great grandfather's song help

[James C]

afternoon's guys ,another daft request but something that is quite special to me and brings back lots of happy memories ,i was fortunate enough to grow up in my great grandfathers house from birth untill his passing when i was 23 years we had lots of great times and he was always recollecting his part in the battle for gallipoli, subliminaly it was these stories that most likely planted the seed in my head to enjoy collecting militaria ,any way he always used to sing this song to me and my sister before bed usually ,now please forgive me as im trying to remember the lyrics it went like this ,"sarah fina ,sarah fina's quice ,sarah fina she makes my heart rejoice ,sarah fina ,i drink her in my beer " then he was say some turkish words of which im not sure to pronounce it would end with sarah fina's quice cateer i think , now i dont know if it was a common war song or just one he made up but i would love to find out more on the song if anybody could help at all ,james

[HPL2008]

Doesn't ring any bells; but allow me one observation: "Sarah fina" sounds very odd; it seems far more likely to me that it is actually the first name "Sarafina" or one of its variants (like "Seraphina" or "Serafina"). Don't know if this helps.

[James C]

thanks hpl yes you could be right on the name it makes more sense when you put it like that ,im not 100 pecent sure on the way ive interpreted it myself ,thanks for your valued thoughts all the same ,james

[big ned]

Hi Col,

It sounds as if it's a version of the old sea shanty 'Serafina' about a 'lady of the night' from Callao in Peru. There are many different versions as the song is probably 300 years old originally and has changed over the years. Here's the lyrics for one of the tamer versions, followed by a more bawdy version that gives a clue to how it sounds when sung.


"In Callao there lives a gal
Whose name is Serafina
Serafina! Serafina!
She sleeps all day and 'works' all night
On the old Cally Marina
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

2. "She's the queen, me boys, of all the gals
That live in the ole' Casino,
Serafina! Serafina!
She used to 'kiss' for monkey nuts
But now she 'works' for vino.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

3. "At robbin' silly sailors, boys,
No gal was ever keener
Serafina! Serafina!
She'll make you pay right through the nose,
That lovely Serafina!
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

4. "She'll guzzle pisco, beer and gin,
On rum her mum did wean her
Serafina! Serafina!
She smokes just like a chimney stack
On a P.S.N.C steamer.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

5. "Serafina's got no 'shoes',
I been ashore an' seen 'er
Serafina! Serafina!
She's got no time to put them on,
That hard-worked Serafina.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

6. "When I was young an' in me prime,
I first met Serafina
Serafina! Serafina!
In Callao we saw the sights
An' then went up to Lima.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

7. "But the finest sight I ever saw
Was little Serafina,
Serafina! Serafina!
But the very next day as we sailed away,
I wished I'd never been there.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

8. "For I wuz skint, me clothes wuz gone,
An' so wuz Serafina.
Serafina! Serafina!
She'd done me brown, she'd sunk me down,
That dirty she-hyena!
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"

9. "I used to love a little girl
Whose name was Serafina
Serafina! Serafina!
But she's gone off with a Dago man
Who plays a concertina.
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!"


Not really for people of a 'sensitive' disposition, here ya go.....



Ha, Ha, me hearties, Ned.

[James C]

many thanks ned for taking the time to reply ,i guess my great grandad gave us the kiddies version ,thanks again james

[HARRY THE MOLE]

There was another ditty as well which dated back to the Boer War. My wifes grandfather used to sing it to her. It was more of a rhym really...

The baby's name was Kitchener, Karina, Mafooey, Mafekky, Maswai,
Jonty Plumer, Kalamaduma, Capetown, Mafeking, French,
Union Jack fighting back, like Victoria Plumb.

[James C]

excellent stuff ,thanks for sharing harry ,you have just jogged my memory of another song he used to sing to me but please forgive me if i get some words wrong as it was a very long time ago , it goes a little something like this
FROM REE VALLEY TWO LIGHTS OUT
YOU CAN HEAR THE PEOPLE SHOUT
CARMARILO, CARMARO
DOWN WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW
maybe there are more verses but i just cant remember also if i think my grandfather replaced people with another word that sounds like very much like "bar steward ,if anybody recognises this one ,it would be great ,thanks again james