1. |
Portsmouth Harbor
03:46
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Portsmouth Harbor
Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me?
Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me?
While you’re out sailing on the deep salt sea
While you’re out sailing on the deep salt sea
Willie, Willie, do you ever think of me?
Willie, ah Willie, do you ever call my name?
Willie, ah Willie, do you ever call my name?
When the storm winds are blowing and there’s thunder in the rain
When the storm winds are blowing and there’s thunder in the rain
Willie, Willie, do you ever call my name?
Portsmouth Harbor is a cold and dreary quay
Stone hard landing for a girl the likes of me
Colder still is the wind come from the Bay
Filled his sails when my Willie sailed away
Willie, ah Willie, will I ever see thee more?
Willie, ah Willie, will I ever see thee more?
It’s been going on three years, coming on three more
Going on three years, coming on three more
Willie, Willie, will I ever see thee more?
Willie, ah Willie, will you ever marry me?
Willie, ah Willie, will you ever marry me?
And give your name to the baby a’dandling on my knee
Give your name to the baby a’dandling on my knee
Willie, Willie, will you ever marry me?
Portsmouth Harbor is a cold and dreary quay
Stone hard landing for a girl the likes of me
Colder still is the wind comes from the Bay
Filled his sails when my Willie sailed away
Sailed away, across the open ocean
Sailed away, far across the sea
Pray that someday the wind will get the notion
To send my Willie back to me
Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me?
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2. |
Mermaid's Lament
03:56
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Mermaid’s Lament
As I combed my hair one day, where the river runs into the bay
There I chanced to cast my eye on a fisherman was passing by
I’d never seen his like before as he poled his boat along the shore
Whether or no he’d fish that day, he surely stole my heart away
CHORUS:
Aye yi Aye yi yi
Aye yi Aye yi
Aye yi Aye
I sang my sweetest song for him, sure my true love’s heart to win
But as the morning passed to day, he made to sail his boat away
And if he’d heard my song at all he could fend the magic of my call
I know not just what charm he used, but it far surpassed all I could do
CHORUS
I’ve heard it said that mortal man is condemned to live upon the land
To pay the gods for sins long done when earth and sky were very young
And those who live beneath the sea are the better served to leave them be
But my poor heart was struck full sore at the thought of seeing him no more
CHORUS
I called upon the cold north wind to blow my true love back again
But as the waves began to rise, his simple boat it did capsize
My sisters say that it was me who tipped his boat into the sea
But if I did no tongue can tell, though I surely loved him much too well
CHORUS
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3. |
Wayward Wife
04:08
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Wayward Wife
As my mother’s only daughter, I was doused with holy water
And told to pawn my rosary if the future was in doubt.
When Ma she died, God save her, and in the grave they laid her,
’Twas time to seek my fortune, so to the pawn shop I set out.
Now seeing such a comely lass, the broker there did make a pass. (And)
Thinking matrimony might provide an easy life,
I thought about what could evolve and worked to harden his resolve.
He rose to the occasion and Himself took me to wife.
CHORUS:
Fol-di-rol-di-riddly-rye
Fol-di-rol-di-ray
Fol-di-rol-di-riddly-rye
Fol-di-rol-di-ray
With a ring upon my finger, I was inclined to linger—
At least until a better opportunity should knock.
One day in walks a sailor fresh off a Yankee whaler.
With a wink he pawns his pocket watch and heads back to the dock.
With feelings quite immodest and some gold inside my bodice,
I nabbed that sailor’s pocket watch, lookin’ forward to some fun.
No sooner had I left the store, my sailor spied me at the door.
Gallantly he took my arm, and we set off at a run.
CHORUS
He led me to a tavern where the better sort would never dare
To enter in to anything that smacked of honest trade.
And there we both made merry a’tipplin’ on the sherry,
Until the lookout hollered that it looked to be a raid.
We all went helter-skelter seeking any kind of shelter,
When no other but Himself it was came bursting through the door.
With references off-color, he described my sailor’s mother,
Which had to mean that he was keen on settling the score.
CHORUS
My sailor with a nimble twist did clutch some iron in his fist
And faced Himself undaunted as he hollered, “Better run!”
Though all was topsy-turvy, Himself was rather nervy.
’Twas clear he meant to stand his ground, and besides—he had a gun.
My sailor with a jaundiced eye decided things had gone awry,
And diving out the window, he took off for points unknown.
But Himself was on a bender, so he shot the poor bartender.
When they hauled him off to jail, I was left quite on my own.
CHORUS
Now sure worse things could happen to a girl who might be grapplin’
With the question of her future and what next she ought to do.
With gold inside my pocket and a ship there at the dock, it
Seemed that sailing to America might be the prudent move.
On landing here in Baltimore, I opened up a chandlery store
And though the matrons mutter that I’m but the wayward wife,
I’m happy to be sporting when the sailors come a'courting,
And at every chance, I raise a glass and I drink to the single life.
CHORUS
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4. |
Mad Jenny
04:19
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Mad Jenny
It's no other but Mad Jenny, with her fist raised to the sky
On moonless nights she walks the strand to curse the ships she spies
She mutters low so no one hears, and the winds begin to moan
And sure'n the clouds'll cover the stars, the storm starts in to blow.
CHORUS:
Oh the waves they can be wicked when Mad Jenny's on a tear
You can hear the sailors bellow as they bring their ships to wear
And the widows light a candle and kneel down beside their bed
For Jenny's on the strand tonight; tomorrow we'll count the dead.
Once she was a beauty, was courted all around
But her heart set on a sailor whose ship was outward bound
And he was gone not seven days when word came from abroad
Her sailor had deceived her, his love had proven false
Jenny's face grew dark as death, her eyes they flashed with fire
With venom on her lips she cursed the life of every sailor
Woe to them who sail too close when Jenny's been about
It's dashed upon the rocks they'll be before the night is out.
Chorus
The townsfolk tried to hang her, but the priest begged her reprieve
And no one could quite prove it, though everyone believes
She does the devil's business on the night the storms do blow
And she it is that wrecks the ships and lays the sailors low.
Chorus
Now sailors are a sorry lot, what little care have they
They steer their coursers 'round the world astride the salty spray
They take a girl in every port, little caring how it ends
But there'll be another story, when Mad Jenny takes revenge.
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5. |
Twiddles
03:28
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Twiddles
When the boats all get to sailing, and the men are off and gone
What about the women who are up and left alone
Do you think they sit and twiddle thumbs until their men come home
Well, there’s other things to twiddle when a girl’s left on her own
CHORUS:
And it’s twiddle-i-eye-di-eye-di-eye
Twiddle-di-eye-di-aye
It’s oftentimes a man will leave you broken with dismay
And it’s twiddle-i-eye-di-eye-di-eye
Twiddle-di-eye-di-aye
But there’s other things to twiddle when your man has sailed away
I remember Nelly, she was young and she was gay
She won the heart of Captain Dan until he sailed away
He left her high and dry with just a kiss upon the chin
But as his ship went sailing out, another ship sailed in . . .
CHORUS
And then there was Lucinda Brown, as fair as any maid
Her truelove went a’voyaging, a sailor man by trade
“Oh keep the fires burning love,” those are the words he spoke.
So she found herself another guy to keep that fire stoked.
CHORUS
Lucy Jeffers’ man came home and knocked upon the door.
She was as glad to see him as she’d ever been before.
He left her sleeping in the bed, but Lucy didn’t care;
Cuz the poor guy in the closet sure could use a little air.
CHORUS
Oh you hear a lot of stories ‘bout the sailors and their sport,
About how every sailor has a girl in every port
But if you added two and two, you’d figure out right quick:
It’s just because the lassies had a lad on every ship.
CHORUS
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6. |
Nasty Nell
05:18
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Nasty Nell
1. Bunky he was waiting for that big old fish to strike
Daydreamin’ ’bout women and the fights on Friday night
He hawked a loogie o’er the side and took another chew
When something starts to thrashing such as feisty fishes do
No sooner Bunky cocks his head, a female form appears
It’s Nasty Nell, the mermaid, just as sure as Boh is beer
“Dammit, Captain,” Nelly sez, “you’ve snaggled my caboose.
I’ll give you to the count of two to up and cut me loose.”
2. “Hold on, Sister,” Bunky sez, “I don’t believe we’ve met.
Why don’t you just thrash until that hook gets good and set,
And then I’ll haul you up on deck and won’t we have a time.
A salty gal such as yourself would prob’ly suit me fine.”
Now Nelly ain’t no beauty—I forgot to tell ya that. Tattoos on her biceps, and barnacles up her back, Seaweed sprouted from her chest, a scar ran cross her gut And she cursed like any blue-nose when she got her dander up:
CHORUS:
“Go to hell!” sez Nasty Nell, a’stubbing her cigar You’re nothing but a lily-livered lousy lump o’ lard I’d jump the bones of Davy Jones or sit on Ahab’s knee
Before I’d let the likes of you lay chiggered mitts on me
3. Bunky starts to chuckle, just to see the mermaid spit
Settles in his deck chair just to watch her pitch a fit.
“Tell me when you’re tired, Luv,” he sez to Nasty Nell.
“I don’t want you all tuckered when I ring that party bell.”
“Now see here,” Nasty Nell pipes up, “this isn’t any joke. Piss me off and in a flash, I’ll up and sink your boat.” ”I like a spunky lady,” Bunky answers with a grin, And he grabs his fishing tackle, and he starts to crank her in. [And it’s]
(CHORUS)
4. “There, there,” Bunky tells her, “There’s no need to feel distraught.
All’s fair in love and fishing, and, well, you’re the one’s got caught.”
But Nelly held a mirror up and flashed it from her hand.
“I got fifty bucks sez you ain’t setting foot again on land.”
With that she flipped her scaly tale and jiggled loose that hook.
She flipped old Bunk the finger and without a second look,
She dove down deep and swam away without a pretty please
As Bunky felt the water start to swirl around his knees. [And it’s]
(CHORUS)
5. It’s a lesson for the learning, for them as would be wise.
Watch out for them there mermaids what’ll cut you down to size
They are the stuff of legends such as found in any book
Why, a mermaid, she can sink ya with a single dirty look!
There’s countless songs and stories though no witnesses survive
They don’t appear inclined to leave our sailor boys alive
They’ll flash that blasted mirror and down in the drink you’ll drop
Just ask our buddy Bunky next time he washes up. [And it’s]
(CHORUS)
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7. |
The Siren's Song
04:05
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The Siren’s Song
Said the siren to the sailor,
“What makes you think I’d want your sorry ass
Washed up here on my beach?
I’m so outta your reach.
Just goes to show there’s nothing ever comes for free.
You say you got my number—
It was scribbled on some drunken sailor’s dank and hairy palm.
You got it all wrong.
Just goes to show you can’t believe everything that you read.
We just come to this beach to sing.”
CHORUS:
And when we sing, we sing the blue ocean
We sing the whitecaps, we sing the waves
We sing the wind, we sing the stories
We sing the breaking of the day.
Said the siren to the sailor,
“I’ve yet to meet the man the likes of which
I’d take with open arms.
No topman from the yards.
No washed up salt come all this way to cop a feel.
You must have heard the story:
The blind man said my girls all do it just for sport.
It’s myth and no more.
Just goes to show you can’t believe everything that you read.
We just come to this beach to sing.”
CHORUS
Said the siren to the sailor,
“Somewhere along the line I’d like to think that
We could get some flash.
Could settle some hash.
Could see our names in lights, our reputation clean.
I’d like to think we’d settle
For just a bit of honest ink writ large inside the Times—
No doggerel rhymes.
Just goes to show you can’t believe ANYTHING that you read.
We just come to this beach to sing.”
CHORUS
REPEAT
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8. |
Warrior Queen
03:04
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The Warrior Queen
In my dream, the knight did ride,
Against the setting sun
On a high and mighty steed
The battle fought and won
Helmet doffed in daylight dim
Hair freed in the breeze
Waves of russet ripened red
Reveal the warrior queen
Her armor gilded and bright-wing’d
Caught the dying light
Stars and moon adorned her helm
Sword as black as night
From the sky her cloak was spun
Fearless were her eyes
Held she high the victor’s crown
To claim it as her prize
No dragons lay upon the field
No foreign foe was slain
And yet the battle long had raged
Upon that barren plain
She fought against her own dismay
The furnace of her fear
She swept the bitter coals away
Until her path shown clear
And as the sun went burning down
She boldly rode away
Left misgivings on the field
That long and brutal day
Her victory, her hard-won crown
Her wild and valiant fight
The fiercer for the treasure gained:
She galloped toward The Light.
She galloped toward The Light.
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Janie Meneely Takoma Park, Maryland
Janie Meneely brings her nautical perspective to the world of folk music and storytelling, celebrating the maritime history, characters and traditions of the Chesapeake Bay region where she was born and raised. From the somber Oyster Wife about the Chesapeake Bay oyster wars to the ladies on the loose in Twiddles, her songs chronicle the stories of Bay watermen or poke fun at sailors’ traditions. ... more
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