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#50-The Cumberland (1984)
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A sea faring song-but listen to it all the way through. The song undergoes some changes as the story unfolds.
folk funny political sixties novelty gentle prolific idiosyncratic lehrer jefferson airplane ochs paxton steve goodman
Artist picture
Tom Paxton meets Jefferson Airplane. Extremely prolific singer songwriter with a wide range of styles from bizarre novelty tunes and surrealistic poetic songs t
With more than 300 songs and counting and for more than 30 years, I have written in a variety of acoustic styles from novelty tunes to love songs to historical ballads to poetic surrealistic songs to retro-acoustic pop. From bizarre to traditional from funny to poignant, whatever style the song is in, the melodies are usually memorable and the lyrics unpredictable. This site will eventually contain rough often first take demos of my entire song catalogue. Many of the earliest songs when I first started writing will of course be shaky. So expect the songs to get better as time goes on. Feel free to come back and browse often as I will constantly be adding songs, one by one in chronological order, starting in 1974. If you are looking for some unusual songs to cover from a little known but unique artist, you have come to the right place. Just e-mail me. If you find a song here that intrigues you, but you don't like a line or two, or you think it needs a bridge, drop me an e-mail and maybe you can earn writer's credit if it gets that song to be recorded or performed.... otherwise just enjoy. You can become a Rob Lincoln fan at no cost to you. I promise that if you keep coming back there will be some real surprises along the way. While mostly acoustic, some original material will veer into folk rock and even 60's pop, but the garage rock and loudest material will also be found in full band arrangement at soundclick.com/abrasiveflowers Eventually some of these 300+ tunes may be rerecorded and make it on to CD, including a novelty CD that would be suitable for Dr. Demento or an historical ballad CD or a political song CD--but until then, this is the only site you can hear most of these songs. (A few of my songs CAN be found on songramp.com/RobLincoln and myspace.com/lessickandlincoln)
Song Info
Charts
Peak #291
Peak in subgenre #47
Author
Rob Lincoln
Rights
1984
Uploaded
April 29, 2007
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.7 MB 128 kbps 5:06
Story behind the song
I wanted to write a song of the sea. This tale of a young sailor unfortunately parrallels many misadventures young people have been hoodwinked into over the years since it was wirtten. They start out promising, but soon the truth is revealed---such as the war in Iraq perhaps. Written so many year's earlier, but it's the same story for those who do not know history. Slightly inspired but Pete Seeger's The Big Muddy. Musically, I experiment a bit with some dissonances as the song goes on.... A bit of trivia--the name John Torringdale I believe I got from the name of the perfectly preserved mumified sailor photographed from an abandoned sailing ship discoved in the arctic. It's a horrific picture in an old National Geographic I saw aorund that time--the name may have been John Torrington. Mp3 club listeners have thus far rated this 3.3........ Some comments have included "I hear a Pete Seeger influence here" "this is the first song of yours I had to turn off before it was over because it was so unlistenable." "i think this one is lyrically tight (the lines all scan nicely), and I like the melody."
Lyrics
I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain says he'll pay When first I laid my eyes on her She was anchored in the bay As soon as I had boarded her The anchor's up We are on our way I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain says he'll pay The first winds they are with us Heading from the shore John Torringdale he says to me "Young man the years you lost will number four" I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain says he'll pay As the lands receding from the horizon I walk the ship from stern to bow And I notice that working lifeboats We have none I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay As the sky is dimming And we lose the light I make my way to my cubby And I see how dark can be the night I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay Tonight there is no North Star To guide us on our way Old man Polaris behind the clouds He has nothing to say I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay I'm dreaming of old Neptune He's laughing hard at me A pitch fork in his right hand And his eyes a dark and awful green I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay Roused from sleep in the pitch black The salt upon my face I pull on a knotted rope I search the sky and pray for His grace I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay I feel my ship a'rocking I hear the first mate's call As I turn to Torringdale He says "young man the years you've lost are all" I set sail on the Cumberland I set sail today I set sail on the Cumberland For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay For 20 quid the captain said he'd pay For 20 quid
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