Diesel and Shale

DESCRIPTION: "On the fifth of November in '53, The big man at Dolphin he sent for me... We've booked you a berth in the water below... We've booked you a berth with the diesel ad shale." The sailor describes the smelly life on submarines; he finally gets another berth
AUTHOR: Cyril Tawney (source: Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs)
EARLIEST DATE: 1958 (Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs)
KEYWORDS: sailor ship hardtimes
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs 153, "Diesel and Shale" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Nobody Washes in a Submarine" (subject of odors on a submarine)
NOTES [66 words]: Submarines were always crowded, and even when on the surface, they had limited ventilation. The were famous for their odors, both human and machine. A well-designed boat wouldn't smell too much of diesel fuel and shale oil, but either Tawney was not on a good boat or he had a very good nose. As someone who finds all petroleum fumes hard to take, I have a great deal of sympathy for the latter. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.1
File: PaSe153

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