Friday 8 March 2013

Musical Chairs.... v1.2

So, Bones likes the whole "Captains Chair" thing.

This sounds like a cue for a song.......

(never offer an ex-thesp an opening like this......!)

As recorded by LESLIE SARONY with JACK HYLTON'S ORCH.,
30th January 1932:

PART 1

Yo ho, my lads, yo ho
I'll tell you the tale of a sailor
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
As the Captain of a whaler
Of his gallant deed you all should know
(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

I'll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
The bravest man was Captain Brown
For he played his ukulele as the ship went down

All the crew were in despair
Some rushed here and some rushed there
But the Captain sat in the Captain's chair
And he played his Ukulele as the ship went down

The owner wirelessed to the crew
"Do the best that you can do
We're only insured for half-a-crown
So, I'll be out of pocket if the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "Holy gee!
It's all up for the Nancy Lee
You're all right, but what about me
I shall wet my ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

When they heard the news at the Admiralty
They wirelessed to the Nancy Lee
"We'd like to speak to Captain Brown
If he isn't very busy when the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "What's to do?"
The Admiralty said, "At half-past-two
We'll be listening in to you
When you play your ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The pets on board were all scared stiff
The cat meowed and the monkey sniffed
The old green parrot hung upside down
Saying, "Scratch-a-polly", as the ship went down

The crow's nest fell and it killed the crow
The starboard watch was two hours slow
But the Captain sung, "Voh-doh-dee-oh-doh"
As he played his ukulele as the ship went down


PART 2

He shouted, "Man the rafts!
With chains and rope you bind 'em"
The Bosun searched both fore and aft
But dashed if he could find them
At the mercy of that raging sea
The good ship Nancy Lee

The Bosun said to Stoker Jim
"You'll have to teach me how to swim"
The Stoker answered with a frown
"We can learn together as the ship goes down"

The Captain said to Fireman Mose
"Get straight into your fireman's clothes
And while you stand and play your hose
I'll play my Ukulele as the ship goes down"

When they reached the lifeboat, how they cursed
The Second Mate had got there first
The Cook said, "I'll be last to drown
'Cause I'm climbing up the rigging as the ship goes down

Soon it was a total wreck
The Captain stood on the burning deck
The flames leapt up all around his neck
And burnt his ukulele as the ship went down

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The Captain's wife was on the ship
And she was glad she'd made the trip
As she could swim, she might not drown
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down

They sprung a leak just after dark
And through the hole came a hungry shark
It bit the Skipper near the water mark
As he played his ukulele when the ship went down

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The Mate had a saxophone
The Cook had a trombone
The Drummer had an old tin
And another had a violin
The Bosun had a banjo
The Stoker had a piccolo
"You can play what you like", said Captain Brown
"I shall play the ukulele as the ship goes down"

And that is the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
And Captain Brown who was in command
Now plays his ukulele with the Mermaid Band

(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2012)
 
 So, we've got the Captain's chairs......
 Anyone got a couple of ukeleles going begging?
 :-) 


2 comments:

  1. my ukelele has gone to fairer shores!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw! Shame!

      But be warned, I can actually sing some of this little ditty.

      And have been known to.

      Wearisomely.......

      :-)

      Delete