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Mainsail Café / Songs / Derby Ram

Derby Ram

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This sea-going ballad comes from a very old North of England ballad, "The Old Tup." Bob Mills, Pete Seeger, and others recorded alternative versions as well and the song entered the general folk song tradition. A.L. Lloyd includes it among his album English Drinking Songs.

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As I was going to Derby, 'twas on a market day,
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed on hay
Ch: That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie lie lie!

This ram and I got drunk sir, as drunk as drunk could be,
And when we sobered up, sir, we were far away out on the sea.

This wonderful old ram, sir, was playful as a kid;
He swallowed the captain's spyglass along with the bosun's fid.

One morning on the poop, sir, before eight bells was rung,
He grabbed the captain's sextant and took a shot at the sun.

One night 'twas wet and rough, sir, and the wind was blowing keen,
He borrowed my suit of oilskins and he took my trick at the wheel.

The butcher who killed this ram, sir, was up to his knees in blood,
And the boy who told the tale, sir, was carried away with the flood.

The crew of the Vencedora are handsome, strong and brave,
The smartest lot of sailors that ever sailed over the wave!


Captain John Robinson (in The Bellman)

Metadata

DT Index: 6165, 1537
Forecastle song
Humor

Selected recordings:

By Land or By Sea Morrigan
Songs from the Out-Ports of Newfoundland Mac Edward Leach

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