUY CAN... THEYRE BROAD SCOTS I THINK! SONG BY DAVY STEELE FROM THE BATTLEFIELD BAND

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 03:38 AM

It may be the 'Mingulay Boat Song' you need, a search for 'mingulay' will bring up one version in the DT. Although the chorus in the DT begins 'Heel yo ho boys', I have heard it sung recently as 'Heave yo ho boys', the singer explaining that 'heave' made more sense to him than 'heel'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Noreen
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 04:58 AM

More info on the song please, Guest Mettey, and we'll try to help, but DON'T SHOUT!!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Fiolar
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 06:00 AM

The song you want is on the Battlefield CD entitled "Rain, Hail or Shine." Sorry I don't have it but you should be able to get the disk at any good music store.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 09:54 AM

That singer who likes "heave" better than "heel" must not have been in small boats much. The image of a small fishing boat gracefully heeling as it makes the turn to head for home is just right.

I saw an old edition of this song posted in a music store once, and it was originally "heel."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 04:57 PM

My music copy has 'hill' (pronounced 'heel'), and as the song was taken from the Gaelic, I've always assumed it was a bit of Gaelic that wasn't translated into English, but I'm open to suggestion.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 09:00 PM

The Mingulay Boat Song was never a Gaelic song.  It was written, in English, by Hugh S. Roberton, (d. 1952) -founder of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir- and set to a traditional tune; he wanted it to sound like a sea shanty, and chose "Mingulay" because it he thought it sounded romantic.  There is some discussion on an earlier thread, here:  Mingulay Boat Song's Minch?

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 11:54 PM

Malcolm, I am familiar with that thread. My source of the song is a little book called '101 Scottish Songs', selected by Norman Buchan and published by Collins in 1962. I have a 1972 reprint. Buchan's note at the top of the song says "Trad. Gaelic arr. Robertson", and in the 'Acknowledgments' he credits the copyright to J Curwen & Sons Ltd and states his source for the song as 'Songs of the Isles', which was edited by Hugh S. Robertson. Not having access to 'Songs of the Isles', I can't comment on whatever notes may be there. Buchan only gives two verses, and a slightly different chorus from that in the DT.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From:
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 06:19 AM

It was a tune which they refer to there, Joan. I believe that someone had said he had taken a traditional pipe tune from the Lochaber region, Creag Guanach, and wrote those words. I thought it was mentioned in the thread mentioned in the thread mentioned above.

Subject: Lyr Add: SMITH OF BRISTOL (sung by The Dubliners)
From: Fiolar
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 01:26 PM

Following my posting yesterday, I checked all my record sources and came up with the following entitled "Smith of Bristol." The song is by The Dubliners and as I have not heard the Battlefield version, I am not sure if it what you are looking for. However, here it is.

"Smith was a Bristol man and a rare old sort was he;
With his cutlass and his pistols,Heave Ya Ho!
With a noble crew of cut-throats he used to scour the sea
A-plundering and a-robbing high and low.
He swore 'twas no concern; he didn't give a herrin'
About right or wrong or any holy show.
He swore that grabbing booty was Britain's foremost duty,
Wherever She could get it, Heave Ya Ho.

"Chorus:
Heave Ya Ho, Heave Ya Ho, Heave Ya Ho, Heave Ya Ho!
He swore that grabbing booty was Britain's foremost duty.
Wherever She could get it. Heave Ya Ho.

"For Smith was a noble soul and lofty was his pride;
With his cutlass and his pistols, Heave Ya Ho.
He'd watch his beaten foemen jump out into the tide.
Call 'Ye beggars ye had no where else to go.'
And hanging on his lanyards were Portugese and Spaniards
And beaten Frenchmen jumping too and fro.
Right along the blazing story shall illumed in England's glory.
Pirate Smith of Bristol, Heave Ya Ho.

Chorus.

"But accidents will happen, even to heroes such as he
With his cutlass and his pistols, Heave Ya Ho.
He was standing at his capstain as happy as could be;
Hoping soon to have another prize in tow.
When a whistling Spanish bullet came and caught him in the gullet,
And very sad to say laid him low.
He was only 97 but his soul has gone to heaven
To rest on Nelson's bosom, Heave Ya Ho.

Chorus."

Excuse the punctuation but I took it down as it sounded. Would like to know if that is the version you are seeking. Mike.

---

Line breaks added. --JoeClone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From:
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 02:01 AM

If it is the Mingulay Boat Song, the words I learned from Liam Clancy in 1971 are as on the DT except: What care we how white the spray is, What care we for the wind and weather,; and Wives are waiting at the peer head, all lookin' seaward from the heather,. I've never heard the third verse before - will sure add it to my rep.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 07:06 PM

Ieeneia, thanks for explaining 'heel'! I've always wondered about that term, but not being familiar with boats and sailing just thought it might be a nonsense word. Makes much more sense now! - Susanne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 02:23 PM

"Heave Ya Ho" was indeed written by Davy Steele and recorded by the Battlefield Band on their CD "Rain, Hail or Shine," 1998, Temple #2074. It is also on "A Tribute" by Drinkers Drouth with Davy Steele Greentrax #223.

I couldn't find the lyrics, but since I have no evidence this song is related to The Mingulay Boat Song, or to Smith of Bristol, it appears that the original request has not been answered.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 02:38 PM

HEAVE YA HO is definitely not the Mingulay Boat song.

It starts:

Man your boats, and leave "The Whale"
What care we for calm or gale
I'd take a drink for as long as you can
And brandy's good (I can't make out what he sings here)

CHORUS: Heave ya ho, and away we'll go
Heave ya ho, and away-o
Heave ya ho, and away we'll go
Heave ya ho, and away-o

Wait ye young Lads, there all the same,
Mag and Meg and Jeanie and Jane
Oh how they laugh when we sail
But oh how they're gone when (I can't make out what he sings here) CHORUS.

From here, I completely re-wrote the song. I am hoping that, seeing the beginning of the song, someone else might be able to pick up where I left off.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 24-Mar-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From:
Date: 24 Mar 02 - 08:02 PM

From KMSU World Beat Playlist: June 1998, Mark R. Thomas

Heave Ya Ho

The basis of this song was sung to Davy of The Battlefield Band by an old oyster fisherman from Prestonpans, a small town on the Firth of Forth. The oystermen fished in two rowing boats, heading parallel to each other and the shore with a weighted net dragging (or dreggin) between them. Songs like "Heave Ya Ho" would help them keep rowers and therefore the boats in time with each other.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Battlefield Band 'HEAVE YA HO.'
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 25 Mar 02 - 02:33 AM

The Mingulay Boat Song was the work of Sir Hugh Roberton of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir, was it not?

Subject: Lyr Add: HEAVE YA HO (Davy Steele)
From: Hamish
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 04:12 AM

HEAVE YA HO

Man your boats, leave the Whale
What care we for calm or gale?
Aye, tak' a drink as lang's ye can:
Brandy's guid amang het ale;
Heave ya ho, and away we go
Heave ya ho, and away-oh!
Heave ya ho, and away we go
Heave ya ho, and away-oh!

Wave tae yer lass: they're a' the same
Mag an' Meg and Jeannie and Jane.
Oh how they laugh when we hae fish,
But oh how they girn when we hae nane;
Heave ya ho, and away we go…

Lady Twynfords lang tails
Comin' doon the brae-oh
She maun get a' the cream o' the milk
An' we maun get the whey-oh;
Heave ya ho, and away we go…

What care we for wind or storm?
What care we for gale-oh?
Gin we maun haul a' the creel ower the side
We'll drink the milk o' the Whale-oh;
Heave ya ho, and away we go…

...I remember Davey giggling at the thought of chasing a whale with a bucket to try to get the milk. But of course, it's the name of the pub, and the milk is beer, brandy, etc.

Enjoy!

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 1-Apr-02.