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Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin?
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Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Nov 02 - 03:53 PM My mother had the words of this old "pirate" song in one of her notebooks. Not a clue what it's origin is but I'd like to know more. It seems to work well with the old forebitter tune "The Handsome Cabin Boy" (copy and repaste into WORD/TIMES/12 for chord placement): THE LAST BUCCANEER (Words by Charles Kingsley Circa 1900 Minor word changes by Dahlov and Charlie Ipcar Tune: traditional forebitter "The Handsome Cabin Boy") G------C--G-F-G---F--G-------F---------G--F---G Oh, Eng-land is a pleas-ant place for them that's rich and high, --------F---G-C-G/C/F-----C--------F---C-G But Eng-land is a cruel place for such poor folks as I; --------F-G---F-----C-F---C---------F-C-G And such a port for mar-in-ers I ne'er shall see a-gain; ---C-G----F—G-F-GFG---F------G----F--G As the pleas-ant Isle of Aves, be-side the Span-ish main. There were forty craft in Aves that were both swift and stout, All furnished well with small-arms, and cannons round about; And a thousand men in Aves made laws so fair and free, To choose their valiant captains and obey them loyally. We sailed against the Spaniard with his hordes of plate and gold, Which he wrung with cruel tortures from the Indian folk of old; Likewise the merchant captains, with hearts as hard as stone, Who flog men and keel-haul them and starve them to the bone. Oh, the palms grew high in Aves and fruits there shone like gold, And the colibris and parrots were so gorgeous to behold; And the Negro maids to Aves from bondage fast did flee, To welcome gallant sailors a-sweeping in from sea. Oh, sweet it was in Aves to hear the landward breeze A-swing with good tobacco in a net between the trees; With a Negro lass to fan you while you listened to the roar, Of the breakers on the reef outside that never touched the shore. But Scripture saith, an ending to all fine things must be, So the King's ships sailed on Aves, and quite put down were we; All day we fought like bulldogs, but they burst the booms at night; And I fled in a piragua, sore wounded from the fight. Nine days I floated starving, and a Negro lass beside, Till for all I tried to cheer her, the poor young thing she died; But as I lay a-gasping a Bristol sail came by, And brought me home to England, here to beg until I die. And now I'm old and going – I'm sure I can't tell where; One comfort is, this world's so hard, I can't be worse off there; If I might be a sea-dove I'd fly across the main, To the pleasant Isle of Aves, to see it once again. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: MMario Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:00 PM a little bit there were more sites lited by google but I couldn't get to them. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Gareth Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:08 PM Carles Kingsley Poem - Vagley remember that (Please correct)it might have come from "Westward Ho" ??? - just a thought. Gareth |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:18 PM OK, thanks to MMario, we now know the composer was Canon Kingsley. Gareth is probably off base with regard to Kingsley's first name or is not typing correctly what he is thinking. Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: MMario Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:25 PM Canon is a title...He was THE Canon Charles Kingsley |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Nov 02 - 04:45 PM Thanks for the clarification, MMario. I also did some web searching myself and dredged up this: The Last Buccaneer by Lynn Erickson, Silhouette, ISBN #0-373-70578-6, $3.50 U.S. He was a seventeenth century Pirate! So what was Tess Bonney - a 1990s woman if there ever was one - doing in his world? Sucked through a whirlpool while diving for sunken treasure, Tess was transported back through time to a slave ship on the Spanish Main. Rescued by dashing buccaneer Richard Neville, Tess began to think she'd found the greatest treasure of all. But no one in this untamed world - not even Richard - must find out she was a woman. Yet as she fought by his side and tended his wounded body and tortured soul, she felt more womanly than ever before. Still, the twentieth century beckoned... But probably not relevant. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 05:24 PM Somewhere in this Gutenberg is the poem. Poetry Charles Kingsley 1819-1875 is best known for "Water Babies" and "Westward Ho." I will try and dig it out of the Gutenberg, but there are zillions of pages. Hope someone beats me to it! |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Charley Noble Date: 01 Nov 02 - 05:56 PM Meanwhile I have been able to locate one Isle of Aves, somewhat southeast of the Dutch island of Bonaire in the Neatherland Antilles. Apparently the Isle is now occupied by Venezuelans and features a giant concrete platform. Internet searches turn up the most amazing things! Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Gareth Date: 01 Nov 02 - 06:00 PM Yup Mea Culpa Mr Noble I mistyped Charles - As I said in the back of my mind is a thought that this came as an interlude in "Westwards Ho !" the book not the poem. Mark you its 40+ years since we looked at this at Skool. Gareth |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 06:26 PM THE LAST BUCCANEER (1839) The winds were yelling, the waves were swelling, The sky was black and drear, When the crew with eyes of flame brought the ship without a name Alongside the last Buccaneer. "Whence flies your sloop full sail before so fierce a gale, When all others drive bare on the seas? Say, come you from the shore of the holy Salvador, Or the gulf of the rich Caribees?" "From a shore no search has found, from a gulf no line can sound, Without a rudder or needle we steer; Above, below, our bark, dies the sea-fowl and the shark, As we fly by the last Buccaneer. "To-night there shall be heard on the rocks of Cape de Verde, A loud crash, and a louder roar; And to-morrow shall the deep, with a heavy moaning, sweep The corpses and wreck to the shore." The stately ship of Clyde securely now may ride, In the breath of the citron shades; And Severn's towering mast securely now flies fast, Through the sea of the balmy Trades. From St. Jago's wealthy port, from Havannah's royal fort, The seaman goes forth without fear; For since that stormy night not a mortal hath had sight Of the flag of the last Buccaneer. (St. Iago?) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 06:31 PM The above from near the the last of Miscellaneous |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 06:35 PM By Lord Macaulay, but worth recording. Still have to dig out the one by Kingsley. This one was on pp. 118-119 of this Gutenberg site. The other??? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: MMario Date: 01 Nov 02 - 08:58 PM it's uner the section titled "The Sea" in the index - but I couldn't find it in the text. It may be in another volume. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:11 PM Same problem, MMario. Found it in Russian. Only thing I can make out is that it has seven verses and starts out "Oh, England is a pleasant place...." |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:14 PM Found it. Last Buccaneer |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: MMario Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:24 PM The Last Buccaneer Oh, England is a pleasant place for them that's rich and high, But England is a cruel place for such poor folks as I; And such a port for mariners I ne'er shall see again As the pleasant Isle of Aves beside the Spanish main. There were forty craft in Aves that were both swift and stout, Allfurnished well with small arms and cannons round about; And a thousand men in Aves made laws so fair and free To choose their valiant captains and obey them loyally. Thence we sailed against the Spaniard with his hoards of plate and gold, Which he rung with cruel tortures from Indian folks of old; Likewise the merchant captains, which hearts as hard as stone, Who flog men and keep-haul them, and starve them to the bone. Oh the palms grew high in Aves, and fruits that shone like gold, And colibris and parrots they were gorgeous to behold; And the negro maids to Aves from bondage fast did flee, To welcome gallant sailors, a-sweeping in from sea. Oh sweet it was in Aves to hear the landward breeze, A-swing with good tobacco in a net between the trees, With a negro lass to fan you, while you listened to the roar Of the breakers on the reef outside, that never touched the shore. But Scripture saith, an ending to all fine things must be; So the King's ships sailed on Aves, and quite put down were we. All day we fought like bulldogs, but they burst the booms at night; And I fled in a piragua, sore wounded, from the fight. Nine days I floated starving, and a negro lass beside Till for all tried to cheer her, the poor young thing she died; But as I lay a gasping, a Bristol sail came by, And brought me home to England here, to beg until I die. And now I'm old and going - I'm sure I can't tell where; One comfort is, this world's so hard, I can't be worse off there: If I might but be a sea-dove, I'd fly across the main, To the pleasant Isle of Aves, to look at it once again. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: MMario Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:25 PM Thank you Q |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Nov 02 - 09:33 AM Great work, lads! At least now we know that the poem was composed some time between 1819-1875. I believe "I fled in a piragua" is referring to a canoe type craft common in the Caribbean. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: Gareth Date: 02 Nov 02 - 09:42 AM Confirm Charlie. A pirogue was/is a type of large canoe used in the wWest Indies and along the Main. Gareth |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Last Buccaneer, The: Origin? From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 Nov 02 - 04:07 PM Pirogue still used in Louisiana. I had a Cajun friend whose family trapped muskrats. Nothing better for manouvering in the narrow waterways. The version used in coastal areas is generally wider and somewhat more stable, but not familiar with them. The originals were hewn from a tree trunk. Tried to find out something about the small Venezuelan islands such as Aves. All I found is that some provide shelter and even sheltered anchorages from storms. My old Britannica editions are not detailed enough to offer any more information. |
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