Day 2: Big Steamers
Song Information
The first of the (many) Rudyard Kipling poems in this project! Feel free to guess how many Kipling settings I ended up pulling for this - the person who is closest will win the most vital prize of all: smugness!
This comes from "A School History of England" (written by C.R.I Fletcher - Kipling provided poems to break up the text), which begins with the preface This book is written for all boys and girls who are interested in the story of Great Britain and her Empire.
and like a lot of material of the time can sometimes veer into the jingoistic.
The text before the poem describes how England imports most of its corn, meat, wool, fruit, butter and so on from other parts of the Empire - finishing with this paragraph.
There is, moreover, a most serious danger behind. If England should ever be defeated in a great war at sea, it would be impossible for us to get our food at all, and our population would simply starve. Therefore, at whatever cost to ourselves, it is our duty to keep our navy so strong that it must be for ever impossible for us to be defeated at sea.
C.R.I Fletcher A School History of England
This has been one of my standard openers since I learned it in 2014 - if you ever see me perform in person it's likely this is what I'll start with.
Arguably the most famous version of this song is from The Wilson Family. They tell a story that Peter sent this to them with a note saying something akin to "I think this one is for you chaps".
When they performed as part of Sting's The Last Ship in 2013, this was one of the songs that they performed - a live recording is available under the title "The Last Ship - Live At The Public Theater"
Listen to the Song
Lyrics
“Oh, where are you going to, all you Big Steamers,
With England’s own coal, up and down the salt seas?”
“We are going to fetch you your bread and your butter,
Your beef, pork, and mutton, eggs, apples, and cheese.”
“And where will you fetch it from, all you Big Steamers,
And where shall I write you when you are away?”
“We fetch it from Melbourne, Quebec, and Vancouver.
Address us at Hobart, Hong-kong, and Bombay.”
“But if anything happened to all you Big Steamers,
And suppose you was wrecked up and down the salt sea?”
“Why, then you’d have no coffee or bacon for breakfast,
And you’d have no muffins or toast for your tea.”
“Then I’ll pray for fine weather for all you Big Steamers
For little blue billows and breezes so soft.”
“Oh, billows and breezes don’t bother Big Steamers:
We’re iron below and steel-rigging aloft.”
“Then I’ll build a new lighthouse for all you Big Steamers,
With plenty wise pilots to pilot you through.”
“Oh, the Channel’s as bright as a ball-room already,
And pilots are thicker than pilchards at Looe.”
“Then what can I do for you, all you Big Steamers,
Oh, what can I do for your comfort and good?”
“Send out your big warships to watch your big waters,
That no one may stop us from bringing you food.
For the bread that you eat and the biscuits you nibble,
The sweets that you suck and the joints that you carve,
They are brought to you daily by All Us Big Steamers
And if any one hinders our coming you’ll starve!”