Little Billee or “Three Sailors from Bristol City” is a sea song with caustic humorism which deals with a disturbing subject for our civilization, but always around the corner on the sea: cannibalism!
The three sailors
The maritime songs can express the biggest fears with a good laugh! This song was born in 1863 with the title “The three sailors” written by William Makepeace Thackeray as a parody of “La Courte Paille” (= short straw) – that later became “Le Petit Navire” (The Little Corvette) as a nursery rhyme. Cases of cannibalism at sea as an extreme resource for survival were much debated by public opinion and the courts themselves were inclined to commute death sentences in detention.
The murder by necessity (or the sacrifice of one for the good of others) finds a justification in the terrible experience of death by starvation that pushes the human mind to despair and madness. But in 1884 the case of the sinking of Mignonette broke public opinion and the same home secretary Sir William Harcourt had to say “if these men are not condemned for the murder, we are giving carte blanche to the captain of any ship to eat the cabin boy every time the food is scarce “. (translated from here).
The ruling stands as a leading case and puts life as a supreme good by not admitting murder for necessity as self-defense
From notes of “Penguin Book” (1959):
“The Portugese Ballad A Nau Caterineta and the French ballad La Courte Paille tell much the same story. The ship has been long at sea, and food has given out. Lots are drawn to see who shall be eaten, and the captain is left with the shortest straw. The cabin boy offers to be sacrificed in his stead, but begs first to be allowed to keep lookout till the next day. In the nick of time he sees land (“Je vois la tour de Babylone, Barbarie de l’autre côté”) and the men are saved. Thackeray burlesqued this song in his Little Billee. It is likely that the French ballad gave rise to The Ship in Distress, which appeared on 19th. century broadsides. George Butterworth obtained four versions in Sussex (FSJ vol.IV [issue 17] pp.320-2) and Sharp printed one from James Bishop of Priddy, Somerset (Folk Songs from Somerset, vol.III, p.64) with “in many respects the grandest air” which he had found in that county. The text comes partly from Mr. Bishop’s version, and partly from a broadside.” -R.V.W./A.L.L.
Ralph Steadman from “Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys, ANTI- 2006″.
There were three men of Bristol City; They stole a ship and went to sea. There was Gorging Jack and Guzzling Jimmy And also Little Boy Billee. They stole a tin of captain’s biscuits And one large bottle of whiskee. But when they reached the broad Atlantic They had nothing left but one split pea. Said Gorging Jack to Guzzling Jimmy, “We’ve nothing to eat so I’m going to eat thee.” Said Guzzling Jimmy, “I’m old and toughest, So let’s eat Little Boy Billee.” “O Little Boy Billy, we’re going to kill and eat you, So undo the top button of your little chemie.(1)” “O may I say my catechism That my dear mother taught to me?” He climbed up to the main topgallant(2) And there he fell upon his knee. But when he reached the Eleventh Commandment,(3) He cried “Yo Ho! for land I see.” “I see Jerusalem and Madagascaar And North and South Amerikee.” “I see the British fleet at anchor And Admiral Nelson, K.C.B. (4)” They hung Gorging Jack and Guzzling Jimmy But they made an admiral of Little Boy Billee. | NOTES Thackeray lyrics here 1) from french chemise 2) or top fore-gallant 3) his companions did not have to be very attached to the Bible (and probably Billy would have invented new ones to save time!) 4) “Knight Commander of the Bath”, the chivalrous military order founded by George I in 1725 |
SEA SHANTY VERSION
According to Stan Hugill “Little Billee” was a sea shanty for pump work, a boring and monotonous job that could certainly be “cheered up” by this little song! Hugill only reports the text saying that the melody is like the French “The était a Petit Navire”, so the adaptation of Hulton Clint has the performance of a lullaby.
| I There were three sailors of Bristol City; They stole a boat and went to sea. But first with beef and hardtack biscuits And pickled pork they loaded she. And pickled pork they loaded she II There was gorging Jack and guzzling Jimmy, And likewise there was little Billee. but when they got to the Equator They’d only left but one split pea. III Then gorging Jack to guzzling Jimmy, “I am confounded hungaree.” Says guzzling Jimmy to gorging Jacky “We’ve no wittles (1), so we must eat we.” IV Said Gorging Jack to Guzzling Jimmy, “Oh Guzzling Jim what a fool you be.. There’s little Billy, who’s young and tender, We’re old and tough, so let’s eat he.” V “Make haste, make haste” then say Guzzling Jimmy as he drew his snickher snee (2) “O Billy, we’re going to kill and eat you, undo the collar of your chemie.” | VI When William heard this information he drope down on bended knee “O let me say my catechism which my dear mom taught to me” VII So up he went to the maintop-gallant and he drope down on his bended knee and than he said all his catechism which his dear mamy once taught to he VIII He scarce had said his catechism when up he jumps “There’s land I see Jerusalem and Madagascaar And North and South Amerikee.” IX “Jerusalem and Madagascar, And North and South Amerikee; There’s the British fleet a-riding at anchor, With Admiral Napier, K.C.B.” X When they bordered to Admiral’s vessel, He hanged fat Jack (3) and flogged Jimmee; as for little Bill they make him The Captain of a Seventy-three (4). |
1) It’s a mispronunciation of “vittles,” which is a corrupted form of “victuals,” which means “food.”
2) a particularly lethal big knife used as a weapon
3)in some versions the degree of guilt between the two sailors is distinguished, so only one is hanged
4) 73 cannon war vessel
Little Boy Billy
The Ship in Distress
The Banks of Newfoundland
Un petit navire d’Espagne
La Courte paille/Il était un Petit Navire
LINK
http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=139
http://www.bartleby.com/360/9/84.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_%C3%A9tait_un_petit_navire
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8278
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=22872
