Warner is a Folklorist and Community Scholar for the New Hampshire Council on the Arts,and has been named a 2007 State Arts Council Fellow. He has toured nationally for the Smithsonian Institution and has recorded for Flying Fish/Rounder and other labels. His 1995 recording, Two Little Boys, received a Parents’ Choice Award.
He is the editor of Traditional American Folksongs from the Frank and Anne Warner Collection (Syracuse University Press, 1984), and producer of the CD set Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still: The Warner Collection (Appleseed Recordings, 2000). Both publications make available the work of his parents, who were pioneer collectors of songs from rural America. Her Bright Smile is the actual voices of singers who were born from 1860 to 1900, recorded by the Warners on early disk recorders.
Jeff Warner is past president of the Country Dance and Song Society, a past officer of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance, has been an artist for Virginia, Ohio and Utah Arts Councils and is past producer of the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival.
from New Hampshire State Council on the Arts:
Jeff Warner attributes his interest in both scholarship and musicianship to the work of his parents, the well known music historians Frank and Anne Warner. At ages 3, 8 and 16 Warner accompanied his parents on a few of their trips throughout the Eastern US and Canada and sat and listened while they recorded the locals who remembered the old songs of their region and community. These significant recordings are preserved for posterity in the Library of Congress.
In his early years Warner lived in Greenwich Village with his family and later attended Duke University where he earned a BA in English. After a two-year stint in the Navy, he continued his studies at New York University under the G.I. Bill.
In the 60s Warner was editor-in-training at Doubleday Bookclubs. He seemed headed toward a literary career, until a friend asked if he would help out with a non-profit music school, called the Guitar Workshop, in Roslyn, Long Island in NY. Warner stayed with the school for nine years as the only paid staff person, and worked as administrator, guitar teacher, grant writer, and community program coordinator. He says he learned music theory and arrangement by teaching. His position also helped put him in touch with the significant people involved in the post-WWII folk revival movement that was embraced by both the commercial and academic worlds.
In the 70s Warner left to carve out a career for himself in historical music. Because of the US Bicentennial there was an increased demand for American songs in schools and Jeff filled that need with outreach programs into the schools.
In explaining his work, Warner points out that he is not a traditional singer in the academic sense. A traditional singer is one who has acquired the traditions, either through ethnicity or family ties. Warner prefers to refer to himself as a singer of traditional songs. He takes an historical approach to the music and has become known as a “folklorist/historian and community scholar.” In describing his work, he says: “I teach American history and culture through traditional song.” He borrows a phrase from historian David McCullough, who said, “my mission is to make history as interesting as it really was.” For Warner, old songs are like archaeological objects which teach a lot about history, “…they’re living historical artifacts that serve as evidence about the people who used them and the times they lived in.”
In 1997, he moved to Portsmouth and began doing outreach to NH schools as a Roster Artist through the State Arts Council. He has recorded for Flying Fish/Rounder and other labels. His first solo compact disk, recorded in 2005, is Jolly Tinker onGumstump Records. His 1995 recording, Two Little Boys, received a Parents' Choice Award. He is the editor of Traditional American Folksongsfrom the Frank and Anne Warner Collection (Syracuse University Press, 1984), and producer of the set Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still: The Warner Collection (Appleseed Recordings, 2000), which is comprised of his parents’ recordings. He appears on the State Arts Council’s 2003 compact disk Songs of the Seasons, for which he also co-wrote the liner notes.
From 1979 to 1993 Jeff Warner toured nationally with the Smithsonian Associates and is past president of the Country Dance and Song Society, and a past officer of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. He has been an artist for Virginia, Ohio and Utah Arts Councils and is past producer of the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival. He has been the recipient of numerous grants from the NH Humanities Council.
from CDBABY
For the Black 'N Blue guitarist known as Jef "Woop" Warner, see Jef Warner.
Paddy Lay Back
Jeff Warner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all of me money, it was spent (spent, spent),
And where the hell it went I can't remember (remember),
So down to the shippin' office I went, (went, went),
Oh, Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
Now well, that day there was a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
For the Colonies and for 'Frisco and for France (France, France),
So I joined a Limey barque they called the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
An' I got paralytic drunk on my advance ('vance, 'vance),
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
Now well it was on the quarterdeck where first I saw 'em (saw them),
Such an ugly bunch I'd never seen before ('fore, 'fore);
For there captain had shipped a shanghai'd crew of Dutchmen,
An' it made me poor ol' heart feel sick an' sore.
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
Well I asked a mate which watch was mine-O (a' mine-O),
He said he'd soon see which watch was which (which, which);
Oh an' he blew me down an' he kicked in the stern-o (a'stern-O),
Callin' me a dirty, lousy, son-of-a-bitch.
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
Now it was then I made me mind up that I'd leave her (leave her),
I'd get a job and live me life ashore (shore, shore);
So I jumped overboard and swam ashore boys (shore boys),
An' in the English Bar I found a whore.
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
But Jimmy the Crimp he knew a thing or two, sir (o'-two, sir),
An' quickly I was outward bound again (again, again);
On a Limey to the Chinchas for guanner (guanner),
An' here I am singin' the ol' refrain ('frain, 'frain).
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
So here we are, once again at sea, boys (a'sea, boys),
The same ol' garbage... all over again (again, again);
So won't you stamp the capstan round an' make a noise, boys (a noise, boys),
An' join with me in singin' the ol' refrain ('frain, 'frain).
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
The lyrics to Jeff Warner's song "Paddy Lay Back" tell the story of a sailor who has spent all of his money and is forced to find work on a ship bound for various destinations. The sailor joins the crew of a Limey barque called the Hotspur and becomes very drunk due to his advance. The crew is made up of Dutchmen who have been shanghai'd by the captain. The sailor is treated poorly by the mate and decides to jump overboard and live his life on shore. However, he is quickly convinced to return to sea on a Limey ship bound for the Chinchas for guanner. The song ends with the sailor and crew back at sea and singing the "ol' refrain."
The lyrics to "Paddy Lay Back" depict the harsh realities of life at sea during the time this song was written. Sailors were often forced to work long, tiring, and difficult hours with little to no pay or basic human rights. The portrayal of Dutchmen who have been shanghai'd by the captain was a common practice during this time period. It's often hard for us today to understand the isolation and desperation that led people to become sailors during this time.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas on a cold an' windy mornin' in December,
It was a December morning with harsh weather.
When all of me money, it was spent (spent, spent),
All of his money was gone.
And where the hell it went I can't remember (remember),
He can't recall where he spent his money.
So down to the shippin' office I went, (went, went),
He went to the shipping office looking for work.
Oh, Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
A chant to ease the stress of work.
Take in the slack (take in the slack)!
To tighten the rope or cable so there is no slack or looseness.
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl!
To make the capstan rotate using the pawl, to hoist the anchor or trim the sails.
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
A warning to seamen to be ready to respond quickly.
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
A chant referring to a journey to Valparaiso through the stormy seas around Cape Horn.
Now well, that day there was a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
There was a high demand for sailors on that day.
For the Colonies and for 'Frisco and for France (France, France),
Sailors were in demand in the Americas and France.
So I joined a Limey barque they called the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
He joined a British vessel called the Hotspur.
An' I got paralytic drunk on my advance ('vance, 'vance),
He got extremely drunk and wasted his pay in advance.
Now well it was on the quarterdeck where first I saw 'em (saw them),
He first saw the crew on the ship's elevated deck.
Such an ugly bunch I'd never seen before ('fore, 'fore);
He had never seen such an unsightly crew before.
For there captain had shipped a shanghaied crew of Dutchmen,
The crew was forced to join the ship without their consent.
An' it made me poor ol' heart feel sick an' sore.
It saddened him deeply.
Well I asked a mate which watch was mine-O (a' mine-O),
He asked a crew member which shift they were assigned to.
He said he'd soon see which watch was which (which, which);
The crew member promised to find out which shift he was assigned to.
Oh an' he blew me down an' he kicked in the stern-o (a'stern-O),
The crew member punched him and kicked him in the behind.
Callin' me a dirty, lousy, son-of-a-bitch.
He was insulted and degraded by the crew member.
Now it was then I made me mind up that I'd leave her (leave her),
He decided to leave the ship.
I'd get a job and live me life ashore (shore, shore);
He wanted to start a new life on land and find a job.
So I jumped overboard and swam ashore boys (shore boys),
He left the ship by jumping overboard and swimming to land.
An' in the English Bar I found a whore.
He found a prostitute in a bar.
But Jimmy the Crimp he knew a thing or two, sir (o'-two, sir),
A person named Jimmy tricked him and sent him back to sea.
An' quickly I was outward bound again (again, again);
He was soon on another voyage.
On a Limey to the Chinchas for guanner (guanner),
He was on a British ship bound for the Chinchas Islands to catch guano.
An' here I am singin' the ol' refrain ('frain, 'frain).
He is now singing the chant again.
So here we are, once again at sea, boys (a'sea, boys),
He is back at sea again.
The same ol' garbage... all over again (again, again);
He finds himself in the same situation as before, with nothing new.
So won't you stamp the capstan round an' make a noise, boys (a noise, boys),
He invites the sailors to hoist the sails again and make some noise.
An' join with me in singin' the ol' refrain ('frain, 'frain).
He encourages them to join him in chanting the same old chant.
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
They are heading for Valparaiso through the rough seas around Cape Horn.
Contributed by Aria R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.