Tuesday, February 5, 2019

TUNESMITH TUESDAY - "Captain Kidd" by Great Big Sea

SKIPNOTE: The Sci-Fi show The Expanse is my new favorite sci-fi show of all time. I've binged-watched all three seasons several times so far, and a scene from one of the episodes started me thinking. In the 11th episode of the 3rd season, "Fallen World," two of the characters are trapped by a huge piece of machinery with little hope of rescue. To keep from passing out, they start singing an old "Belter" song with the following lyrics:



Oh your parents will teach you well
for you sail for you sail
To shun the gates of hell when you sail.
As most wickedly I did The Inner laws we did forbid
Against them we rebel when we sail.

Oh my gang for sound for sound
When I steer when I steer
Oh my gang for sound for sound
When I steer when I steer
Oh my gang for sound for sound 
and the many ships we found
and all of them we burned
When we sailed.

Me was sick and nigh to death
Tili go tili go
Me was sick and nigh to death
tili go tili go
Me was sick and nigh to death 
but I vowed with my every breath
For go with wisdom ways
When I sail.

To the execution dock i have come
Tili go
to the execution block
for to sail
I was sick and nigh to death 
but I vow with my every breath
For go with wisdom ways when I sail.


I did some searching and found out that the words (at least partially) come from this song by Great Big Sea.  Enjoy! 




"Captain Kidd"

My name is Captain Kidd
As I sailed, as I sailed,
Oh my name is Captain Kidd as I sailed.
My name is Captain Kidd
And God's laws I did forbid,
And most wickedly I did as I sailed.

My father taught me well
To shun the gates of hell,
But against him I rebelled as I sailed.
He shoved a Bible in my hand
But I left it in the sand
And I pulled away from land,
As I sailed

[Chorus]

I murdered William Moore
And I left him in his gore
Twenty leagues away from shore
As I sailed.
And being crueler still, the gunner I did kill
All his precious blood did spill,
As I sailed.

[Chorus]

I was sick and nigh to death,
And I vowed at every breath,
Oh to walk in wisdom's path,
As I sailed.
But my repentance lasted not,
My vows I soon forgot,
Oh damnation is my lot,
As I sailed. 

[Chorus]

To the execution dock
Lay my head upon the block,
Laws no more I'll mock as I sail,
So take warning here and heed
To shun bad company
Or you'll wind up just like me
As I sailed.

1 comment:

  1. Hey, the GBS version of Captain Kidd is great, one of my favourites (saw them perform it live), but the shanty is an old folk song and there are many versions out there! Loved how the Expanse ‘updated’ the lyrics as it would likely have been adapted over the years by future pirates and sailors. Very clever, and tied season 4 together perfectly too!

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