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The Damned Port Elizabeth Wall

by Robert Palomo - New Old Sea Shanties & Songs

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about

Social media. You never know who it's going to reach where, or what might come of it. Back in December, of 2016, Cruising World Magazine's Editor at Large, Gary "Cap’n Fatty" Goodlander, was posting on Facebook lamenting (OK, cursing actually) his difficulties mooring his boat Ganesh at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. These included a "satanic" topside-eating Wall, the port authority, and an invasion of rats and roaches.

Little did Capn' Fatty suspect that an indie musician and songwriter living in far away Russia was following the saga, and that in the series of posts he found the makings of a sea shanty!

lyrics

CHORUS:
Rats ‘n roaches! Roaches ‘n rats!
The plague of poor ol’ Cap’n Fats
Boardin’ in doves at old Port Liz
Comin’ over the rail when the tide has riz
While he’s tied up to The Wall
Yo-ho! Haul away!
The damned Port Elizabeth wall

Old Cap’n Fatty rigged out his ship
To lie anchor, not in a slip
But the Port Authority came to call
And forced him to tie up against The Wall
To let a big freighter go through
Yo-ho! Haul away!
To let a big freighter go through

Port Elizabeth wall is a skipper’s curse
Seldom will ye ever see worse
Where the Port Authority pirates meet
Ye to charge ye for damage to their concrete
That yer gelcoat thoughtlessly does
Yo-ho! Haul away!
That yer gelcoat thoughtlessly does

[CHORUS]

The roaches their good fortune praised
Down in the galley, as drinks they raised
The rats ran riot til break of day
Had a Roman orgy, or so they say
And the captain he got no sleep
Yo-ho! Haul away!
Cap’n Fatty he got no sleep

[CHORUS]

Cursing the fates for his sad plight
Poor Cap’n Fatty was up all night
Tryin’ to keep his fenders intact
Damning the Port Liz authorities black
While tied up there to The Wall
Yo-ho! Haul away!
To the damned Port Elizabeth wall

Time and tide for no man wait
And eventually will exterminate
Those rats and roaches, vermin al!l
That boarded at Port Elizabeth wall
Where Fatty was forced to tie up
Yo-ho! Haul away!
Where Fatty was forced to tie up

[CHORUS]

TAG:
Sing weigh-hey me hearties
And let us put out to sea
After sending some rats and roaches
Back to the Port Authority
At the damned Port Elizabeth Wall
Yo-ho! Haul away!
At the damned Port Elizabeth Wall

credits

released January 14, 2018
Cover photo: Gary "Cap'n Fatty" Goodlander. Used by permission - thank'y, Cap'n!

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all rights reserved

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Robert Palomo - New Old Sea Shanties & Songs Saint Petersburg, Russia

Robert Palomo plays & records "new old sea songs" - his own brand of Sea Shanties & Maritime Folk Music. After 26 years in the historic and beautiful port of Saint Petersburg, Russia, he and his wife and dogs were forced to abandon ship for their own safety in the spring of 2022. ... more

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