Odetta (December 31, 1930 - December 2, 2008) was an African-American singe… Read Full Bio ↴Odetta (December 31, 1930 - December 2, 2008) was an African-American singer whose repertoire consists largely of American folk music, blues, and spirituals.

She was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and studied music at Los Angeles City College. Having operatic training from the age of 13, her first professional experience was in musical theater, with a touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.

While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers", and after 1951 concentrated on folksinging. She made her name by playing around the country: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City), the hungry i (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry in 1954, for Fantasy Records.

A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and a live album recorded at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in 1957. Harry Belafonte included her in a nationwide television special in 1959, and Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.

Odetta was active in the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr. called her "the queen of American folk music". Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were among many folk musicians who credited Odetta with being a major influence on their work.

Having previous acting experience, Odetta also acted in several films, notably the film of William Faulkner's Sanctuary (1961) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).

On December 02, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City. She was 77 years of age.

The Golden Vanity
Odetta Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There was a lofty ship
And she put out to see
And the name of that ship
Was The Golden Vanity
She sailed along the lonesome sea

She had not been out
For two weeks or three

When she was overtaken
By the Turkish Revelry
She sailed along the lonesome sea

Then up spoke our little cabin boy
Sayin' 'What will you give me?
If them I shall destroy?
If I seek them in the lonesome sea"

To the men I distrust
Our captain did reply
5000 pounds
And my daughter for a bride
If he sinks her in the lonesome sea

So the boy beat his breast
And down jumped him
And he swam 'til he came
To the Turkish Revelry
As she sailed along the lonesome sea

Well he had a little tool
That was made for the use
And he bored 9 holes
In her hull all at once
And he sank her in the lonesome sea

He swam back to his ship
And he beat upon the side
Cryin' "Captain pick me up!
For I'm weary in the tide!
For I'm sinkin' in the lonesome sea"

"I will not pick you up,"
The Captain then replied
"I'll shoot you, I'll drown you

I'll sink you in the tide.
Yes I'll sink you in the lonesome sea."

Overall Meaning

The Golden Vanity is a traditional folk song that tells the story of a ship with the same name that is overtaken by the Turkish Revelry. The ship is captained by an unscrupulous man who offers his daughter's hand in marriage and a large sum of money to whoever can sink the Turkish ship. A young cabin boy takes up the challenge and is successful in sinking the opposing ship, but when he returns to the Golden Vanity, expecting to be praised, he is met with hostility and threats from the captain who refuses to honor his promise.

The song touches on several themes including greed, betrayal, and the importance of keeping one's word. It also highlights the bravery and cunning of the cabin boy who is able to outwit the Turkish ship and save his own crew from harm. Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of making promises that one does not intend to keep.

Line by Line Meaning

There was a lofty ship
The story begins with the introduction of a grand ship.

And she put out to see
The ship embarked on a journey at sea.

And the name of that ship
The ship was known as The Golden Vanity.

Was The Golden Vanity
The Golden Vanity was the name of the ship.

She sailed along the lonesome sea
The Golden Vanity sailed through a desolate ocean, perhaps with no other ships in sight.

She had not been out
The Golden Vanity had not been at sea for long.

For two weeks or three
The Golden Vanity was only at sea for a short period, perhaps two or three weeks.

When she was overtaken
The ship was caught up by another vessel.

By the Turkish Revelry
The ship that caught up with The Golden Vanity was called the Turkish Revelry.

Then up spoke our little cabin boy
The cabin boy aboard The Golden Vanity spoke up.

Sayin' 'What will you give me?
He asked what he would be rewarded with.

If them I shall destroy?
The cabin boy offered to destroy the Turkish Revelry.

If I seek them in the lonesome sea"
He offered to sink the Turkish Revelry in the empty waters they were sailing in.

To the men I distrust
The captain spoke to his untrustworthy crew.

Our captain did reply
The captain responded to the cabin boy's offer.

5000 pounds
The captain promised the cabin boy a sum of 5000 pounds.

And my daughter for a bride
Additionally, the captain offered his daughter's hand in marriage as further reward.

If he sinks her in the lonesome sea
The captain would give these rewards to the cabin boy if he successfully sinks the Turkish Revelry in the empty sea.

So the boy beat his breast
The cabin boy beat his chest in confidence.

And down jumped him
He then jumped into the sea.

And he swam 'til he came
He swam until he reached the Turkish Revelry.

To the Turkish Revelry
He swam to the ship known as the Turkish Revelry.

As she sailed along the lonesome sea
The Turkish Revelry continued to sail through the empty sea.

Well he had a little tool
The cabin boy had a special tool with him.

That was made for the use
This tool was designed for a specific purpose.

And he bored 9 holes
He used the tool to create nine holes.

In her hull all at once
He created the holes all at the same time in the ship's hull.

And he sank her in the lonesome sea
He successfully sank the Turkish Revelry in the empty sea.

He swam back to his ship
The cabin boy made his way back to The Golden Vanity.

And he beat upon the side
He knocked on the side of the ship.