Politics and music remained closely intertwined with the members' political beliefs, which were far-left and occasionally led to controversial associations with the Communist Party USA. Their first release, an album called Songs For John Doe, urged non-intervention in World War II, and was made with the help of Eric Bernay (of Keynote), Joe Thompson (of NBC), Nicholas Ray (future film director) and Alan Lomax (musicologist). The second album was Talking Union, a collection of labor songs, many of which were intensely anti-Roosevelt.
Songs for John Doe, Talking Union (Two Original Albums, 1941)
More recordings followed, but blacklisting and internal friction soon drove the group apart. Seeger and Hays founded communal homes called Almanac Houses, but the group fell apart soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
After the war, Seeger and Hays, later joined by two of Hays' young friends, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, began singing together again at fund-raising folk dances, with a repertoire geared to international folk music. The new singing group, appearing for a while in 1949 under the rubric, "The Nameless Quartet", changed their name to The Weavers and went on to achieve great renown.
The Golden Vanity
The Almanac Singers Lyrics
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And the name of this ship was the Golden Vanity
And she sailed upon the low and lonesome low
And she sailed upon the lonesome sea
She had not been out but two weeks or three
When she was overtaken by a Turkish Reveley
And she sailed upon the low and lonesome low
Then up spake our little cabin boy
Saying, ""What will you give me if I will them destroy
If I sink them in the low and lonesome low
If I sink them in the lonesome sea?""
""Oh, the man that them destroys"" Our captain then replied
""Five thousand pounds, and my daughter for his bride
If he sinks them in the low and lonesome low
If he sinks them in the lonesome sea!""
So the boy smote his breast And down jumped he
He swum till he come to the Golden Reveley
As she sailed upon the low and lonesome low
As she sailed upon the lonesome sea
He had a little tool That was made for the use
He bore nine holes in her hull all at once
And he sunk her in the low and lonesome low
And he sunk her in the lonesome sea
Then he swum back to his ship and he beat upon the side
Cried, ""Captain, pick me up, for I'm wearied with the tide
And I'm sinkin' in the low and lonesome low
And I'm sinkin' in the lonesome sea!""
""Oh, 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
I'll sink you in the low and lonesome low
I'll sink you in the lonesome sea!""
The Almanac Singers’ song, The Golden Vanity, tells the story of a confrontation between two ships at sea. The singer describes a ship named the Golden Vanity, which sets out to sea only to be threatened by a Turkish Reveley a few weeks later. A cabin boy on the Vanity suggests that he will sink the Reveley for a reward of 5,000 pounds and the captain’s daughter's hand in marriage. The captain agrees, and the boy swims to the Reveley with a tool that is made for the use. He proceeds to bore nine holes in the Reveley’s hull, sinking the ship. Upon the successful destruction of the Reveley, the boy swims back to the Vanity and asks to be picked up, but the captain refuses and threatens to kill the boy instead.
The song is about greed and desperation, and the pursuit of wealth at any cost. The cabin boy is willing to sabotage another vessel and kill any sailors on board to receive a hefty reward. However, the captain’s violent reaction towards the boy upon his return suggests that the greed does not equate to loyalty, and that those who act selfishly may ultimately meet their own demise.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a lofty ship, and she put out to sea
A grand ship set sail on a voyage
And the name of this ship was the Golden Vanity
The name of the ship was the Golden Vanity
And she sailed upon the low and lonesome low
The ship sailed on the deep and lonely sea
And she sailed upon the lonesome sea
The ship sailed on the desolate sea
She had not been out but two weeks or three
The ship had only been at sea for a short period of time
When she was overtaken by a Turkish Reveley
The ship was attacked by a Turkish ship
Then up spake our little cabin boy
The cabin boy spoke up
Saying, "What will you give me if I will them destroy
The cabin boy proposed a plan to destroy the enemy ship and asked for a reward
If I sink them in the low and lonesome low
If I sink the enemy ship on the deep and lonely sea
If I sink them in the lonesome sea?"
If I sink the enemy ship in the desolate sea?
"Oh, the man that them destroys" Our captain then replied
The captain promised a reward for sinking the enemy ship
"Five thousand pounds, and my daughter for his bride
The bounty for sinking the enemy ship included money and the captain's daughter as a wife
If he sinks them in the low and lonesome low
If he sinks the enemy ship on the deep and lonely sea
If he sinks them in the lonesome sea!"
If he sinks the enemy ship in the desolate sea?
So the boy smote his breast And down jumped he
The cabin boy hit his chest and jumped into the sea
He swum till he come to the Golden Reveley
The cabin boy swam to the Turkish ship
As she sailed upon the low and lonesome low
When the Turkish ship sailed on the deep and lonely sea
As she sailed upon the lonesome sea
When the Turkish ship sailed on the desolate sea
He had a little tool That was made for the use
The cabin boy had a tool to use for his plan
He bore nine holes in her hull all at once
The cabin boy made nine holes in the Turkish ship's hull simultaneously
And he sunk her in the low and lonesome low
He destroyed the Turkish ship on the deep and lonely sea
And he sunk her in the lonesome sea
He destroyed the Turkish ship in the desolate sea
Then he swum back to his ship and he beat upon the side
The cabin boy swam back to his ship and knocked on the side
Cried, "Captain, pick me up, for I'm wearied with the tide
He pleaded with the captain to rescue him as he was tired from swimming
And I'm sinkin' in the low and lonesome low
He felt like he was sinking into the deep and lonely sea
And I'm sinkin' in the lonesome sea!"
He felt like he was sinking into the desolate sea
"Oh, I will not pick you up" The captain then replied
The captain refused to save the cabin boy
"I'll shoot you, I'll drown you, I'll sink you in the tide
The captain threatened to kill the cabin boy
I'll sink you in the low and lonesome low
The captain threatened to kill the cabin boy in the deep and lonely sea
I'll sink you in the lonesome sea!"
The captain threatened to kill the cabin boy in the desolate sea
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Woody Guthrie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind