IN THE MORNING
Nalder/Clist
Main Vocal, Sam & Alan
In The Morning is a New Zealand maritime poem/ballad written by Marshall Nalder, (1856-1906). Stefan Clist dug it out from an archive somewhere, and, since no obvious tune was to be found, Stefan composed one for it himself. The band spent more time working out how to do it justice than we've ever spent on anything else.
Unlike so many songs of the sea it contains no battles, no valiant words from the Captain on the quarterdeck, no cannons roaring nor cutlasses waved. There's no enraged Frenchmen and no pirates. There's not even a whale.
All we have is two tired, cold, poorly paid and frightened mariners, feeling their way in the pitch darkness on the deck of their small coastal merchant ship as it struggles northwards from Nelson to Kaipara to collect a cargo of timber. The ship is lightly ballasted and sits badly on the unforgiving water. The night watch is long and weary, fraught with the knowledge that any mistake will surely kill everyone on board. Their only possible victory is that they will survive and see the dawn. As maritime songs go it's both unusually specific in its technical details and chilling in its simplicity.
In the early days of European settlement in this country, roads were few and far between and certainly not navigable for heavy goods. Almost all mercantile activity took place around the coast as coal, timber, stone and other heavy cargoes were moved from one place to another aboard sturdy sailing ships. That the sailors who undertook these short but dangerous voyages left behind songs and stories is not surprising and for us they are a vital part of our repertoire.
What was surprising was that as we were still patiently working on this song the wreck of a ship very like the one described was uncovered by the tides at the tip of the Kaipara Harbour in the Spring of 2018, having lain in the sand for 153 years. She was called The Daring and a rescue mission was staged to recover her hull from the sand and move her to a secure spot where she could be cleaned up and preserved for eventual display.
This song, and the video that accompanies it, are respectfully dedicated to the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust and all the team involved in the restoration project.
lyrics
We're a sixty five ton hooker and we're jammed up in the bight,
T'wixt Egmont and Manukau with the Gannet Rock in sight.
Nelson up to Kiapara for kauri but we're light,
and we'll fall away to loo'ward in the morning.
Then it's jam her up to windward with every chance you get.
And watch the weather roller, when she's needed to be met.
If she starts to stick or parts a sheet, or sags to loo'ward bet,
the fishes will have cleaned our bones by morning.
At tow bells in the morning watch, she's hauled to west-nor' west,
and broke he off four points or more when looking up her best.
Now it's close reefed jib and mains'l and the Devil take the rest
For it's less than what she'll want before the morning.
Then its shove her up to windward or she’s off to Kingdom Come;
The old man’s full of she-oaktight as any blessed drum,
The doctor’s boilin’ stinkin’ beefand drinkin’ hell-fire rum,
So Sam and I must keep the deck till morning.
Oh we cannot fetch the Gannet,keep her just a point away,
If you choked her now, in ballast with the sea she would not stay,
Ready 'bout! Down helm! Let draw!Now, thank the Lord she gathers way!
And it’s southward on the starboard in the morning.
Then it’s jam her up to wind'ard,and luff her in the squalls.
For two-pound-ten a month wehave to go where duty calls.
We can’t be much worse off, by gum!Whatever luck befalls,
And it's Kingdom-fuckin'-Glory in the morning.
credits
from Laugh While You May,
released June 19, 2021
Sammy Leary - Vocals, Guitar, Musical Saw, Banjo
Alan Knight - Vocals, Bouzouki
Helen Cobbett - Vocals, Bodrahn
Ben Cobbett - Fiddle
Andy Spence - Backing Vocals
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