Season 316 - The Sea, The Sea

Young Jacques cover.

Well, now I've caught up and added the videos to the playlist. If somebody's entry is missing, please let me know and I'll fix it.

So far, we have songs from 23 Seasonistas, and it's been a great joy to listen to them. Can't decide, is it most fun to be beside the sea, by the sea, on the sea or in the sea... Thank you for these terrific songs and happy strumming!

Greetings Seasonistas,

Sorry for not participating recently, kind of wiped out. Here is a humble cover of a great Counting Crows song about drowning in your own sea. Humble version, I hope you like it.

Ciao

Season 316. Submission 2. "How Deep Is The Ocean" Collaboration - Mezcalero and Turtledrum (Written by Irving Berlin, 1932)


Kevin will post this to his channel later, so please consider swinging by to offer your thoughts. He did all the heavy lifting on this one.

Ukulele, lead vocal, audio mix - Mezcalero
Background vocal, video prod. - Turtledrum

Thank you so much, Ylle! Fair weather everywhere this week!

The Leaving of Liverpool was a Capstain Shanty. It was collected by American Shanty collector William Doerflinger and was popular during the 50s/60s folk song revival in the USA, UK and Ireland. I first heard it sung by the Liverpool Folk Group, The Spinners, when I was at University.
Both the David Crockett and its skipper, Capt. John Burgess existed and plied the run from Liverpool to California during the gold rush period. Capt. Burgess died at sea in 1874.

Last one for me with three and a bonus.
Thanks Ylle for a great theme

SOTU 316: The Sea, The Sea - Cover of "When The Ship Comes In" (Bob Dylan 1964)

An early favorite Bob Dylan song: When The Ship Comes In (1964)

I used to be "famous" for writing sea songs in the folk world in the 1980s - so I should have a few in my old songbooks. However, I'd like to start with this one I wrote during FAWM (a couple of weeks back). It is about a nautical escape route for people fleeing Franco's advancing troops in 1939.

Note that the protagonist's fear of having her baby taken away was very real. After Franco's forces captured Republican territory they would forcibly remove babies from mothers branded as "Reds" and give them up to Fascist sympathising families for adoption, so the "red" would be indoctrinated out of them.

The Catholic Church actively participated in this policy. The policy still continued into the 1950s and even 1960s as mothers who were known to be antithetic to the Franco regime were told their child had died in childbirth, when the truth was the nuns had sneaked it out of the hospital to give away to "worthy" families who were good Catholics.

Anyway, here is "Into Exile"

Bonus

This is a song that calls the sea some other color than blue, and the "wine dark sea" description has always fascinated me. I just heard this song for the first time today. I had never heard of Jon English before, but I suppose the Australian Seasonistas are likely to be more familiar with him.

The original should be listened to. It has a very lush piano arrangement, like 3 or 4 pianos are all playing at once, but I'm sure it's really only one. And his vocals are incredible.



All the lyrics on the internet for this song are wrong. I listened to it and tried to get everything corrected, so this is what I came up with. The original is in D, and he does a full step key change up to E after the bridge. I couldn't sing it that high, so I did it all in C, which was still pretty high.

I have crushed the cup of youth
like a rose between my fingers, but it's
nectar never warmed my weary heart
I have watched life disappear
like the creepin' mists of mornin', for these
ropes that tie me down will never part

For I have never known a feelin'
such as this wash over me
I would climb the purple mountains
I would swim the wine dark sea

Oh my back is weak and my brain is dull
from the toil of many years
And I've tried so just to justify my fears
but these feelin's come and go
and deep inside something grows
And I'll make it, I'll maybe fake it
through my lonely, lonely years

Until I've once again this feelin'
that just washed over me
I would climb the purple mountains
I would swim the wine dark sea

Oh...oh I had it right there,in my hand
the key to change your lonely waste
into a greener land, but I was
typical of the ignorance
of blissful man, I let it go
I just didn't know

And now my story's done
do not feel sympathy
there is little of my body left to save
I shall search until I find
She who preys upon my mind
Or I find the cold, cold comfort of my grave

'til I've once again this feelin'
that just washed over me
I would climb the purple mountains
I would swim the wine dark sea
Oh I have never known a feelin'
such as this wash over me
I would climb the purple mountains
I would swim the wine dark sea

My last few Seasons entries have all been just from my apartment, nothing visually special. I really like getting outside when I play uke, so when some friends invited up to Thandaung Gyi, a hill station in the mountains separating Myanmar and Thailand, of course I brought my uke. "Cool Change" - by The Little River Band

I think I might have set a record in stating the week number. I was off by 50.

Old Don Gibson that I love to no end. Figured I would play it for ya.
Sea Of Heartbreak.

My second entry of the week.

316-2

This song washed ashore this evening in a bottle so I thought I'd record it.

Val already did an amazing version of this, but I couldn’t resist doing my own. Such a good song (and album). Just please, if you haven’t yet, listen to mine first and Val’s second, because I can’t follow her act.

I don’t know much John Denver, but I love this one.

This one from a stalwart of Sea-type songs - Jimmy Buffett

Sea of Love

A Bonus: Mentions the sea and done by the Honeydrippers. Robert how could you?

My third and last. This ones for the kids really, big kids included. There are loads of different variations of this song but this is the one I know. I tried but couldn’t play Uke at the same time so I went ultra hi tec, recording a backing on my daughter’s tablet, then playing back and singing along. AHAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHH!

Here is my entry for this week.



I had some trouble with the tricky time signature. It is in 12/8 so I simplified it a bit.

Good Wednesday evening from Finland, where the sea is still covered by ice. I've been catching up again and been entertained and moved by your songs. Pirates! Heartbreaks! Ships! There are 62 entries in the playlist by 32 Seasonistas now. Thank you so much for participating and hopefully we'll get to hear many more fine "sea" songs in next few days.