Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate

"Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate" is a traditional Royal Navy song written in 1860 by Richard C. Saunders, who at the time was serving as Schoolmaster on the *HMS Marlborough*. The song was first published in 1908 by Sir Charles Harding Firth in his collection *Naval Songs and Ballads* for the Navy Records Society. English folk singer Jim Mageean discovered the song in the 1970s and recorded it for his 1978 album *Of Ships...And Men*, but it did not see a significant resurgence in popularity until its inclusion in the 2003 film *Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World*.

The Longest Johns released their version of the song as track 2 on Smoke + Oakum.

## Factoids

According to the 1771 *Encyclopædia Britannica*, a cannon would be manned by 12 people: two gunners, six soldiers, and four officers of the artillery. The **sponger**'s job was to clean the cannon between rounds to remove any remaining sparks or flame, which would endanger the life of the loading crew when fresh powder was introduced. The sponge they used was a long staff or rammer with a piece of fleece or lambskin wound around its end.

An earing (sometimes spelled "earring") was a small rope used to fasten the corner of a sail to a spar or yard; the **weather earing** was the earing at the windward side of the ship. In the Age of Sail, a position at the weather earing was considered a place of honor for the topmen.

The **middle watch** was the watch shift from midnight to 4:00 AM.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based off the version performed on Smoke + Oakum. The older lyrics collected by Firth in 1908 are available here (see page 337).

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> Safe and sound at home again, let the waters roar, Jack.
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> Safe and sound at home again, let the waters roar, Jack.
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> {Chorus}:
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> Long we've tossed on the rolling main, now we're safe ashore, Jack.
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> Don't forget yer old shipmate, faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe!
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> Since we sailed from Plymouth Sound, four years gone, or nigh, Jack.
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> Was there ever chummies, now, such as you and I, Jack?
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> {Chorus}
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> We have worked the self-same gun, quarterdeck division.
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> Sponger I and loader you, through the whole commission.
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> {Chorus}
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> Oftentimes have we laid out, toil nor danger fearing,
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> Tugging out the flapping sail to the weather earring.
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> {Chorus}
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> When the middle watch was on, and the time went slow, boy,
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> Who could choose a rousing stave, who like Jack or Joe, boy?
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> {Chorus}
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> There she swings, an empty hulk, not a soul below now.
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> Number seven starboard mess misses Jack and Joe now.
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> {Chorus}
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> But the best of friends must part, fair or foul the weather.
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> Hand yer flipper for a shake, now a drink together.
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> {Chorus x2}
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## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music
* Apple Music/iTunes
* Deezer
* Pandora
* Spotify

#### Gig Videos

* Old Songs (25 Feb 2022)
* Le Poisson Rouge, NYC (27 Feb 2022)

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns and Friends, El Pony Pisador! (12 Aug 2018)
* The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
* We Built This Stream(y) on Shant and Folk (11 Nov 2020)
* We're Going to Wellermania! (14 Apr 2021)
* STREAM (4 Aug 2021)
* Desert Bus 2021
* Streamage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3 May 2022)
* Streamship Troopers (15 Mar 2023)
* Davestream Beleaver (30 May 2023)
* Jingle Jam 2023 | Day 4 (4 Dec 2023)

#### Gaming Streams

* Ocean of Larcenists! - Sailing & Singing with Jd, Andy & Dave
* Party Boat with Krotukk! - 01/02/2020 Full Stream VOD
* Sail & Sing! Lets get damp and sing shanties! - 08/06/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings! 3 2 1 SHANT! - 26/10/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Let's do pirate stuff - 12/12/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Let's get splashy - 18/12/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Virtual Pirate Concert with Krotukk - 16/01/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Boo! Surprise Sea of Sings! - 21/01/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings! Seasons or something! - 29/01/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream
* It's Monday, Monday, Singing and Sailing on Monday! - 26/04/2021 Stream Full VOD
* How many pirates does it take to change THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS WE KNOW IT?!? - 07/05/2021 Stream Full

1. ↑ https://www.hardtackers.com/JerryBryantPaper.html