Jerry has been featured in the San Francisco National Maritime Historic Park’s sea music concert series, Mystic Seaport Museum’s annual Sea Music Festival, South Street Seaport in New York, and many others. His recording The Ballad of Harbo and Samuelsen showcases old and new songs. He can also can be heard on the Mystic Seaport CD American Sea Chanteys, and on Contentment by Rick Spencer. His latest release, Roast Beef of Old England, is a collection of traditional songs from the man-of-war days of the British Navy, and is a companion to the seafaring novels of Patrick O’Brian.
Spanish Ladies
Jerry Bryant and Starboard Mess Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we've received orders for to sail for old England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take;
'Twas forty-five fathoms, with a white sandy bottom,
So we squared our main yard and up channel did make.
The first land we sighted was called the Dodman,
Next Rame Head off Plymouth, Start, Portland and Wight;
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover,
And then we bore up for the South Foreland light.
Then the signal was made for the grand fleet to anchor,
And all in the Downs that night for to lie;
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper!Haul up your clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly!Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper,
And let ev'ry man drink off his full glass;
We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy,
And here's to the health of each true-hearted lass.
The song "Spanish Ladies" is a sea shanty that has been popular for centuries. It tells the story of sailors receiving orders to sail back to England, bidding farewell to the women of Spain they have befriended during their journey. The lyrics capture the feelings of longing and hope that arise when sailors have to leave loved ones behind and the excitement they feel when they return home.
The first stanza of the song bids farewell to the Spanish ladies and expresses the hope to see them again soon. The second stanza talks about the sailors' resolve to sail with gusto and enthusiasm until they reach England, following with the third stanza where they describe the journey and how they navigated through the waters from Ushant to Scilly. Then the fourth stanza talks about how the sailors took soundings, hove their ship to, and sailed along the coastlines of Dodman, Rame Head, Start, Portland, Wight, Beachy, Fairlight, and Dover until they reached the South Foreland light. Finally, the last stanza talks about the celebration and joy that ensued as they anchored in the Downs and had a drink to the health of their loved ones.
In summary, "Spanish Ladies" is a beautiful sea shanty that tells the tale of sailors and their journey through the waters between Spain and England. It captures the sense of longing, excitement, and celebration that sailors feel as they embark on their journeys, encounter new people, and eventually return home.
Line by Line Meaning
Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies,
We bid farewell to the charming ladies of Spain.
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
Our goodbye extends to all the women of Spain.
For we've received orders for to sail for old England,
We have received orders to sail back to our homeland, England.
But we hope in a short time to see you again.
We hope to see you again soon.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We will shout and cheer like patriotic British sailors.
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
We will cheer as we sail on the salty sea waves.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
Until we reach the safe shallows of the English Channel.
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues.
A distance of thirty-five leagues from the Ushant to Scilly.
We hove our ship to with the wind from sou'west, boys
We anchored our ship with a sou'west wind, my friends.
We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take;
We took deep measurements by anchoring our ship.
'Twas forty-five fathoms, with a white sandy bottom,
The depth was forty-five fathoms with a bottom of white sand.
So we squared our main yard and up channel did make.
So, we aligned our main yard and headed towards the English Channel.
The first land we sighted was called the Dodman,
The first land we saw was named the Dodman.
Next Rame Head off Plymouth, Start, Portland and Wight;
We then saw Rame Head near Plymouth, Start, Portland and Wight.
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover,
We navigated by Beachy, Fairlight and Dover.
And then we bore up for the South Foreland light.
We changed our direction towards the South Foreland lighthouse.
Then the signal was made for the grand fleet to anchor,
A signal was given for the entire fleet to anchor.
And all in the Downs that night for to lie;
We all lay in the Downs that night.
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper!
Release the shank painter and the cat stopper!
Haul up your clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly!
Raise the clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly!
Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper,
Now, let each man empty his glass of wine.
And let ev'ry man drink off his full glass;
And let every man have his glass filled again.
We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy,
We will drink and have fun, forgetting all sadness.
And here's to the health of each true-hearted lass.
And let us all drink to the good health of every faithful lady.
Contributed by Liam E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.