_The_clipper_ship_era_1843-1869_(1910)_page_164_(14595891548).jpg) The "Nightingale," the real one, but probably not the one referred to in the song. As we approach the opening of our new exhibit, "A New Age of Sail: The History and Future of Sail Freight on the Hudson River," we thought we'd introduce this classic folk song about a collier named Nightingale by Stan Rogers. In it, a brave captain sacrifices himself to save his crew. Rogers was a Canadian folk singer who wrote "The Flowers of Bermuda" in 1978, apparently based on a true story. He wrote of the song, "I took my first trip to Bermuda in May, 1978 and loved it. While I was there, I discovered that the whole area around Bermuda is a kind of ship graveyard. I found a map showing the location of most of the known wrecks and discovered that a coal carrier called the Nightingale sank off the North Rock in the early 1880s. The rest of the details are pure invention, except for the fact that Bermuda is lovely." There was in fact a collier named Nightingale, although she foundered in the North Atlantic in the 1890s, not Bermuda in the 1880s. However, North Rock Reef in Bermuda was home to several shipwrecks, and you can still dive some today. Stephen Winick of Sing Out! magazine looked further into the history of Rogers' song and ship, and may have found the real vessel that inspired the song. Colliers were important cargo sailing vessels throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as they were able to ship coal without using any of it to fuel themselves. Bermuda was an important coaling station for the British Royal Navy's steamships and so the semi-fictional Nightingale would have been bringing coal from England or the United States to resupply the coaling station at Bermuda. Early steamships could not carry enough coal to go long distances without refueling, so stations like Bermuda were crucial to Naval operations. The Flowers Of Bermuda by Stan Rogers He was the captain of the Nightingale Twenty-One days from clyde in coal. He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale, When he died on the North Rock Shoal. Just five short hours from Bermuda, in a fine October gale, There came a cry "O there be breakers dead ahead!" From the Collier Nightingale. No sooner had the captain brought her round, Came a rending crash below. Hard on her beam ends groaning went the Nightingale, And overside her mainmast goes. He was the captain of the Nightingale Twenty-One days from clyde in coal. He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale, When he died on the North Rock Shoal. "O Captain are we all for drowning?" Came the cry from all the crew. "The boats be smashed, How are we all then to be saved? They are stove in through and through." Oh, are ye brave and hearty collier men? Or are ye blind and cannot see? The captain's gig still lies before ye whole and sound. It shall carry all O' we. He was the captain of the Nightingale Twenty-One days from clyde in coal. He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale, When he died on the North Rock Shoal. But when the crew was all assembled, And the gig prepared for sea, Twas seen there were but eighteen places to be manned, Nineteen mortal souls were we. But cries the captain "now do ye not delay, Nor do ye spare a thought for me, My duty is to save ye all now if I can, See ye return quick as can be." He was the captain of the Nightingale Twenty-One days from clyde in coal. He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale, When he died on the North Rock Shoal. Oh there be flowers in Bermuda. Beauty lies on every hand. And there be laughter, ease, and drink for every man, But there is no joy for me. For when we reached the wretched Nightingale, What an awful sight was plain, The captain drowned, lay tangled in the mizzen chain, Smiling bravely beneath the sea. He was the captain of the Nightingale Twenty-One days from clyde in coal. He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale, When he died on the North Rock Shoal. To learn more about colliers and other sail freight vessels, be sure to check out "A New Age of Sail: The History and Future of Sail Freight on the Hudson River," opening Sunday, May 22, 2022! If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
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 Screenshot of Pete Seeger singing "Garbage" from the 1986 documentary film, "The Mountain in the City." It's nearly Earth Day, so we thought we'd honor the environment with the Hudson River's most famous advocate - Pete Seeger. In this excerpt from the 1986 documentary film "The Mountain in the City," Seeger sings the song "Garbage" live with trash barges in New York Harbor in the background. The film was produced by New York State Legislative Commission on Solid Waste Management and has been digitized and shared by the New York State Archives. Originally written by folk musician Bill Steele in 1969 after observing the practice dumping trash into San Francisco Bay to create fill for new construction, the song was an instant hit, coinciding with the first Earth Day in 1970. Covered by a number of folk musicians, including Seeger, "Garbage" remains a popular environmental anthem today. It was appropriate to include in "The Mountain in the City," as New York City at the time dumped its garbage directly into the ocean, a practice that did not stop until 1992. GARBAGE - LYRICS Mister Thompson calls the waiter, orders steak and baked potato (Then) he leaves the bone and gristle and he never eats the skin The busboy comes and takes it, with a cough contaminates it (And he) puts it in a can with coffee grounds and sardine tins And the truck comes by on Friday and carts it all away A thousand trucks just like it are converging on the Bay Oh, Garbage, garbage, garbage, garbage We're filling up the seas with garbage What will we do when there's no place left To put all the garbage Mr. Thompson starts his Cadillac and winds it down the freeway track Leaving friends and neighbors in a hydrocarbon haze He's joined by lots of smaller cars all sending gases to the stars There to form a seething cloud that hangs for thirty days And the sun licks down into it with an ultraviolet tongue (Till it) turns to smog and then it settles in our lungs Oh, Garbage, garbage We're filling up the sky with garbage Garbage, garbage What will we do, when there's nothing left to breathe but garbage Getting home and taking off his shoes he settles with the evening news While the kids do homework with the TV in one ear While Superman for thousandth's time sell talking dolls and conquers crime (They) dutifully learn the date of birth of Paul Revere In the paper there's a piece about the mayor's middle name (And) he gets it done in time to watch the all-star bingo game Oh, Garbage We're filling up our minds with garbage What will we do when there's nothing left to read And there's nothing left to need There's nothing left to watch There's nothing left to touch There's nothing left to walk upon And nothing left to ponder on Nothing left to see And nothing left to be but garbage In Mr. Thompson's factory they're making plastic Christmas trees Complete with silver tinsel and a geodesic stand The plastic's mixed in giant vats, from some conglomeration that's Been piped from deep within the Earth, or strip-mined from the land And if you ask them questions they say "why don't you see? It's absolutely needed for the economy." Oh, garbage, garbage, garbage Their stocks and their bonds all garbage What will they do when their system go to smash There's no value to their cash There's no money to be made That there's a world to be repaid Their kids will read in history book About financiers and other crooks And feudalism and slavery And nukes and all their knavery To history's dustbin they're consigned, Along with many other kinds of garbage If you'd like to learn more about Seeger and his role and the role of the Hudson River in the modern environmental movement, check out our online exhibit, Rescuing the River.
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"Fat Cat Blue and The Clean Rivers Song" was released in 2009 as part of a series called "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth," and is one of 11 environmentally-themed songs from the series. Schoolhouse Rock was originally designed as between-program educational animated songs aired on public television and first launched in 1973. Originally airing from 1973 to 1984, new songs were released along with the old in the mid-1990s and in the early 2000s a new crop of songs were created and released.
FAT CAT BLUE: THE CLEAN RIVERS SONG - LYRICS
Mouse: That's one swell river, huh, Cat? Fat Cat: Yeah, it's a real cat's meow. But you know, Mouse, it ain't always been such a dandy. Now let's get a wiggle. Lily Delight, your paintbrush is dripping white. Chorus: (singing) Down it goes, it's going down the river Mouse: It's floating in the river Fat Cat: Backyard Barber throws clippings right down the drain. Chorus: Down they go, they're going down the river Mouse: It ends up in the river Fat Cat Blue: A swanky old blankie. (singing) A trash can or two (speaking) Hey there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue". Ooh Little Betsy, those fish lay their eggs upstream. Chorus: Down they go, they're swimming down through the river Mouse: They can't swim up the river Fat Cat Blue: Hey there, skipper. That slime's blooming everywhere. Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river Mouse: It's floating in the river Fat Cat: Now, that's a clean river, skipper. (singing) A fish ladder too (speaking) Hey there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue". Chorus: We're gonna listen to "Fat Cat Blue" Fat Cat: Now for hundreds of years, these waters were sparkling clean. Lily Delight and Little Betsy: Hey, that's cool "Fat Cat Blue" Mouse: So what happened? Fat Cat: Well, I'll tell you. All of a sudden, folks started building over there, and making a dog-awful mess over there. And after a while: (singing) Down it goes, down it goes, going down Drifting through the estuary, tributary, stream or book And through the prier, down Chorus: To the river Fat Cat: Going down Chorus: Through the river Fat Cat: Going down Mouse: It's floating in the river Chorus: Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue" Fat Cat: Come on, now, we're not down yet. Let's get a wiggle. Gizmo maker, that's really quite some toxic stew. Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river Mouse: It's floating in the river Fat Cat: Landfill Baron, that rubbish has gone adrift. Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river Mouse: It's floating in the river Fat Cat: Recycle that rubbish. (singing) And clean up that stew (speaking) Hey, there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue". Ooh Well, Mouse, I figure we should call it a day. You see, we got a lot of work to do tomorrow to make sure that this here river never gets like that again. Mouse: Yeah, Cat. That river is quite a dandy. Chorus: A beautiful river We'll leave it to you Fat Cat Blue: Now that's why you gotta get on board with "Fat Cat Blue".
Special thanks to Bill Peckmann for suggesting this song!
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When it comes to song lyrics, the Hudson River is truly global. Today's Music Monday song is by Swedish singer songwriter Eva Eastwood (birth name Eva Östlund). Although primarily a rockabilly artist, Eastwood's 2006 album, Ton of Heart, took a more country/folk turn, and featured all-English songs, including "Hudson River." Today, Eastwood remains a top-charting artist in Sweden. HUDSON RIVER SONG - LYRICS by Eva Eastwood As far as I could see now, Mama I stood in front of a big wall and the hole you left within my heart kept me listenin' for an important call And I promise you that I stood up When I heard somebody say let's let her A voice as strong as the Hudson River. 5 o'clock a.m. I turned to see what your friend had got In spite of who I am he opened up for me a shot And the love that he delivered Was as deep as the Hudson River Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah Maybe I ain't never turned to God If I could have kept you here for real Maybe I ain't never been so odd If I wouldn't have had this heart to heal And I done so many stupid things At the time I thought that I would wither When I was lonesome as the Hudson River To feel the whole of you, I turned to see what your friend had got In spite of who I am he opened up for me a shot And imagined I needed a forgiver Just as precious as the Hudson River 5 o'clock a.m. I turned to see what your friend had got In spite of who I am he always kept the door unlocked And the tone of love that he delivered Was as strong as the Hudson River Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah  “South Sea Whalers Boiling Blubber/Boats Preparing to get a Whale Alongside” by Sir Oswald Walters Brierly (1876). Dixon Galleries, State Library of New South Wales. You may have seen sea shanties in the news lately. CNN has talked about them. And NPR. Our friends at SeaHistory did a lovely writeup, too. For some reason, these historic maritime songs have struck a chord with folks around the world. Shanties may have started their modern revival with the 2019 film, Fishermen's Friends, based on a true story about a group of Cornish fishermen whose work song chorus catapulted them to unexpected stardom in the UK. The film became available to American audiences via streaming giant Netflix in 2020. Sea songs and shanties are two different things, according to experts interviewed by JSTOR daily and Insider.com. Shanties are work songs, often designed for call-and-response. Sea songs are those about the sea, but not designed to be sung while at work. Both evoke a bygone era the lends itself to romanticism, even as the real life experience was less than ideal. "The Wellerman" and ShantytokSo why "The Wellerman" and why did Shantytok become a thing? Scottish postal worker Nathan Evans (he's since quit his job with a record deal in hand) posted a video of his acapella version of "The Wellerman," a 19th century New Zealand whaling song to TikTok with the hashtag #seashanty on December 27, 2020. Kept home by the pandemic lockdown, along with many other people around the world, Evans' version went viral. The next day, Philadelphia teenager Luke Taylor used TikTok's duet feature to add a harmonizing bass line to Evans' video. That version, too, went viral, and other TikTok users from around the world kept adding harmonies and instrumentals to build on Evans' original song. "The Wellerman," also known as "Soon May the Wellerman Come," is a song based in real life. Joseph Weller was a wealthy Englishman suffering from tuberculosis. A doctor recommended a sea voyage, and Weller and his family found their way to Australia in 1830. The next year, they purchased a barque and established a whaling station in nearby New Zealand - likely without the permission of the local Maori, who raided the station several times. The Wellers persisted until Joseph died in 1834. His sons continued whaling for several years, but sold out in 1840 and returned to Sydney. In later years the station also doubled as a general store supplying other whaling ships as well as their own. When the Wellers sold out, the station continued as a general store. So from the chorus of the song the lines, "Soon may the Wellerman come and bring us sugar and tea and rum" are likely a direct reference to the Weller family store supplying whaling ships. Read more about the history of "The Wellerman" and a biography of the Wellers. Unlike the sort of whaling practiced in Nantucket and made famous by Moby Dick (fun fact - Herman Melville actually worked on a Weller whaling ship), whaling in New Zealand in the 1830s was done from shore and was developed in response to declining sperm whale populations (learn more about shore-based whaling). Maori people in New Zealand also practiced whaling, and the crews of whaling vessels and stations were likely racially and ethnically diverse. Edward Weller himself married a Maori woman (learn more about Maori whaling traditions and the Weller connection). "The Wellerman" LyricsThe above version of "The Wellerman" is by the Irish Rovers and was filmed in 1977 aboard a sailing ship off of New Zealand. 1. There was a ship that put to sea, The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea The winds blew up, her bow dipped down, O blow, my bully boys, blow. Chorus: Soon may the Wellerman come And bring us sugar and tea and rum. One day, when the tonguin' is done, We'll take our leave and go. 2. She had not been two weeks from shore When down on her a right whale bore. The captain called all hands and swore He'd take that whale in tow. 3. Before the boat had hit the water The whale's tail came up and caught her. All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her When she dived down below. 4. No line was cut, no whale was freed; The Captain's mind was not of greed, But he belonged to the whaleman's creed; She took the ship in tow. 5. For forty days, or even more, The line went slack, then tight once more. All boats were lost (there were only four) But still the whale did go. 6. As far as I've heard, the fight's still on; The line's not cut and the whale's not gone. The Wellerman makes his regular call To encourage the Captain, crew, and all. Shanty v. ChanteyYou may have seen it spelled "chantey" or "chanteys" before, based on the French word "chanter" meaning "to sing" or "chantez" meaning "Let's sing" (both pronounced "shawn-tay"). Although most dictionaries now agree that the "correct" spelling is "shanty," "chantey" has held on in many American communities. Perhaps to differentiate it from the waterfront shack also known as a "shanty?" (that word also derives from the French - this time the French-Canadian "chantier," meaning a lumber camp shack). Or perhaps because Americans are more likely to adopt foreign words wholesale into the lexicon. Any way you spell it, chantey, chanty, shanty, or shantey - all are technically correct. The African Connection ORIGINAL CAPTION: "At the bow of the boat were gathered the negro deck-hands, who were singing a parting song. A most picturesque group they formed, and worthy the graphic pencil of Johnson or Gerome. The leader, a stalwart negro, stood upon the capstan shouting the solo part of the song, the words of which I could not make out, although I drew very near; but they were answered by his companions in stentorian tones at first, and then, as the refrain of the song fell into the lower part of the register, the response was changed into a sad chant in mournful minor key." Illustration from “Down the Mississippi” by George Ward Nichols, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 41 (246) (November 1870). Some have questioned whether the reference in "The Wellerman" to "bring us sugar and tea and rum" was a reference to slavery. But given that "The Wellerman" is set in New Zealand, it was far more likely that the reference was about delivering sailors' rations, rather than a direct connection to slavery. However, sea shanties do have a direct connection to Africa and slavery. Call and response style work songs were common in West Africa, where many people were captured and sold into slavery for hundreds of years. Enslaved people brought these work song traditions with them when they were forced into labor in the Americas. Slaves worked in fishing, on sailing ships, and even on steamboats. Slaves who loaded and unloaded steamboats often sang a style of work song that came to be known as "roustabout" songs. When combined with dance, this song style was known as "coonjine" (learn more). Singing was one way that enslaved people could push back against the brutal domination of enslavers. Some references even indicate that Black and enslaved people themselves were once called "chanteys," reflective of their singing talents. New York singer and historian Vienna Carroll (who we've featured before), has also helps preserve New York's Black maritime history through song. Her version of "Shallow Brown" recounts an enslaved man, Shallow Brown, being sold away from his wife to work on a whaling ship in the North. Whaling in particular offered opportunities for free Black sailors and whalers in the United States. As whaling shifted to the Pacific and the Arctic, Black mariners were able to escape the harsher racism of the Caribbean and the American South. You can learn more about enslaved and free Black mariners in a previous blog post by historian Craig Marin. As anyone who has ever tried to raise a sail knows, singing "Haul Away Joe" can help you work in tandem with others. Keeping a rhythm helps with hauling, rowing, pulling in nets, loading cargoes, and any other heavy task that requires more than one person to work in rhythm with another. Singing also keeps the mind occupied, but focused on the task at hand. The West African call-and-response style became integral to shanties and was quickly adopted and adapted by sailors of all ethnicities. Sources & Further ReadingShanties:
New Zealand Whaling and The Wellers:
Black Mariners and Shanties:
The Nantucket Girl's Song is a witty poem found in the journal kept by Eliza Brock, wife of Peter C. Brock, master of the Nantucket ship Lexington on a whaling voyage from May 1853 to June 1856. It sums up how many women felt about their husbands being off on whaling voyages for years at a time. Verse attributed to Martha Ford Russell, Bay of Islands, New Zealand, February 1855. Susan J. Berman, songwriter and interpreter at the Nantucket Historical Association, has set this poem to music and added a verse of her own NANTUCKET GIRL’S SONG - LYRICS By Susan J Berman (verse) Well I’ve made up my mind now to be a sailor’s wife, Have a purse full of money and a very easy life. For a clever sailor husband is so seldom at his home, That a wife can spend the dollars with a will that’s all her own. (chorus) So I’ll haste to wed a sailor and I’ll send him off to sea, For a life of independence is the pleasant life for me. Oh but every now and then I shall like to see his face, For it always seems to me to beam with manly grace. With his brow so nobly open and his dark and kindly eye, Oh my heart beats fondly whenever he is nigh. But when he says goodbye my love I’m off across the sea, First I’ll cry for his departure, then I’ll laugh because I’m free. (verse) I will welcome him most gladly whenever he returns, And share with him so cheerfully the money that he earns. For he is a loving husband, though he leads a roving life, And well I know how good it is to be a sailor’s wife. (chorus) So I’ll haste to wed a sailor and I’ll send him off to sea, For a life of independence is the pleasant life for me. Oh but every now and then I shall like to see his face, For it always seems to me to beam with manly grace. With his brow so nobly open and his dark and kindly eye, Oh my heart beats fondly whenever he is nigh. But when he says goodbye my love I’m off across the sea, First I’ll cry for his departure, then I’ll laugh because I’m free. (verse) So Nantucket girls please hear me and join in with this song, Hold fast to the tradition of great women brave and strong. For the women steer this island quite well there is no doubt And do the things most other girls can only dream about. (chorus) So I’ll haste to wed a sailor and I’ll send him off to sea, For a life of independence is the pleasant life for me. Oh but every now and then I shall like to see his face, For it always seems to me to beam with manly grace. With his brow so nobly open and his dark and kindly eye, Oh my heart beats fondly whenever he is nigh. But when he says goodbye my love I’m off across the sea, First I’ll cry for his departure, then I’ll laugh because I’m free. Oh yes, First I’ll cry for his departure, then I’ll laugh because I’m free. Source: https://susanjberman.com/track/1456721/the-nantucket-girl-s-song If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
Recorded in the summer of 1976 in Woodstock, NY Fifty Sail on Newburgh Bay: Hudson Valley Songs Old & New was released in October of that year. Designed to be a booster for the replica sloop Clearwater, as well as to tap into the national interest in history thanks to the bicentennial, the album includes a mixture of traditional songs and new songs. This album is a recording to songs relating to the Hudson River, which played a major role in the commercial life and early history of New York State, including the Revolutionary War. Folk singer Ed Renehan (born 1956), who was a member of the board of the Clearwater, sings and plays guitar along with Pete Seeger. William Gekle, who wrote the lyrics for five of the songs, also wrote the liner notes, which detail the context of each song and provide the lyrics. This booklet designed and the commentary written by William Gekle who also wrote the lyrics for: Fifty Sail, Moon in the Pear Tree, The Phoenix and the Rose, Old Ben and Sally B., and The Burning of Kingston. Pete Seeger wrote a song for a friend, Ron Ingold, a shad fisherman on the Hudson River. Ingold is one of the new breed of Hudson River fishermen who is ready to fight for the environmental health of the River and, since he is on the River almost daily, he understands the importance of that delicate balance that must be maintained between Man and Nature. He understands this far better than the “half-blind scholars” who scarcely know which way the wind is blowing or which way the currents are flowing. https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW05257.pdf Editor's Note: Hear interviews with Ron Ingold and other Hudson River commercial fishermen here: https://nyheritage.org/collections/oral-histories-hudson-river-commercial-fishermen OF TIME AND RIVERS FLOWING - LYRICS Of time and rivers flowing The seasons make a song And we who live beside her Still try to sing along Of rivers, fish, and men, And the season’s still a’coming When she’ll run clear again. So many homeless sailors, So many winds that blow, I ask the half-blind scholars Which way the currents flow. So cast your nets below And the gods of moving waters Will tell us all they know. The circles of the planets, The circles of the moon, The circles of the atoms All play a marching tune And we who would join in Can stand aside no longer Now let us all begin! Thanks to HRMM volunteer Mark Heller for sharing his knowledge of Hudson River music history for this series. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
Northwest Passage is the title track of a 1981 album by Stan Rogers. "Northwest Passage" compares the singer's own travels across the prairie provinces to the exploratory adventures of Sir John Franklin, Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson, and Henry Kelsey. Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter. Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies and Great Lakes.[1] Rogers died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Rogers This performance by The Longest Johns & El Pony Pisador is presented by Caraway Studios. El Pony Pisador are an incredible group of musicians from Barcelona. They play a fantastic combination of Sea Shanties and Irish music in a unique and spellbinding style. https://www.facebook.com/elponypisado... The Longest Johns are a fantastic group of folk singers from Bristol. Rooting their elaborate harmonies in strong bass tones with elegant highs, their sound is truly captivating and original. https://www.thelongestjohns.com The Northwest Passage - Lyrics Westward from the Davis Strait 'Tis there 'twas said to lie The sea route to the Orient For which so many died Seeking gold and glory, Leaving weathered, broken bones And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin Reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line Through a land so wide and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea Three centuries thereafter I take passage overland In the footsteps of brave Kelsey Where his "sea of flowers" began Watching cities rise before me Then behind me sink again This tardiest explorer Driving hard across the plain Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin Reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line Through a land so wide and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea And through the night, behind the wheel The mileage clicking west I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest Who cracked the mountain ramparts And did show a path for me To race the roaring Fraser to the sea Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin Reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line Through a land so wide and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea How then am I so different From the first men through this way? Like them, I left a settled life I threw it all away To seek a Northwest Passage At the call of many men To find there but the road back home again Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin Reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line Through a land so wide and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea. Thanks to HRMM volunteer Mark Heller for sharing his knowledge of Hudson River music history for this series. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
"Down in the River to Pray" (also known as "Down to the River to Pray," "Down in the Valley to Pray," "The Good Old Way," and "Come, Let Us All Go Down") is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a southern gospel song. The exact origin of the song is unknown. Research suggests that it was composed by an enslaved African-American.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_in_the_River_to_Pray DOWN TO THE RIVER TO PRAY - LYRICS As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good old way And who shall wear the robe and crown Good lord, show me the way! O brothers let's go down, Let's go down, come on down, Come on brothers let's go down, Down in the river to pray. As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good old way And who shall wear the robe and crown Good lord, show me the way! O mothers let's go down, Let's go down, come on down, Come on mothers let's go down, Down in the river to pray. As i went down in the river to pray Studying about that good old way And who shall wear the starry crown Good lord, show me the way! O fathers let's go down, Let's go down, come on down, Come on fathers let's go down, Down in the river to pray. Source: Musixmatch If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
"The Lighthouse's Tale" is a song by progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek, taken from their debut album, Nickel Creek, released in 2001. "The Lighthouse's Tale" was written by Adam McKenzie & Chris Thile. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lighthouse%27s_Tale The Lighthouse's Tale - Lyrics I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves. I keep my lamp lit, to warn the sailors on their way. I'll tell a story, paint you a picture from my past. I was so happy, but joy in this life seldom lasts. I had a keeper, he helped me warn the ships at sea. We had grown closer, 'till his joy meant everything to me. And he was to marry, a girl who shone with beauty and light. And they loved each other, And with me watched the sunsets into night. And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea. And the winds that blow remind me, Of what has been, and what can never be. She'd had to leave us, my keeper he prayed for a safe return. But when the night came, The weather to a raging storm had turned. He watched her ship fight, But in vain against the wild and terrible wind. In me so helpless, as dashed against the rock she met her end. And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea. And the winds that blow remind me, Of what has been, and what can never be. Then on the next day, my keeper found her washed up on the shore. He kissed her cold face, That they'd be together soon he'd swore. I saw him crying, watched as he buried her in the sand. And then he climbed my tower, and off of the edge of me he ran. And the waves crashing around me, the sand slips out to sea. And the winds that blow remind me, Of what has been, and what can never be. I am a lighthouse, worn by the weather and the waves. And though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way. Source: LyricFind; Songwriters: Adam Mckenzie / Chris Thile; The Lighthouse's Tale lyrics © BMG Rights Management If you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!
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