The Folk Show Treasure Hunt Song #2

Track 2 of Esteesee: "My Captain"

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After Midnight with Noel Casey / Dublin City FM

Online live link: http://www.dublincityfm.ie

The Team:

Ange Hardy (vocals, guitar & whistle)
Steve Knightley (vocals)
Steve Pledger (vocals)
Lukas Drinkwater (double bass & vocals)
Patsy Reid (fiddle, cello)
Jo May (rope tension snare drum & spoons)
Archie Churchill-Moss (diatonic accordion).

The Song:

Coleridge always approached his new ventures with boundless excitement, a sense of optimism and an idealistic view of how simple and easy they would be. All his endeavours started with light hearted hope, and many of them fell flat because they ended up not being quite as easy as he had imagined.

If the Ancient Mariner is seen as an autobiographical portrait of Coleridge I thought it was important to shine a brighter light on those first few lines of cheering and merriment with which the voyage starts.

The Lyrics:

My Captain you will never be free 
For the call of the water binds you 
Take my liege and go with speed 
And hope good fortunes find you

Up the mast and up the sails

And down to the Captain’s quarters 
Down the rum and talk of home

But never of the Captain’s daughters!

My Captain you will never be free , 
For the winds control and guide you 
The ice and mist can shape and twist 
The tale you leave behind you
{chorus}

My Captain you will never be free 
Although the blood sun guises

For all your four times fifty men 
Can’t change the way she rises
{chorus}

My Captain you will never be free 
For the call of the water binds you 
Take my liege and go with speed 
And hope good fortunes find you
{chorus}

Notes From Coleridge: 

The ship was cheered,

the harbour cleared,

Merrily did we drop

Below the kirk, below the hill, 
Below the lighthouse top.

The Sun came up upon the left, 
Out of the sea came he!

And he shone bright, and on the right 
Went down into the sea.


- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner