Along the wharves in sailor town a singing whisper goes
Of the wind among the anchored ships, the wind that blows
Off a broad brimming water, where the summer day has died
Like a wounded whale a-sounding in the sunset tide.
There's a big China liner gleaming like a gull,
And her lit ports flashing; there's the long gaunt hull
Of a Blue-Funnel freighter with her derricks dark and still;
And a tall barque loading at the lumber mill.
And in the shops of sailor town is every kind of thing
That the sailormen buy there, or the ships' crews bring:
Shackles for a sea-chest and pink cockatoos,
Fifty-cent alarum clocks and dead men's shoes.
You can hear the gulls crying, and the cheerful noise
Of a concertina going, and a singer's voice —
And the wind's song and the tide's song, crooning soft and low
Rum old tunes in sailor town that seamen know.
I dreamed a dream in sailor town, a foolish dream and vain,
Of ships and men departed, of old days come again —
And an old song in sailor town, an old song to sing
When shipmate meets with shipmate in the evening.
From SAILOR TOWN: Sea Songs And Ballads, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by George H. Doran Co., New York, US, © 1919, pp. 11-12. An earlier edition of this book was published by Elkin Mathews, © 1914.
The last verse is the important one, as this poet muses over her 9-year stay in Victoria, British Columbia, after returning to England in 1913. Is there regret that she tried so hard to realize a dream, only to have it slip away?
Most major ports and harbours around the world would have had a "sailor town" in the days of sail. It would be a part of the main town or city that the sailors would go to be amongst their own type. This area had a reputation for having more bawdy houses and bars than other parts of the city (although recent research of ports such as New York tend to disprove this).
The important point from the sailor's point of view is that whatever continent or country he was in there was a good chance that he could make himself understood in such places. They spoke a common patois and the shops and taverns and boarding houses were often run by former sailors or their wives. They were a home-away-from-home that was welcome after the hardship of a long voyage.
"Blue Funnel freighter" is a ship belonging to the Blue Funnel Company. Different companies painted the funnels of the earlier steam ships in their house colours so they were easily recognised on crowded docks or when sailing into port.
"Barque" is a type of sailing boat not to be confused with a barge.
"Dead Men's Shoes" means just what it says. If a sailor were lost at sea his kit would be divided up between his mates for momentoes and the remainder sold off by the captain and, surprisingly often, the money sent to his family when the ship returned to its home port.
This poem was adapted for singing by Dick Miles (UK) as recorded on AROUND THE HARBOURTOWN, © 1989; he first ran across this poem when a friend showed him a book in 1987. Miles' adaptation was later recorded by Johnny Collins on NOW AND THEN, © 2000. Charlie Ipcar has also adapted this poem, in 2007, for singing using Miles's tune; a MP3 file may be accessed from this link: http://home.gwi.net/~ipbar/lyrics/sailortown.htm
The header-graphic, the frontispiece in SHIP ALLEY by the poet's brother Phil W. Smith, may actually portray Cicely Fox Smith on the prowl in sailor town, passing The Valiant Sailor tavern.
Jim Saville and Charley Noble
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