{"id":1811,"date":"2014-03-15T09:33:08","date_gmt":"2014-03-15T13:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=1811"},"modified":"2020-08-19T20:57:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T00:57:41","slug":"eight-bells","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=1811","title":{"rendered":"Eight Bells"},"content":{"rendered":"

This great little English forebitter was first brought to my attention by Beth Colley of Canton, CT.\u00a0 It is supposedly from the 1870s and it does have melodic similarity to little folk songs of that era, but I have yet to see a specific source from then.\u00a0 It is closely associated with Stan Hugill who published a rendition of it in his 1963 “The Bosun’s Locker”, and Hultonclint<\/a> comments that while Stan refers to it as a “whaling song” it is in the voice of a woman, citing her husband’s experiences.\u00a0 He points out that it can be found in “Davis and Tozer’s third edition (1891)… with one additional verse and a slightly different melody.”\u00a0 The inspiration for sailors of songs to sing came from many and varied sources, so despite its origins it is surely believable as one to have been adopted by sailors and likely even adapted for more “off colour” lyrics; I have adapted\u00a0the chorus\u00a0for pub singing, as one can see below.<\/p>\n

Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nOh, me husband\u2019s a saucy foretop man<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nOh, a chum of the cook, don\u2019t ye know<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nHe put his head down the cook\u2019s funnel<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/b><\/span><\/span>
\nAn\u2019 he shouted \u201cCome up from below\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Chorus:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bb\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nEight bells, (eight bells!) eight bells (eight bells!). Rouse out there the watch from below!<\/span><\/i><\/b>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bb\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/span><\/span><\/b>
\nEight bells, (eight bells!) eight bells (eight bells!). Rouse out there the watch from below!<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My husband he shipped in a whaler<\/span>
\nAn\u2019 he sailed to the far northern seas<\/span>
\nAn\u2019 bein\u2019 a bold-hearted sailor<\/span>
\nHe cared not for ice, sea, nor breeze<\/span><\/p>\n

When up in the hoops he wuz dandy<\/span>
\nAt sightin\u2019 a whale – “There she blows!”<\/span>
\nWhen out in the whaleboat wuz handy<\/span>
\nA smarter young tar never rowed!<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of his watch, oh his fancy<\/span>
\nWuz to git to his bunk quickly-O<\/span>
\nFor he wanted to dream o\u2019his Nancy<\/span>
\nSo he shouted \u201cCome up from below\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An\u2019 now he\u2019s no longer a sailor<\/span>
\nHe often wakes up in the night<\/span>
\nThinkin\u2019 he\u2019s still on that whaler<\/span>
\nShouts out with the greatest delight!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n