In the late 1990’s I was making my living primarily as a storyteller traveling around New England to elementary and middle schools. A PTA person from Rhode Island (The Ocean State) asked me if I had a program about the Sea.
I knew she wanted some “sea shanty” crap that only “old fart folk singers” did, but I told her “oh yes I have a great program about the sea…”
And then I started writing songs and researching some amazing stories included a couple of real life female pirates… I tossed in some songs I’d written in an artist in residence program I did at Uriah Hill Elementary school in Peekskill NY about sharks and whales as well as a few fabulous stories from Clarissa Pinkola Estes book “Women Who Run With The Wolves”, and shortly thereafter I had me a “program”.
A cool program. As in “Not Boring” or “typical”. A program that I could do a hundred different ways without getting bored. LOL
So in the next few posts I’ll share some more.
Please keep in mind these are songs that are designed for kids as well as adults. Because my kid audiences ALSO had teachers and parents. I always did my best not to dumb down stuff.
That’s the way my musical hero, Pete Seeger did it and I proudly follow in his footsteps… and now that I’ve come to a place where I’m actually proud to be called an “old fart folksinger,” I still think there’s a lot more to a program about the sea than some sea chanties… You can check out my school programs at DrumSongStory.com
…and yeah, you “detail oriented people” out there (you know who you are), I’m fully aware I spelled Sea Chanties/Shanty 2 different ways…) :o)
Please click arrow to play:
If I Had A Boat
Song #301 | 9/3/1998 | CD: Breathing Underwater
I don’t know but I’ve been told
This old ocean is deep and cold
And it’s a story too huge to be sold
If you tell it
I will listen
While our ship comes sailing in again
Refrain:
And if I had a boat… I’d sail it
And if it sprang a leak… I’d bail it
And if there was a storm… I’d high tail it back to you
I don’t know but I have seen
Storms at sea that would turn you green
And the sea may well be ruthless, but it’s never ever mean
If you hold my hand
I’ll hold yours
Til we both get safely back to shore
Refrain:
I don’t know but I have heard
The odds against surviving are just absurd
But someone’s got to do it, so let’s gather up our courage
You can be my friend
I’ll be yours
Together we can weather every storm
Refrain:
I don’t know but I can feel
When someone’s full of air or when they’re real
So I will take the lookout and you can take the wheel
Look to starboard
Look to port
You can use my shoulder for support
Refrain:
Copyright 1998-2015 by Mark Shepard. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
photo – Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo