Entitled “Jolly Roving Tar” but more frequently “Get Up, Jack! John, Sit Down” here is a forebitter song that ironizes on the idle occupations of a sailor when he is ashore.
“For my money’s gone,” says the sailor who is well liked and fondled by the ladies when his pockets are full, but immediately put aside for another sailor when the money ends!
A similar song (we do not know if original or a traditional version rewriting) was written in New York in 1885 by Ed Harrigan & David Braham for the music hall entitled ‘Old Lavender‘ (text and score here); a version published by John and Alan Lomax in “American Ballads & Folk Songs” was attributed to John Thomas, a Welsh sailor who was on “the Philadelphian” in 1896. (text here), but the main source of the best known variant comes from “Grammy” Fish .
“GRAMMY” FISH
Mrs. Lena Bourne Fish (1873-1945) spent the first 24 years of her life in Black Brook, NY, not far from the Canadian border. Lena’s main source of songs was her own family, the Bourne; his ancestors were the first settlers of Cape Cod and a lot of songs (with many English and Irish traditional tunes) had passed to the family generations since emigration . As a lumber trader, her father collected many songs from the people he met in the New England woods in his travels.
Once married, Lena moved to Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Two collectors of traditional songs (Helen Harkness Flanders and Marguerite Olney) interviewed her in 1940 and recorded about 175 songs; the following year Anne and Frank Warner collected a hundred songs in four recording sessions half of which completly new ones.
“Grammy” Fish had taken her role as a witness of the past to heart so as to transcribe the “old songs” in many notebooks to leave them to the new generations.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Sea Shanty Edition
Bootstrappers live
I Ships may come and ships may go as long as the seas do roll But a sailor lad just like his dad he loves the flowing bowl a woman ashore he does adore a girl who’s plump and round when your money’s all gone, it’s the same old song “Get up, Jack! John, sit down!” CHORUS Come along, come along, me jolly brave boys, There’s plenty more grog(1) in the jar We’ll plough the briny ocean line like a jolly roving tar II When Jack’s ashore, he’ll make his way To some old boarding house(2) He’s welcomed in with rum and gin, likewise with pork and scouse He’ll spend and spend and never offend Till he lies drunk on the ground When his money’s all gone… |
III Then Jack will slip(3) on board some ship bound for India or Japan and in Asia there, the ladies fair all love a sailor man He’ll go ashore and he’ll not scorn to buy some girl her gown when his money’s all gone… IV When Jack is worn and weatherbeat too old to cruise about they’ll let him stop in some rum shop Till eight bells(4) calls him out Then he’ll raise hands high and loud he’ll cry “Thank Christ, I’m homeward bound!” when his money’s all gone… |
NOTES
1) grog= drink
2) Boarding houses are pensions for sailors, present in every large sea port. “They are held by boarding masters, of dubious reputation, which the sailors define as” recruiters “, who provide” indifferently lodging and boarding “. They often welcome sailors “on credit”. On the advance received by boarders at the time of enrollment, they recover for food and accommodation, and with the rest they provide them with poor quality clothing and equipment “. (Italo Ottonello)
3) or “He then will sail aboard some ship”
4)”When it’s the end” his watch on board is finished as well as his life. On the old vessels the ringing sound of a bell regulated the time, every 4-hour guard duty was signaled by 8 bell strokes. (the eight bells were ringed at 4, at 8, at 12, at 16, at 20 and at midnight). An hourglass was used to calculate the time.
Great Big Sea from Play 1997. Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne & Frank Warner Collection, #71.
I Ships may come and ships may go As long as the sea does roll. Each sailor lad just like his dad, He loves the flowing bowl. A trip on shore he does adore With a girl who’s nice and round. When the money’s gone It’s the same old song, “Get up Jack! John, sit down!” [Chorus] Come along, come along, You jolly brave boys, There’s lots of grog(1) in the jar. We’ll plough the briny ocean With the jolly roving tar. II When Jack comes in, it’s then he’ll steer To some old boarding house(2). They’ll welcome him with rum and gin, And feed him on pork scouse. He’ll lend, spend and he’ll not offend (3) Till he’s lyin’ drunk on the ground When the money’s gone It’s the same old song, “Get up Jack! John, sit down!“ |
III Jack, he then, oh then he’ll sail Bound down for Newfoundland. All the ladies fair in Placentia(4) there They love that sailor man He’ll go to shore out on a tear And he’ll buy some girl a gown. When the money’s gone It’s the same old song, “Get up Jack! John, sit down!” IV When Jack gets old and weather beat, Too old to roam about, They’ll let him stop in some rum shop Till eight bells(5) calls him out. Then he’ll raise his eyes up to the skies, Sayin’ “Boys, we’re homeward bound.” When the money’s gone It’s the same old song, “Get up Jack! John, sit down!“ |
NOTES
3) meaning that he will not offend the innkeeper with a refusal
4) Placentia is a small Canadian city formed by the union of the villages of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia .
5)”When it’s the end” his watch on board is finished as well as his life. On the old vessels the ringing sound of a bell regulated the time, every 4-hour guard duty was signaled by 8 bell strokes.
ENGLISH VERSION
In the nineteenth century there was a completely different version in which poor Susan was distraught because the fine William was still far from the sea, she decided to follow him as a sailor. The version is still popular in Newfoundland. As much as I searched the web at the moment I did not find a video to listen to.
It was in the town of Liverpool, all in the month of May,
I overheard a damsel, alone as she did stray,
She did appear like Venus or some sweet, lovely star,
As she walked toward the beach, lamenting for her jolly, roving Tar.
Jolly Roving Tar by “Irish Rovers”
The text was written by George Millar the founder of the “Irish Rovers” and although a different song borrows some phrases from “Get Up, Jack! John, Sit Down” other equally famous sea songs on sailors.
The Irish Rover from Another Round 2005: various dances taken from fantasy films and animations
I Well here we are, we’re back again Safe upon the shore In Belfast town we’d like to stay And go to sea no more We’ll go into a public house And drink till we’re content For the lassies they will love us Till our money is all spent CORO So pass the flowin’ bowl Boys there’s whiskey in the jar And we’ll drink to all the lassies And the jolly roving tar II Oh Johnny did you miss me When the nights were long and cold Or did you find another love In your arms to hold Says he I thought of only you While on the sea afar So come up the stairs and cuddle With your jolly roving tar |
III Well in each other’s arms they rolled Till the break of day When the sailor rose and said farewell I must be on me way Ah don’t you leave me Johnny lad I thought you’d marry my Says he I can’t be married For I’m married to the sea IV Well come all you bonnie lasses And a warning take by me And never trust an Irishman An inch above your knee He’ll tease you and he’ll squeeze you And when he’s had his fun He’ll leave you in the morning With a daughter or a son |
LINK
http://www.shanty.org.uk/archive_songs/jolly-roving-tar.html
http://www.jsward.com/shanty/JollyRovinTar/lomax.html
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/07/jolly.htm
http://www.goldenhindmusic.com/lyrics/GETUPJAC.html
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/08/getup.htm
http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/catalog/levy:072.028
http://thejovialcrew.com/?page_id=338
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=96587
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=96582
http://adirondackmusic.org/subpages/69/9/6/lena-bourne-fish