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Land Lubber

by Roo

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1.
Love is a golden boat with silver sails and with silken ropes Love may sail the sea then down her anchor when she's in the quay. Love is a golden boat with silver sails and with silken ropes Love may rest assured Here on the Lighter, we are carefully moored
2.
There were three men came out of the west, Their fortunes for to try, And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn should die. They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in, Throwed clods upon his head, And these three man made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn was dead. Then they let him lie for a very long time Till the rain from heaven did fall, Then little old John sprung up his head, And soon amazed them all. They let him stand till midsummer Till he looked both pale and wan, And little old John he growed a long beard And so became a man. They hired men with the scythes so sharp To cut him off at the knee, They rolled him and tied him by the waist, And served him most barbarously. They hired men with the sharp pitchforks Who pricked him to the heart, And the loader he served him worse than that, For he bound him to the cart. They wheeled him round and round the field Till they came unto a barn, And there they made a solemn mow of poor John Barleycorn. They hired men with the crab-tree sticks To cut him skin from bone, And the miller he served him worse than that, For he ground him between two stones. Here's little old John in me nut-brown bowl, And brandy in a glass; And little old John in me nut-brown bowl Proved the stronger man at last. And the huntsman he cannot hunt the fox, Nor loudly blow his horn, And the tinker cannot mend the kettles or pots Without a little drop of Barleycorn.
3.
[this track is instrumental, although there are some shouts of 'Ha!' and 'brrrrrrrah!']
4.
Oh the Barbary Pirates of Lundy, they came from the port of Sale They came like the thunder to plunder their way And Lundy was took in a day The Barbary Pirates of Lundy, they came from the port of Sale They came like the thunder to plunder their way And cast Lundy asunder one day The invader-in-chief was a dutchman, by the name of Jan Janszoon His allegiance was true to the Sultan he knew So Jan flew the ol’ crescent moon. The king of a pirate republic from over yon Barbary coast A convert and friend to North African men Or whoever would pay him the most The Barbary Pirates of Lundy, they came from the port of Sale They came like the thunder to plunder their way And cast Lundy asunder one day With a total contempt for the English and a resentment of the French Nobody had such a disdain for the Dutch Not a slave not a King not a wench Sackin’ the slavers of Bristol, or kidnapping people from Cork They liv’d by the sword and by pistol’s reward For five years controlling the shore Were The Barbary Pirates of Lundy, they came from the port of Sale, They came like the thunder to plunder their way And cast Lundy asunder one day Now the island has all through the centuries been owned by some scoundrels and thieves, By pirates and clergy and gentry unworthy And either they die or they leaves, Like The Barbary Pirates of Lundy, they came from the port of Sale They came like the thunder to plunder their way And cast Lundy asunder one day Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala
5.
There is a soul doth underlie The flower we pass unheeded by ; The fire-drops on the plains of night Show more divinity than light ; And not a blade of grass we see But hath its hidden mystery. The silken web the spider weaves Amid the spring and autumn leaves, Some busy spirit of the meads Will string with tiny silver beads ; And there's a hand we cannot see, That strips each richly laden tree. Go, mark the cloud that sails on high, Like phantom ship across the sky, The bow of beauty stand and view — Who painted each ethereal hue ? — And list the winds, those wild weird thingsWho plays upon their unseen strings ? Go, stand upon the rocky shore, And hear the sad and ceaseless roar Which cometh ever from the main, As one upon a couch of pain ; Or where the river leaps along, A silver glory, and a song. Who gives the colour to the flower ; The star its fire ; the sun its power ; Their brightness to the cloud and bow ; And music to the river's flow ? Give answer, thunder — Is it chance That makes thy solemn utterance ? 0 Thou, whom winds and waves obey, Where hast Thou made thy chariot- way ? Oh, whisper from thy throne divine, And answer me, Thou God benign ; Or teach thy servant, Lord, to see The universe is full of Thee.
6.
One evening as the sun went down And the jungle fire was burning Down the track came a hobo hikin' And he said, "Boys, I'm not turning I'm headed for a land that's far away Beside the crystal fountains So come with me, we'll go and see The Big Rock Candy Mountains In The Big Rock Candy Mountains There's a land that's fair and bright Where the handouts grow on bushes And you sleep out every night Where the boxcars all are empty And the sun shines every day On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings In The Big Rock Candy Mountains In The Big Rock Candy Mountains All the cops have wooden legs And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs The farmers' trees are full of fruit And the barns are full of hay Oh I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow Where the rain don't fall, the wind don't blow In The Big Rock Candy Mountains In The Big Rock Candy Mountains You never change your socks And the little streams of alcohol Come a-trickling down the rocks The brakemen have to tip their hats And the railroad bulls are blind There's a lake of stew and of whiskey, too You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe In The Big Rock Candy Mountains In The Big Rock Candy Mountains The jails are made of tin And you can walk right out again As soon as you are in There ain't no short-handle shovels No axes, saws or picks I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all day Where they hung the jerk that invented work In The Big Rock Candy Mountains I'll see you all this comin' fall In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
7.
Over the valley, the flowers display Now the Spring is come our way With Rosie O’Malley the fair queen of May Welcome the Springtime today. Born is the blossom and so too the lambs All is green across the land Bunnies a-burrow a home in the sand Farmers are clapping their hands Roam over barnacles, trek through the rains Turning the wheel of the seasonal change; Rolling to Barnstaple, coming our way, Come Rosie the fair queen of May. Over the Barnacles, under the sea Rosie O’Malley come ye Over to barnstaple into our dream Turning the barren world green. Come from the ocean to live in the ground Down below in the mounds Vein become river, brains become town Mouth become a musical sound Roaming through valley and trekking through rain Turning the wheel of the seasonal change; Rosie O’Malley oh fair queen of May Bring us the Springtime today
8.
Should the mountains come to meet you; Should the ocean give a wave; Should the captain come to greet you; Should the kestrel fly to the knave; That's when to yield, that's when to yield That's when to yield unto her. Should the mighty gods of Ireland come to meet you in the rain in this town of evil tyrants who are the cause of all their pain, That's when to yield, thats when to yield, That's when to yield unto them all. That's when to yield, thats when to yield, That's when to yield unto G*d.

about

All music played, performed, sung, arranged, recorded and produced by Roo: (piano, guitar, banjo, flute, accordion, melodica, percussion)
Music and words for tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8, are composed by Roo
Music for track 5 written by Roo,
(with words from a written poem by Edward Capern- from his book 'Ballads and songs' 1858- he was a postman in Bideford in the 1800s, and he wrote poems whilst on his postal round, as well as some songs).

[Track 8 was written in gratitude, to mark the momentous voyage and performance of Lí Ban - members of this wonderful band came to england from their beloved Ulster to play for to their dispersed countryfolk- and to some of us exceptionally lucky sasanachs. Here is their excellent special glorious album:
lban.bandcamp.com/album/rud-nach-l-ir-2 ]

Music and words for track 2 are of a traditional english folk song from at least 400 years ago, which i learned orally in sung melody only. I found it very exciting to compose some instrumental music to accompany this ancient strange melody.
Music and words for track 6 are from a version by Harry McClintock in 1924, (which was itsef a folk song based on the idea and many of the rhyming couplets of the 4oo year old english folk song 'An invitation to Lubberland'...'Lubberland' being like the isle of plenty, or 'Cockaigne')

Photos by Roo. The front cover photograph was taken on the Lighter- a boat built in the 1950s for salvaging wrecked aircraft at sea- which is now a very good value and interesting independent cafe where i go some weekends with my parents.

credits

released March 16, 2024

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about

Roo England, UK

Roo writes and records his own songs. (and sometimes records old traditional songs).
Also, see Roo's painting and sculpture folio, online on his tumblr

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