{"id":13095,"date":"2021-10-18T16:49:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T16:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=13095"},"modified":"2025-12-28T08:02:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T08:02:20","slug":"ship-i-love-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/ship-i-love-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Ship I Love, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>A gallant ship was sinking
You take to the boat lads
I’ll stick to the ship<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1893<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>Felix McGlennon<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN17057<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Tom Costello<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Copper, Jim England : Sussex : 1936
Ferrill, Graham; USA 1963 (22 Jun)
McKim, Nels; Canada : British Columbia, 1964
Costello, Cecilia; England : Warwickshire : 1967
Rudd, Walter ‘Tuddy’; England : Norfolk : 1975
Nellie; England : Hampshire : 1975
Whiting, Fred ‘Pip’; England : Suffolk : 1977
Palmer. Freda; England : Oxfordshire 1978
Copper, Bob; England : East Sussex : 1992<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n
A gallant ship was labouring\nLabouring in the sea\nThe Captain stood amongst his crew\n\u201cGather round\u201d said he\n\u201cThis ship is doomed and sinking\nThere on the lee is land\nThen launch the boats and pull away\nBut here at my post I'll stand\nGoodbye, my lads, goodbye\u201d\n\nI'll stick to the ship lads\nYou save your lives\nI've no one to love me\nYou've children and wives\nYou take to the boats lads\nPraying to heaven above\nBut I'll go down in the angry deep\nWith the ship I love<\/em>\n\nThe crew stood hesitating\nTheir hearts were staunch and true\nWith tear-dimmed eyes spoke up the mate\n\u201cSir, we will die with you\u201d\nThe Captain cried \u201cWhat? Mutiny?\nI am the Captain here\nSo launch the boats and pull away\nAnd think of your children dear\nGoodbye, my lads, goodbye\u201d<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A song written by Felix McGlennon<\/a> whose work was equally popular in the Halls and in the drawing rooms of respectable folk of late Victorian Britain. It was performed in the halls by Tom Costello<\/a>, who sang it first in 1893 and kept performing it until the 1930s. It seems to have been popular throughout the English-speaking world.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sept. 23, 1893; The Era <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The song was remembered by several late 20th-century traditional singers in England, the USA and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is Tom Costello singing it himself in the 1920s :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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