The last day of September

[anteros_lmc]

A very important date in Naval History. ;)

Kate Rusby's version is lovely but only includes one verse, so here's the rest:

The big ship sails on the ally-ally-oh, the ally-ally-oh, the ally-ally-oh
Oh, the big ship sails on the ally-ally-oh, on the last day of September.

The captain said it will never, never do, never, never do, never, never do
The captain said it will never, never do, on the last day of September.

The big ship sank to the bottom of the sea, the bottom of the sea, the bottom of the sea
The big ship sank to the bottom of the sea, on the last day of September.

We all dip our heads in the deep blue sea, the deep blue sea, the deep blue sea
We all dip our heads in the deep blue sea, on the last day of September.

I'm sure we used to have actions that went with this song when I was a kid but I'm blowed if I can remember what they are!

Comments

[vsee.livejournal.com]

No wonder you guys turn out so tough-singing songs about adventuring and drowning from childhood. ;-)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Lol yes! Learning songs about disasters at sea is an integral part of British childhood ;) Actually partner learned Sir Patrick Spens at primary school, which is positively grim!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

The only action I can remember is sticking our heads in the deep blue sea, but if anyone can remember/knows any more it would be very useful!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

There is a long and involved discussion of the origins of this song and the actions that go with it over at the Mudcat archive here. I must admit these actions don't sound familiar, though they do sound like a lot of fun! I wish I could remember what we used to do, I usually have a good memory for this kind of thing. Old age must be catching up with me ;)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's fabulous! Thank you! I can use "In and out the dusty bluebells", too (which I'd never heard of before, but apparently it's sung to the tune of Bobby Shaftoe, which even I can approximate).

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! We played this game to Dusty Bluebells rather than Big Ship Sails. It's a great way to get kids in a tangle!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Oops sorry! This post really should carry and ear worm warning ;)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

What does the song refer to? I suppose singing happy songs about Naval disaster is no worse than ring-a-rosie.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I have no idea! But as I mentioned to azdak above, there is a very long, very fascinating and entirely inconclusive discussion of it's origins over at the Mudcat Traditional Music Archive here. Some say the Alley Alley O is the Manchester Shipping Canal, others suggest the song is much older. I quite like the idea that it's a much older chantey that's become associated with the shipping canals at a later date.

Oh and the version I sang as a kid was Eely Ally O!

[esteven]

Hm, I can only come up with Robert Gray and Columbia, the first American ship to have circumavigated the world. Gray witnessed the Nootka Crisis.

Best I could do with the help of some google. ;D

[esteven]

Oh, I would not have thought of that. Maybe I was distracted by the huge sailing ships (some of them painted by Mr Hunt):D

[esteven]

They don't? What shame!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I've seen a couple of tall ships on the Caledonian Canal! Not quite the same as the Manchester Shipping Canal right enough though :}

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

It's worth having a look at the Mudcat discussion about the song's origins. It's as fascinating as it's inconclusive!

[eveiya.livejournal.com]

We sang that as a playground song/game at primary school, except we said "Illy-Ally-Oh". The game was, everybody holds hands as if for chain tig, the person on one end puts their free hand against a wall, then the whole chain goes through under her arm and under all the linked hands until everybody ends up still holding hands but with their arms crossed in front of them.

Kids do some strange things! :-D

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

That's the version of the game that appears on the Mudcat archive, but I honestly can't remember playing that! Or rather I do remember playing something like that but not to this rhyme. I suspect my memory may be playing tricks on me though :}

Kids do some strange things! :-D
Tell me about it!

[eveiya.livejournal.com]

I started primary school (in Polmont) in August 1971, so maybe that game was before your time? :-D

I do remember it got progressively faster and wilder, till everyone was running and being dragged through the arm-arches, and I think everybody used to wind up tangled up, out of breath and falling about on the ground - you were meant to squat down still holding hands with your arms crossed at the end of it.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I started primary school (in Polmont) in August 1971, so maybe that game was before your time?
Definitely before my time. I didn't start primary school (in the Outer Hebrides) until 1973 ;)

I do remember that game but we did it to Dusty Bluebells and something else I forget. Maybe it's an Outer Hebridean thing?!

[eveiya.livejournal.com]

PS Very pretty Ailsa Craig icon!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Snapped on a mobile phone driving back from Culzean one day. And it really was that colour!

[vespican.livejournal.com]

The pictures of the tall ships is what caught my fancy more than anything. Most appear to be from a later generation than associated with HH, AK, WB, and such. Seemed all sported upper and lower topsails and topgallants, features found, I believe, later into the nineteenth century. I'm not sure if naval vessels ever adopted that configuration, or if they remained with single topsails and topgallants until the end of the age of sail.
Dave

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Aye these ships look more like clippers and Cape Horners don't they? I'm inclined to think split sails of this kind weren't used on naval ships but I can't back that up. I'd be interested to know if you ever find out.