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Captain Conrod and Talk About Captain Conrod - 4​:​52

from The Helen Creighton Folklore Society Presents: Songs of the Sea by Varouos tradition bearers and informants

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Tom Cornealy, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 1950

lyrics

Captain Conrod & talk about Captain Conrod - Tom Cornealy [4:52]
AC: 2271 - MF NO: 289.268

Recorded: Halifax, June 1, 1950. “... from the singing of Tom Cornealy, Halifax, who says he composed the song after six months trip, in the year 1883. Mr. Ben Henneberry, whose version is in Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia [p. 232] says it was composed by Harry Rissal, a seaman who sailed with his brother.”

Come all you young fellows that follow the sea,
Put yourselves to an anchor and listen to me,
Two weeks I’ve been blazing drunk on the shore,
With a jolly good fellow I spent all my store.

And sing fall the diddle eero, sing torrel aye day.

It’s early Monday morning down the wharf I did wag,
With a bottle of brandy stowed ____ in my bag,
Down to the brig Mary, belonging to Starr,
I went down blazing drunk like a jolly Jack Tar.

Oh early next morning we got underway,
The wind from the nor’ward did blow the half gale,
My heart with the horrors did beat pitty-pat,
And a tear in me eye like a ferry-house rat.

Says I to myself, “I’ll go down take a wee sup of grog.”
My head it is running nine knots by the log,
I went down to the bottle as true as you’re born,
Not a sup in the bottle, not one bloody horn.

Three days I was that way with nothing eat,
And the devil a bit of some sleep could I get,
When whispering all ‘round me I dare look down,
When trembling stood still boys, the cold sweat run down.

Oh, our captain a Methodist preacher had been,
One the scaliest old buggers you ever did see,
Salt cod and religion he gave us to eat,
And about once a week was a small bit of meat.

When dinner time come he would go down to eat,
As a-dying and dying he’d stretch out his feet,
He’d turn over his plate with a blessing to God,
Over a plate of boiled rice and a junk of salt cod.

He’d set in the quarter a-smoking his pipe,
And his face griddled up like a junk of salt tripe,
He’d holler and bawl like a whale when he blows,
You know who I mean by the lump on his nose.

Now the voyage is most ended, we’ll live in good hopes,
In Halifax Harbour we coil up our rope,
We’ll let both ___ anchors, we’ll moor head and stern,
Over a jolly good table we’ll spin a good yard.

Now the voyage it is over and all things are right,
With cabbage and pork we’ll blow out our kite,
And a good jug of rum to help us along,
Here’s to hell with brig Mary and Captain Conrod.

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from The Helen Creighton Folklore Society Presents: Songs of the Sea, released May 24, 2023

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Helen Creighton Folklore Society Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Honoring folklorist Helen Creighton (1899-1989), who collected and published traditional music and lore of Maritime Canada. The mandate of the Helen Creighton Folklore Society is to encourage and promote work that reflects the diverse folk culture of the Maritimes as exemplified by the work begun by Dr. Creighton. For more information visit our website at: www.helencreighton.org. ... more

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