The Dreadnaught (B) [466] (346)

Hugill connects this forebitter--he never does really claim its use as a chantey--to an older naval song, called "The Flash Frigate" or "La Pique." (A version of that song appears in his original, unabridged text, but not in recent editions.) "The Dreadnaught" is based in the same idea, but the lyrics are completely different, to match the merchant sailor's world. THE DREADNAUGHT was in fact a well-known packet ship that plied the Atlantic. This ballad describes the course from Liverpool to New York.

Something must be said about the tune. Hugill attributes to "the Dreadnaught" the same tune as "the Flash Frigate," which at it start resembles the "Villikins and His Dinah" air. However, versions collected by Colcord and by Doerflinger, for example, each employ different (though all major-key) melodies. The chantey equivalent of all this is subsequently given, called "The Liverpool Packet, uses the same melody, as can be heard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqftVU3xZHI
To complicate things more, the unabridged edition of Hugill also gives another tune variant to "The Liverpool Packet"-- the Villikins tune, in full.
Back to "the Dreadnaught"...with one more complication. According to Hugill, it was also sung to the tune of a similar variety of forebitter, "Dom Pedro." It is that minor-key tune, whether set in motion by Hugill's note or already so well-associated with it, that is now most popular. And that's the tune I use here, given that I've already exemplified the other in "the Liverpool Packet." ...and, it's a great tune!

I really like the opening description of the ship: "a saucy wild packet."

Also: "The Dreadnought", "The Flash Packet"

Please check out the whole chanteys project playlist, at
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=58B55DD66F22060C

Category:

Music

Tags:

• dreadnaught
• dreadnought
• not
• shanty
• chantey
• forebitter
• focsle
• sea
• ballad
• song
• ship

[tiznick1]

Hey there me old shipmate! Nicely sung and what a recording studio you have there! I am researching this song for a folk festival next year where I want to sing this. The version I have is not compleat and it is a great help to hear your version for comparison. In the last but one verse you sing "you may sing of the flyers ....and black..." what are the missing words? I make it "you may sing of the flyers, swallow tail and black ball" but it does not make much sence? Keep the old tunes alive!

[hultonclint]

Hello! Thanks for your kind and interesting comments.

By "flyers," it doesn't mean anything specific, just "fast ships." It's referring to packet ships, designed to carry passengers and goods quickly and "on schedule" across the Atlantic. The Swallowtail and Black Ball (check spelling) were two "lines" or shipping companies (The Swallowtail Line, the Blackball Line). So it is bragging that the ship Dreadnaught can outrun even the ships of those famous fleets.

[hultonclint]

Also, this melody is quite "alluring", I think. But you might like to consider some of the other melodies to which this ballad *probably* used to be sung more often in sailing days (my guess is that this melody has only been *really* popular since the folk revival). For this melody, you might also want to compare "Dom Pedro" :)

/watch?v=YAO-fMZKCLw

[cadet10001110101]

Thank you sir! I heard this months ago, learned it and it has helped me fight through some trying moments. Thoroughly enjoy the rest of the project. Please keep up the good work.

[hultonclint]

Thank you very very much. I, too, have used many of these songs to get through the times. best regards, Ranzo

[Krzysztex]

The quality is good on my PC...

[hultonclint]

OK thank you, that is helpful.

[tiznick1]

I don't mean you don't make sence just the words and my understanding of them - I am guessing that a "flyer" a " swallowtail" and "black..." are all types of sailing ships from the time this song was made - but I am not sure - ant help would be appreciated. Nick from sunny Devon

[Krzysztex]

The song is sung well, by the way :).

[hultonclint]

???Why is the sound quality so bad? YouTube?