{"id":14021,"date":"2021-12-16T16:32:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T16:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=14021"},"modified":"2022-01-14T09:03:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T09:03:44","slug":"ship-that-belongs-to-a-lady-the","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/ship-that-belongs-to-a-lady-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Ship that belongs to a lady, The"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
First Published<\/td>c1897<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Edgar Bateman \/ Felix McGlennon<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN24228<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Katie Lawrence<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Costello, Cecilia; England: Warwickshire; 1967
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THE SHIP THAT BELONGS TO A LADY.\nWritten by EDGAR BATEMAN.\tComposed by FELIX McGLENNON.\n\nThere's a sweet little maiden that I've got in tow, \nBut to big men-of-war she's a stranger,\nAnd each time that I meet her she's anxious to know \nIf her tar when at sea is in danger.\nShe has heard about pirates and bold buccaneers, \nAnd she's frighten'd our vessel they'll storm her;\nBut I make her cheer up till she laughs thro' her tears, \n'Cos I always take care to inform her\u2014\n\nThat our vessel belongs to a lady, \nShe's got a good captain and crew; \nWhen out on a trip, this beautiful ship \nIs flying the red, white, and blue. \nThe foreigners treat us politely,\nOur colours seem pretty well known, \nAnd because she belongs to a lady,\nI reckon they'll leave her alone.<\/em>\n \t\nShe said with our ship it might go rather hard \nIf a German against us came thumping,\nBut I told her a vessel from Devonport Yard \nIs decidedly awkward for bumping;\nShe asked if the Frenchy to hurt its would try, \nBut says I, \" He'd do nothing so shady\u2014\nHe acts like a gent when we're passing him by, \nFor he's great respect for a lady.\"\n \nShe said, out in China they'd order us back, \n'Cos the Russian was there, and I chuckles,\nWhen I told her our ship was a hard nut to crack, \nAnd he'd possibly damage his knuckles.\nWhen she mentioned the Yank, bless her dear little heart!\nSaid I, \" We are birds of a feather; \nWe're both of its able to take our own part, \nAnd we'd be a tough handful together. '\n\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Cecilia Costello sang a fragment  of this song (the chorus) to Charles Parker and Pam Bishop in 1967. The recording is available on CD: Cecilia Costello “Old Fashioned Songs”<\/em> (MTCD363-4) or you can listen to it on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library site<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Katie Lawrence<\/a> had a big hit with the song in 1899. According to The Era<\/em> (Sept 23, 1899) the song had been previously refused by several other prominent singers<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The music was composed by Felix McGlennon<\/a>. Edgar Bateman was inspired to write the words of the song when HMS Powerful<\/em> was commissioned in 1897. The ship was one of a new powerful class of warship designed to protect the trading interests of the British Empire. The song was substantially rewritten  to celebrate the role of  the HMS Powerful <\/em>crew who fought in the relief of  the Siege of Ladysmith in 1899 during the Second Boer War.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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 Nov. 11, 1899;  <\/strong>The Era<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n