As of 2010, The Swingle Singers are comprised of:
- Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson (soprano, UK)
- Sara Brimer (soprano, US)
- Clare Wheeler (alto, UK)
- Lucy Bailey (alto, UK)
- Richard Eteson* (tenor, UK)
- Christopher Jay (tenor, UK)
- Kevin Fox (baritone, Canada)
- Tobias Hug (bass, Germany)
* Richard Eteson recently announced his departure from the group.
History of The Swingle Singers
The Swingle Singers were a vocal group originally founded in Paris, France in 1962 and comprised of Ward Swingle, Anne Germain, Jeanette Baucomont, and Jean Cussac.
The group, directed primarily by the eponymous Ward Swingle and accompanied by bass and drums, produced complicated, technically impressive covers of anything from modern classics (The Beatles) to classical music (Tchaikovsky, Beethoven) to opera (Rossini). Their arrangements are often informed by jazz harmonies and stylings. Other influences included Nat King Cole, various smooth singers and pianists.
The Swingle Singers were active in classical music. A 'hit' for them was Bach's 'Air On The G String', recorded with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Luciano Berio wrote his postmodern symphony Sinfonia for eight voices and orchestra with them in mind.
The original group disbanded in 1973 but has reformed several times since, using different names but continuing Ward Swingle's tradition of jazz-infused arrangements and extreme technical proficiency. The most current incarnation of the group is once again called The Swingle Singers.
The Swingel Singers official site: http://www.swinglesingers.com
The Drunken Sailor
The Swingle Singers Lyrics
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Way hay
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Way hay (way hay)
Way hay (way hay)
Way hay (way hay)
Early in the morning
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Early in the morning
Way hay
Way hay
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Way hay, up she rises
Way hay, up she rises
Way hay, up she rises
Early in the morning
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Early in the morning
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Early in the morning
"The Drunken Sailor" is a traditional sea shanty that talks about the predicament of a sailor who has had too much to drink. The song starts with a refrain of "way hay and up she rises" which refers to the way sailors would hoist the anchor when it was time to set sail. The rest of the song is a series of questions and answers that suggest different ways to handle the drunken sailor.
The repetition of the question "what should we do with a drunken sailor" shows the frustration of dealing with an intoxicated crewman. The first suggestion is to "put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him" which means to wash him with cold seawater to sober him up. Another option is to "hoist him aboard with a running bowline" which refers to a rope used to pull him back onto the ship. The final suggestion is to "put him in the long boat 'til he's sober" which means to isolate him in a small boat until he sobers up enough to rejoin the crew.
The song captures the rowdy and often dangerous environment of sailors on ships, where alcohol was readily available and difficult situations had to be dealt with quickly. The repetition of the "way hay" refrain creates a sense of urgency and the call-and-response structure of the song makes it easy for groups of people to sing and work together.
Line by Line Meaning
Way hay
Way hay
Way hay and up she rises
Sailors celebrate the work at the end of the day and is getting ready to sign off from work as the sun sets.
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
What should we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
One of the crew members seems to have overindulged and is now unable to perform his duties the next morning. The crew is wondering how to deal with the situation.
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Put him in the scuppers with the hose pipe on him
Early in the morning
One of the solutions that the crew is suggesting is to put the drunken sailor in the gutter-like drains on the deck and spray him with a hose to sober him up.
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Early in the morning
Another suggestion by the crew is to lift the sailor back onto the ship using a special knot called a running bowline.
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Early in the morning
In the end, the crew decides to put the drunken sailor in a small boat on the side of the ship until he sobers up and can return to his duties.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JIM PARKER, TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind