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Spanish Ladies

from Shower Chanteys by Chris Maden

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about

“Spanish Ladies” is a homeward-bound capstan chantey—used for raising the anchor when returning homeward. One of a family of chanteys, originally, “Spanish Ladies” was a British naval song, lamenting separation from local wives or girlfriends from Gibraltar at the end of the Napoleonic wars. Hugill notes that few sources give it as a proper chantey (as opposed to just a recreational song). The original was a navigational mnemonic for the trip through the English Channel around to the Thames and London; as the song was coöpted by other groups, including New England whalers, the lyrics changed accordingly. Smith, in 1888, seemed unaware of the New England variation.

The melody changes in some variations; the British version, I’ve never heard except with a minor key; the New England version I’ve heard in both minor and major variations, though the Talcahuano Girls version, a close cousin of the Yankee version, is always minor; the Newfoundland version always seems to be in a major key.

… for more notes, see music.maden.org/index.php?title=Spanish_Ladies_(New_England)

credits

from Shower Chanteys, released October 1, 2018

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Chris Maden Raymond, New Hampshire

Singer of traditional songs and other stuff.

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