Stormy Weather Boys

DESCRIPTION: Adventures of a barge crew on the Thames. The captain arrives half-drunk; the crew gets sozzled, the barge runs aground. They meet a mermaid and a ghost (who takes the wheel); eventually they arrive at Yarmouth and wind up in "The Druid's Arms"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1950 (Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Adventures of a barge crew on the Thames. The captain comes aboard half-drunk; the crew gets sozzled and the barge runs aground. They encounter a mermaid ("Up jumped a mermaid covered with muck/We took her down the fo'c'sle and had a good time") and a ghost (who takes the wheel); eventually they arrive at Yarmouth and wind up in "The Druid's Arms." Chorus: "Stormy weather boys, stormy weather boys/When the wind blows our barge will go"
KEYWORDS: sex river work drink storm foc's'le humorous sailor worker ghost mermaid/man parody
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South)) Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, pp. 144-145, "Stormy Weather Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs 143, "Stormy Weather, Boys" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morgan/Green-RugbySongs, p. 181, "Stormy Weather, Boys" (1 text)
DT, STRMYWTH
Roud #1851
RECORDINGS:
Bob Roberts, "Stormy Weather Boys" (on LastDays)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. Windy Old Weather" (meter)
cf. "The E-ri-e" (theme) and references there
NOTES [60 words]: Not having heard this sung, I can't prove it's a parody of "Windy Old Weather" -- but the meter and lyrics both say it is. - RBW
I don't think so, despite the lyrical similarities. "Windy Old Weather" is sung in waltz time, while this is 4/4. - PJS
And Morgan/Green-RugbySongs's version doesn't fit "Windy Old Weather." Possibly the text changed over time. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.3
File: DTstrmyw

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