Old Mont Line, The

DESCRIPTION: "Come gather 'round me lads... Oh, maybe you don't believe me, lads... But ship in this starvation tow and you'll see the same as I." "There one Mont, two Monts, three Monts in a row." The sailors take a dull trip up the Lakes and grumble about the owner
AUTHOR: Captain F. W. Elliott and crew?
EARLIEST DATE: 1933 (collected from Elliott by Walton)
KEYWORDS: sailor ship hardtimes money
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Walton/Grimm-Windjammers-SongsOfTheGreatLakesSailors, pp. 125-126, "The Old Mont Line" (1 test, 1 tune)
Roud #19849
RECORDINGS:
Ivan Watson, "The Old Mont Line" (fragment, 1938; on WaltonSailors)
NOTES [60 words]: According to Walton/Grimm/Murdok, the Mont Line operated a set of sailing barges (cut-down schooners) with such names as Monymorency and Monticello. Supposedly Captain Elliott and crew made up this song during a particularly boring trip. Grimm's notes compare the tune to "The Bigler," but it seems to me the dependence on "The Derby Ram" is stronger. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: WGM125

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