Over the ocean
A sailor went to sea
Bully in the alley
I’se the b’y
John Kanaka-naka
Roll the old chariot along
Turn
the glasses over
When
I was one
When
we dance the polka
Last updated: 19/11/2016 10:10
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about
compiled, adapted, translated and illustrated by Dany Rosevear
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To
listen to music from these songs click on title at 🔊
To watch the author sing a
song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
You are
free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following
conditions:
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you must give the original author credit
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you may not use this work for commercial purposes
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for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence
terms of this work
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
A sailor went to sea 🔊 This song can be played as a clapping game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB9PxEvAeYk&feature=related or a miming one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf-i8zL5OyU&feature=related
as below.
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Bully in the alley 🔊 This halyard shanty is probably of
West Indian origin; sea shanties were sung by sailors working on board
sailing ships to enable them to work rhythmically in unison and to distract
from the arduous nature of the tasks they were required to do. ‘Bully’ in this context meant
extremely inebriated. While ashore sailors liked to go out drinking in
groups, those who could not get back to the ship under their own steam were
stashed in the alley until it was time to return to sea. The whereabouts of Shinbone Al is
controversial. One Shinbone Alley is located in St Georges in Bermuda but
Shinbone Alleys are found in other seaports of the U.S.A. There is also a
Shinbone AL (Alabama). Listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6tnSx5KXgE Mime shipboard tasks to this music;
pulling up the anchor, hoisting the sails, turning the wheel, pumping out
water, rowing to the shore etc. as an
alternative to the dance below.
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I’se the b’y 🔊 A traditional Find more verses and listen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-bQn9DtgUA Make two circles one inside the other, partners facing and holding
hands for all of first verse.
Do-si-do
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John Kanaka-naka 🔊 This call and response work-song
was popular at one time among seamen who traded in the Watch alternative movements at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYHZFsFFQTc or http://www.schooltube.com/video/dd81383829014c4db57f/ Initially groups of four, stand
facing a leader. The leader sings the words of the song and demonstrates the
actions. The children echo each phrase and mimic the actions. Encourage the
children to make more complex movements as their confidence grows.
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Roll the old chariot along 🔊 This popular shanty originated as an African American spiritual; many
black crew sailed on 19th century vessels and this rhythmic song
was well suited to the gang labour needed on big sailing ships. Also a
Salvation Army favourite, this song features in the Laura Ingalls Wilder
songbook where each song appears in the ‘Little House’ series. It is a great song for adding extra verses and alternative movements:
A little stride / walk / march etc. Listen to an acapella version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49FWp7WLYKw&feature=related The game begins with groups of four or six children holding hands in
circles spaced evenly about the room. Each group nominates a first leader.
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Turn the glasses over 🔊 This singing game from Virginia originated, like many of the songs on
these pages, in the British Isles: ‘I’ve been to London boys’ /
‘...Bristol’ / ‘...Portsmouth’, where it was popularly sung as a drinking song
at harvest suppers. The imbiber was encouraged to finish his drink in one go, throw his empty glass in the air to catch it in
his hat before the refrain was finished. Failure
meant repeating the performance with success less likely each time the song
was sung! Make a
double circle with partners standing side by side, facing clockwise and
holding hands in a skating position.
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When I was one 🔊 Make up new rhymes for this lively action song, the options are
endless. Listen to
a different version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74K_fCHlBMk&feature=related
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When we dance the polka 🔊 This polka originated in Bohemia (the present Czech Republic) in the
early 1800s before becoming the rousing shanty; ‘New York Girl’s or ‘Can’t
you dance the polka?’. A shanty is a song sung by sailors at their work at
the time sailing ships plied the seven seas. The crew would sing the chorus
to verses sung by the shanty man who was excused all heavy hauling and
heaving work. The verses of the original shanty were often quite ribald and
even the ‘clean’ versions were disguised in double entendre! Children stand in a circle opposite a partner holding hands. Begin by
moving anti clockwise.
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