|
History of the Water Song: There are many women’s water songs from many different cultures, and they all have deep meaning and beauty. The Water Song in this video has a lyric that is easy to learn and does not take a long time to sing. At the 2002 Circle of All Nations Gathering, at Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada, Grandfather William Commanda asked Irene Wawatie Jerome, an Anshinabe/Cree whose family are the Keepers of the Wampum Belt to write a song that women attending the gathering would learn and spread it throughout the world. Grandmother Louise Wawatie taught the Water Song to Grandmother Nancy Andry so she could begin her mission of spreading this powerful practice. Recently, in 2017, although Grandfather William and Grandmother Louise have crossed over, Grandmother Nancy met with the Elders again in Canada, and they were unified in agreement that a video of the song should be made to hasten the teaching and widen the circle of women singing it because of the increasingly grave dangers our waters are facing. The Wawatie and Commanda families gave permission to record the song on this video. For more information go to: https://www.singthewatersong.com/ 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!
0 Comments
The traditional sea chantey, "Leave Her Johnny," sung by English folk singer Johnny Collins. Johnny Collins (10 May 1938 – 6 July 2009) was an English folk singer based in London, England, specializing in traditional maritime music and sea shanties. Collins was born in Norfolk, England and adopted by a railway worker and a music teacher living in Norwich. He joined the British Army in 1956, where he learned to play the guitar in jazz and folk clubs while posted in London. He was posted to Singapore in 1959 where he began performing in bars and cabarets in his off hours, and was posted to Hong Kong in 1965 where he began performing large concerts with other folk performers in the British and U.S. military. He also performed on television and radio (including the "Voice of America in East Asia") and played venues like the Hong Kong Hilton. In 1967 he was posted again to Singapore where he began his own folk club at the Anophel Inn. Tom Lewis and Pam Ayres performed there, among others. He was demobilized ("demobbed") in 1968, and he began to perform full-time. In 1983 he and Jim Mageean, performing as a duo, won the Intervision Song Contest in Rostock, in East Germany. Later, in 1987, they were invited by the East German government to perform at a sea shanty festival in Berlin commemorating the city's founding. Collins and his business partner Joyce Squires, assisted by Bernard Peek ran The Singing Chef. This service provided a wide range of home-cooked food at smaller folk-festivals throughout the UK. On occasions Collins sang on-stage wearing his chef's toque supported by backing singers (The Cheffettes) drawn from his kitchen brigade. Although slowed down by health problems, Collins continued to tour and perform worldwide up to the time of his death. including in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and France as well as making frequent appearances in his native country at Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races, and maritime festivals at Hull, Lancaster, Bristol, Dundee, Maldon, Portsmouth, Gosport, Greenwich and Chatham. He died on 6 July 2009 while on tour in Gdańsk, Poland, aged 71. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Collins LEAVE HER JOHNNY - LYRICS Oh the work was hard and the wages low Leave her Johnny, leave her I guess it's time for us to go And it's time for us to leave her Leave her Johnny leave her Oh leave her Johnny, leave her Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her Oh I thought I heard the old man say Leave her Johnny, leave her Oh tomorrow you will get your pay And it's time for us to leave her Leave her Johnny, leave her Oh, leave her Johnny, leave her Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her The winds blew foul and the seas ran high Leave her Johnny, leave her We shipped up green and none went by And it's time for us to leave her Leave her, Johnny, leave her Oh leave her Johnny, leave her Oh the voyage is done and Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her The mate was a bucco and the old man was a Turk. Leave her Johnny, leave her. And the boatswain was a begger with a middle name of work And it's time for us to leave her. Leave her Johnny, leave her, Oh leave her Johnny, leave her. Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her. The old man swears, and the mate swears too, Leave her Johnny, leave her. The crew all swear, and so would you And it's time for us to leave her, Leave her Johnny, leave her, Oh leave her Johnny, leave her. Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And its time for us to leave her. The starboard pump is like the crew Leave her Johnny, leave her. It's all worn out and will not do And it's time for us to leave her, Leave her Johnny, leave her, Oh leave her Johnny, leave her. Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her. The rats have gone and we the crew Leave her Johnny, leave her. It's the time be-damned that we went too And it's time for us to leave her, Leave her Johnny, leave her, Oh leave her Johnny, leave her. Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her. Well I pray that we shall ne're more see Leave her Johnny, leave her. A hungry ship, the likes of she And it's time for us to leave her, Leave her Johnny, leave her, Oh leave her Johnny, leave her. Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow And it's time for us to leave her. 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!
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. The Hudson River Valley was settled by people who came from many parts of the world. They often brought with them the songs they had known in their homeland and, in time, these songs acquired a local flavor. One of these songs originally came from Ireland in a somewhat different form. John Allison, who wrote “Hudson River Steamboat” adapted and arranged this traditional song – and called it Tarrytown. https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW05257.pdf TARRYTOWN - LYRICS In Tarrytown I did dwell And a lovely youth, I knew him well. He courted me, my life away, But now with me he will no longer stay. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. There is an inn, in Tarrytown, Where my loves goes and sits him down. He takes another on his knee, For she has gold and riches more than me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. When I wore my apron low, He’d follow me through rain and snow, Now that I wear my apron high, He goes right down my street and passes by. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grass growin’ over me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grass growin’ over me. In Tarrytown I did dwell And a lovely youth, I knew him well. He courted me, my life away, But now with me he will no longer stay. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growin’ over me. 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!
An original song by Melissa Holland. Performed by Melissa Holland (keyboard and vocals) with photography by Paul Hewitt. Melissa and Paul live in Beacon, New York on the Hudson River. Beacon was Pete Seeger's home town, and he was dedicated to revitalizing the Hudson after it had been badly contaminated by pollution. Melissa Holland performed regularly with Pete Seeger, and she performs regularly at the Hudson Valley Folk Guild. THE HUDSON RIVER FLOWS - LYRICS We know the Hudson River flows North and South, fast and slow We know the Hudson River flows She’s alive and well today Years ago, they said she was dead But people got together and they used their heads Some said the future looked grim But they dove right in We know the Hudson River flows North and South, fast and slow We know the Hudson River flows She’s alive and well today Working, planning, side by side Before too long they turned the tide But the job is never done It goes on and on We know the Hudson River flows North and South, fast and slow We know the Hudson River flows She’s alive and well today Put those big old frackers down Leave the gas underground There’s power sources we’ve ignored. That we can explore. If we want her to stay Education is the way Don’t give up Stand your ground and pass the torch on down. We know the Hudson River flows North and South, fast and slow We know the Hudson River flows She’s alive and well today She’s alive and well today She’s alive and well today 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!
Vienna Carroll performs this version of Shallow Brown, a Caribbean sea shanty. Ms. Carroll has written a musical play about pre-Civil War Black sailors. The sea shanty Shallow Brown is a song by and about a Jamaican slave sold off to a Yankee ship owner, who is jumping ship to find a better life. Shallow Brown shares the under-told story of the critical impact of Black sailors on the antebellum maritime economy and on the lives of the Black community and it highlights their activities in the Underground Railroad. Vienna presented an excerpt (and research journey) at the 39th Mystic Sea Music Festival Symposium in 2018 and debuted a full reading at the Langston Hughes House in Harlem in the Fall. She kicked off the first Langston Hughes playwright showcase to a packed house on May 3, 2019. Vienna was scheduled to perform at the Cold Springs Whaling Museum and at the 41st Mystic Sea Music Festival this year in 2020. http://shallowbrown.com/ Vienna Carroll is a singer, playwright, actor, historian and herbalist. Vienna learned music from the Black Ladies of her youth, including her fearsome great grandmother who played guitar to country singer Minnie Pearl on Saturday night radio but only proper Pentecostal chords in church on Sunday. Vienna also sang in the choir at her family’s AME church, and attended her godmother’s Baptist church. At her Alabama grandmother’s 125 acre working farm, she listened to gospel and country on the radio and joined in the Sunday church services an hour’s drive away down a dusty road, where singing was often accompanied only by the hand clapping and shouting of its fervent members. She later formalized her study of early African American music and culture at Yale University, where she received a BA in African American Studies. http://viennacarroll.com/ SHALLOW BROWN - LYRICS Say I’m going away to leave you, Oh, Shallow Brown Yes, I’m going away to leave you, Oh, Shallow Brown Say I’m signed on to a whaler, Oh, Shallow Brown I’m signed on for a sailor, Oh, Shallow Brown Well I've got my clothes in order, Oh, Shallow Brown ‘Cause my packet leaves tomorrow, Oh, Shallow Brown Say I love you Juliana, Oh, Shallow Brown Yes I love you Juliana, Oh, Shallow Brown Say my master’s gonna sell me, Oh, Shallow Brown Says he’ll sell me to a Yankee, Oh, Shallow Brown Says he’ll sell me for a dollar, Oh, Shallow Brown A big, fat Spanish dollar, Oh, Shallow Brown Gonna climb the Chili mountain, Oh, Shallow Brown Gonna find the silver fountain, Oh, Shallow Brown Say I’m bound away for to leave you, Oh, Shallow Brown But I never will deceive you, Oh, Shallow Brown Fare you well, my Juliana, Oh, Shallow Brown Fare you well, my Juliana, Oh, Shallow Brown 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!
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. The men who sailed the sloops on the Hudson River, a hundred years or more ago, came from the farms and villages along its shores. Even long after they became experienced skippers, they spoke and thought more like farmers than sailors. They knew, or came to know, that the moon affected the tides. They knew that when the moon was in the Apogee, the tides were apt to run low and slow, and that when the moon was in the Perigee, the tides were likely to run higher and faster. Being farmers and countrymen at heart, they translated these terms into something with which they were familiar. And so they said that when the moon was in Apogee – it was in the apple tree. And when the moon was in Perigee, it was in the pear tree. https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW05257.pdf THE MOON IN THE PEAR TREE - LYRICS Look up, sailor, and you’ll see, The moon hangin’ up in the old pear tree, The old pear tree on the crest of the hill, While the moon draws the tide and the rivers fill. What better can a sailor hope to see Than the moon hangin’ up in the old pear tree! Look up, sailor, and you’ll see The moon hangin’ up in the apple tree, The apple tree grows in the yard out back While the moon holds the tide and the waters slack, So a sailor’s not so very glad to see The moon hangin’ up in the apple tree. Look up, sailor, and don’t be sad, The wind and the tide are bringin’ up shad, The shad and smelt and the sturgeon too, Comin’ up the River like they used to do. So look up, sailor, and pray to see The moon hangin’ up in the old pear tree. Look ahead, sailor, and you’ll see, Times a-comin’ back like they used to be, When the water’s clear and way up high Once more you see the stars in a clear blue sky. What better can a sailor hope to see Than the moon hangin’ up in the old pear tree. 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!
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. Whenever two boats, whether they were sailing sloops or side-wheel steamers, were heading in the same direction on the Hudson River they challenged each other to a race. These races were not always sport alone. Since the sloops carried farm products from one town landing to the next along the river, there were commercial advantages in being the first to dock and start selling their cargo. Some of the races were establish a reputation for being a fast sailor – such as the race between the “Sally B.” and the “Ben Franklin” as they sailed upriver one summer day. https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW05257.pdf The Old "Ben Franklin" and the Sloop "Sally B. LYRICSThe sloop “Sally B”. sailing up the Tappan Zee, As fast a little sloop as you’d ever want to see. She was ninety feet tall and had a boom to match The little “Sally B.” was always pretty hard to catch. The old “Ben Franklin” was a mighty fast one too, The mainsail and the jib they were both brand new, And the captain Mike Payne, he swore a mighty oath That he’d beat the “Sally B.” or sink them both. Then the old “Ben Franklin” and the saucy “Sally B.” Started racing up the river from the Tappan Zee. “Sally” led the race every bit of the way From the beginning to the end of the Haverstraw Bay. Then they turned into the river where it wasn’t very wide, At much closer quarters they were side by side, And the skippers both agreed that the race would end At the very next point around the very next bend. Now lying dead ahead and looming very large, Loaded with stone was an up-state barge. The tide had turned her broadside and there she lay They couldn’t sail around her there wasn’t any way. Oh, the old ”Ben Franklin” and the saucy ” Sally B.” As fast a pair of sloops as you’d ever want to see, They hit the barge together and they both sank fast But the old “Ben Franklin” hit the bottom last! 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! History of the Delaware & Hudson Canal - Supplying coal to the 19th century industrial era. From its opening in 1828 till its closing in 1899, the barges of the D&H canal carried anthracite coal from the mines of Northeastern Pennsylvania to the Hudson River at Kingston where it was transshipped to market in New York City. William Wurts was the first to explore the anthracite coal fields of North East Pennsylvania. He believed anthracite, sometimes known as “hard coal” could be burnt for heating and fueling of steam boilers. He brought samples back to Philadelphia for successful testing. When restrictions were placed on the import of British coal and inspired by the success of the newly opened Erie Canal , Wurts wanted to build a canal of his own from Pennsylvania to New York, through the narrow valley between the Shawangunk Ridge and the Catskill Mountains ending at the Hudson River near Kingston. William convinced his brothers Charles and Maurice to join him in creating the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. In 1823 they successfully obtained charters from the States of New York and Pennsylvania to establish the canal company. Unlike the Champlain and Erie Canals the D&H company was to be privately financed. To attract investment, the brothers arranged for a demonstration of burning of anthracite in New York City in January of 1825. The reaction was enthusiastic, and the stock oversubscribed within hours raising 1.3 million dollars. D&H canal construction started in May 1825 and was completed October 1828 with the labor of 2500 men. The engineering challenges were significant as the canal had to climb 600 feet from the Hudson River at Rondout to reach the Delaware River and then proceed to Honesdale Pennsylvania. Overall 108 locks were required to travel the 108 miles. Fifteen miles of gravity railroad brought the coal over mountains, which were too steep for a canal, from the mines near Carbondale to be loaded on barges at Honesdale. The canal had to cross the Delaware River and did so using a slack water dam allowing barges to float across relatively still water of the Delaware. In 1847 a suspension bridge aqueduct designed by the now famous engineer John A. Roebling, increased traffic capacity and reduced conflict with log rafters bringing timber down river. The canal was quite successful and by 1832 carried 90,000 tons of coal and three million board-feet of lumber. Also shipped down the canal was Rosendale cement, bluestone, and agricultural products. With the canal’s success the communities along the canal grew into vibrant villages and towns. High Falls, Ellenville, Wurtsboro, and Port Jervis are present day reminders of the canal’s economic impact. During the later part of the 19th century, the canal faced increasing competition from railroads which ultimately benefited from a more direct route across New Jersey and the ability to operate for much of the winter, while the canal boats were wintering over, iced in at Rondout and New York. The canal ceased operation in 1899.Unlike many other canals of the 19th century the D&H canal remained a profitable private operation for most of its existence. Roy Justice is a singing historian known as a Time Travelling Minstrel. He presents programs on different aspects and topics of American History, combining music of the time period with the historical landscape within which the music was a part. https://royhjustice.com/home THE D & H CANAL - LYRICS Around and round the Wurtsboro Bend The big boat chased the squeezer Ed Lax’s boat had passed them both Slicker than the weasel In eighteen hundred and seventy-eight the canal was hit by a freshet The embankment broke and flooded the vly The damage was terrific. A load of cement went through the break Houses and barns were uprooted To try and save whatever they could To the river the big boat scooted There was a girl named Sarah Jane And a youth named Samuel They courted long and happily On the D&H Canal They loved each other tenderly And the Rosendale folks all said That before the boating season was o’er These lovers would be wed. These lovers would be wed. But they never did, for he succumbed to hard times. And his lifeless body was buried six feet beneath the sod Along the Twelve Mile level. And e’re her lover was dead one week She started keeping company With a junk dealer that did live up back in Rondout. Up back in Rondout. From “Of Canals and Coal”. Roy Justice Time Travelling Minstrel. 2007. 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!
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. "The Hudson River has been many things to many people. During the Revolutionary War, the Americans regarded it as their lifeline. To the British, it was not only an invasion route from Canada, but the dividing line that could cut the American colonies in two. In the summer of 1776, the British under General Burgoyne came down from Canada to seize the upper Hudson while a great British naval force entered New York harbor with the intention of seizing the lower Hudson. Two small British frigates were sent up into the Hudson to test the strength of the American defenses. The 44-gun Phoenix, under Captain Hyde Parker, and the 20-gun Rose, under Captain James Wallace, along with three escort vessels forced their way through a tremendous bombardment from the American forts on the Manhattan and Jersey shores. They reached the Tappan Sea virtually unharmed and spent the entire summer terrorizing the towns and villages along the River as far north as Peekskill. The British made many attempts to land, seizing cattle and other previsions wherever they could. They were not always successful, as we hear in this ballad describing an attempted attack on Peekskill." 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. https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/folkways/FW05257.pdf "THE PHOENIX AND THE ROSE" LYRICS Upon the lordly Hudson On a pleasant summer's day, His Majesty's ships Phoenix and the Rose at Anchor lay. They had spent the day in shooting up The towns along the shore, A sport the gunners much enjoyed But the captains found a bore. It was tea time on the Phoenix, So the Captain rang his bell And he asked the Captain's Steward “Now then where's my tea, pray tell?” The Steward was embarrassed And he said, “Well, Sir, you see, There's not a blinking thing aboard To serve you with your tea.” “Not a thing aboard the Phoenix With her four-and-forty guns! Not a thing aboard the Phoenix In her gross two-hundred tons? Not a blinking thing aboard the ship To serve me with my tea? What sort of nonsense, Steward, Is this you're telling me!” “It's been quite a busy day, Sir, What with all the shelling. And the raiding and the burning And the general raise-helling. What's more the natives are unhappy, Sir, And we've aroused their ire, And some have them , by God, Sir, Have dared return our fire!” The Steward then went on to say That in view of all the shooting, There'd been precious little time to spare For foraging and looting. Because of which, aboard the ship Of some four-and-forty guns, There was not a single thing to eat But some carrots and stale buns. “Now blast me eyes and damme too!” Cried Captain Sir Hyde Parker, “Bestir yourself and bestir the crew Before it gets much darker! Lower a boat or two or four And pull for that damn rebellious shore And capture and seize a well-stocked store Or I'll give the lot of you what for!” Meanwhile aboard the frigate Rose There was scarcely a bite or nibble, And Captain Wallace sent his boats ashore With orders not to quibble, But to take whatever they came upon, Whatever was to their taste, “Now hurry, me lads”, the Captain said, “There's little time to waste!” The crew of the gallant Phoenix now Had stormed the Peekskill shore, And joined by the crew of the gallant Rose They marched on the Peekskill store. Not a rebel at all did they meet in town, Not a single shot was fired, The Peekskill folk had taken their wives And prudently retired. Into the empty town they went, As bold as they could be, Into the vacant stores they stormed In search of things for tea. Alas, they found but empty shelves, Not a single thing remained, At which the sailors cursed the town In language unrestrained. Not a scrap of food in all the town, Not a single bite to eat, And the bugler scarcely had the strength To sound the sad retreat. Back to their ships they slowly rowed, In anger and in sorrow, For they had no tea on that summer's day And they had none for tomorrow. Upon the lordly Hudson, On a pleasant summer's night, The villagers of Peekskill Beheld a pleasant sight. The British ships had sailed away, Hungry from head to toes, And Peekskill won the battle With the Phoenix and the Rose. 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!
An original song by Melissa Holland, performed by Ms Holland (keyboard and vocals) with photography by Paul Hewitt. Melissa and Paul live in Beacon, NY located in Dutchess County on the Hudson River. Beacon was Pete Seeger's hometown, and he was dedicated to revitalizing the Hudson after it had been badly contaminated by pollution. Melissa Holland performed regularly with Pete Seeger, and this was his favorite song of hers. She's an active member and regular performer at the Hudson Valley Folk Guild and the Hyde Park Free Library. I'M SO LUCKY I LIVE BY THE RIVER (HUDSON RIVER)" LYRICS I’m so lucky I live by the river I’m so lucky I can hear the sound Of the waves against the rocks And the rustling of the trees See the skies reflection change from blue to bright green I’m so lucky I live by the river I’m so lucky I live by the river I’m so lucky the mountains reach its shores Towering above me, like giant palace walls These ancient granite statues make me feel so safe and small I’m so lucky I live by the river I can swim or climb, I can sit and stare I can slow down time or immerse myself in prayer I’m so lucky I live by the river I’m so lucky to walk out on the dock And watch the colored kayaks race on by The graceful sailboats lean The fishermen so quiet cast their lines and cast their dreams I’m so lucky I live by the river 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!
|
AuthorThis blog is written by Hudson River Maritime Museum staff, volunteers and guest contributors. Archives
September 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed