Paddle Your Own Canoe

DESCRIPTION: "I've traveled about a bit in my time And of troubles I've seen a few, But I found it better in every clime To paddle my own canoe." The singer advises loving one's neighbor, not being downhearted, and remaining as independent as possible
AUTHOR: Words: Probably Harry Clifton (but see NOTES)
EARLIEST DATE: 1866 (source: FolkSongAndMusicHall)
KEYWORDS: nonballad work
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber)) US(SE) Ireland
REFERENCES (10 citations):
Greig/Duncan3 663, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 55, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text)
OCroinin/Cronin-TheSongsOfElizabethCronin 116, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text)
Heart-Songs, pp. 286-287, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text, 1 tune)
Dime-Song-Book #16, p. 41, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text)
Mabel-Waltz-Songster, p. 60, "Paddle Your Own Canoe, No. 1" (1 text, with a parody on the next page)
Paddle-Your-Own-Canoe-Songster, pp. 5-6, "Paddle Your Own Canoe, No. 1" (1 text, with the No. 2 version on p. 6)
Rootle-Tum-Tootle-Tum-Tay-Songster, pp. 70-71, "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (1 text)
Clowns-Shoo-Fly-Songster, p. 34, "Paddle Your Own Canoe, No. 1" (1 text)
FolkSongAndMusicHall, "Paddle your own canoe"
Roud #6093
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(2905), "Paddle Your Own Canoe" ("I've travelled about a bit, in my time"), J. Harkness (Preston), 1840-1866; also Harding B 26(492), Harding B 18(580), Firth b.34(222), "Paddle Your Own Canoe"
LOCSinging, sb30426b, "Paddle Your Own Canoe," H. De Marsan (New York), 1864-1878
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Captain Bill Ryan Left Terry Behind" (tune)
SAME TUNE:
The Night Pat Murphy Died (by Johnny Burke) (Johnny Burke (William J. Kirwin, editor), _John White's Collection of Johnny Burke Songs_, Harry Cuff Publications, St. John's, 1981, #78, p. 119)
Peter Joy (by James Murphy?) ("Whenever you need a 'roast' or steak... Go call on Peter Joy") (James Murphy, editor, _Songs Sung by Old-TIme Sealers of Many Years Ago_, James Murphy Publishing, 1925 (PDF available from Memorial University of Newfoundland web site))
Beat Your Neighbour ("No doubt you all have heard about A song that is quite new... Called 'Paddle your own Canoe'") (JennieEngelsDearLittleShamrockSongster, p. 11)
The Velocipede ("I;m Freddy Sykes of Clinton Street, Oh, how do you like my style?") (Archy-Hughes-George-the-Charmer-Songster, p. 8)
Jolly Old Sailor ("I've followed the sea for sixty years, but can't do so any more, But like a ship that is played out, must lay and rust on shore") (by Jule Keen) (Keen-Love-Among-Der-Sweitzer-Songster, p. 12)
NOTES [160 words]: Greig/Duncan3: "Cf. Paddle Your Own Canoe written and sung by Harry Clifton (Hopwood and Crew, London, c. 1890)" -- but note earlier broadsides. - BS
For background on Harry Clifton (1824-1872), see the notes to "The Good Ship Kangaroo." Although the broadsides probably predate the first official publication of this song, Clifton's authorship seems likely. Heart-Songs lists "M Hobson" as being responsible for the tune, but FolkSongAndMusicHall lists Hobson as arranging the tune, which was by Charles Coote.
Dime-Song-Book #6 has a song "I'll Paddle My Own Canoe." I'd consider them separate. The "Paddle Your Own Canoe" in Dime-Song-Book #16, also looks rather different, and surely rewritten, but probably from the same roots, so I've listed it here. - RBW
Broadside LOCSinging sb30426b: H. De Marsan dating per Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS
Last updated in version 7.1
File: Be3055

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