A Ship in Distress

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Het lezen van het in memoriam over Louisa Jo Killen geschreven door Colin Irwin in Spiral Earth, bracht mij ertoe alle LP’s van Killen opnieuw te beluisteren. Ik kwam het prachtige “A Ship in Distress” tegen.
De tekst staat in The Penquin Book of English folk songs.

Tekst

You seamen bold who plough the ocean
See dangers landsmen never know
'T is not for honour or promotion
No tongue can tell what they undergo
In the blusterous wind and the great dark water
Our ship went drifting on the sea
Her rigging gone, and her rudder broken
Which brought us to extremity

For fourteen days, heartsore and hungry
Seeing but wild water and bitter sky
Poor fellows all stood in a totter
A-casting lots as to who should die
Their lot it fell on Robert Jackson
Whose family was so very great
“I'm free to die, but oh, me comrades
Let me keep look-out till the break of day”

A full dressed ship like the sun a-glittering
Came bearing down to their relief
As soon as this glad news was shouted
It banished all their care and grief
Our ship brought to, no longer drifting
Safe in Saint Vincent, Cap Verde, she lay
You seamen all, who hear my story
Pray you'll ne'er suffer the like again