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Rough Music

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Artwork

ROUGH MUSIC•

I’m a roving man. I ply the waves from Bristol to Benin
from Boston Harbour to Barbados and back again

Side by side I sail and fight with brave and brazen men
Our bond is born of circumstance and the quest for rich fortune

I owe the scratches on my back to a captain drunk with power
His wrath bled all of loyalty and set the crew to sour

We bade our time with firm resolve to carry out the plot
Then one dark night every hand took to rolling shot
chorus
Ay O Ay O
Heed these sounds of righteous discontent
Ay O Ay O
We shall have proper recompense

Of all the women I have known I’m true to only one
To her I’ll bring these silver coins and silks of dark crimson

I’m a roving man. I ply the waves from Bristol to Benin
from Boston Harbour to Barbados and back again

  • when sailors were unhappy with they way they were being treated they would make noise at nighttime on the lower decks by rolling cannonballs (shot), banging iron objects together etc. These sounds are called rough music and were a warning to the captain and officers that the sailors’ discontent could turn to mutiny.

Sailors’ working conditions were often atrocious and a captain’s power grossly unfair and tyrannical.

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highly danceable

— Terena

Fine song. Good band.

— Jerome Garcia

Arrgh! I wanted to see that captain walk the plank after hearing it! (or at least a light keelhauling...)

— David

I love the use of traditional instruments, such as penny whistle matched with low brass. This is a tale of nautical life and I love it.

— Weewoo

from the Mad Maggies (http://themadmaggies.com) album, "Skull & Magpies" Enjoy!

— Mad Mags