“Song of the Fishes (Blow Ye Winds Westerly)”

Description

"Come all you bold fishermen, listen to me, I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea, Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly...." The behaviors of the various fish are described as they come forward and speak to the sailors

Cross references

• cf. "Yea Ho, Little Fish" (floating lyrics)
• cf. "Blow the Wind Southerly" (lyrics)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 25(1029), "The King of the Sea" ("Up starts the herring the king of the sea"), unknown, n.d.; also Harding B 28(102), "The King of the Sea"

Recordings

• Pete Seeger, "Come All You Bold Sailormen" (on PeteSeeger08, PeteSeegerCD02)

References

1. Colcord, pp. 187-188, "The Boston Come-All-Ye" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Harlow, pp. 145-147, "Song of the Fishes" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Hugill, pp. 196-198, 209-210, "The Fishes" (4 texts, 4 tunes) [AbEd, pp. 153-154], "Blow the Man Down" (1 text, version D of "Blow the Man Down") [AbEd, pp. 164-165]
4. Fowke/Mills/Blume, pp. 160-161, "The Fish of the Sea" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Peacock, p. 859, "Blow the Wind Westerly" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Creighton-SNewBrunswick 77, "The Old Ark" (1 text, 1 tune, with first verse and chorus from "The Old Ark's A-Moverin'" and additional verses from "this song")
7. Shay-SeaSongs, pp. 129-131, "Song of the Fishes" (1 very full text, 1 tune)
8. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 496-498, "The Boston Come-All-Ye or The Fishes" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Lomax-FSNA 22, "The Fish of the Sea" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Botkin-NEFolklr, pp. 557-558, "The Boston Come-All-Ye" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. Silber-FSWB, p. 90, "Blow Ye Winds Westerly" (1 text)
12. DT, SONGFISH* SNGFISH2
13. Roud #472
14. BI, LxA496