Firing the Mauritania (songwriter unknown) In nineteen hundred twenty four Found myself in Liverpool on the floor So I went to the Cunard office door Got a job on the Mauritania Chorus: Oh, firing the Mauritania She surely is a slaver To Hell with the Mauritania The Mauritania'a a wonderful sight Sixty-four fires a-burning bright But you'll shovel coal from morning to night A-firing the Mauritania The coal was so hard and full of slate And that's what got to the four-to-eight It very soon wearied the four-to-eight A-firing the Mauritania The eight-to-twelve were much better men But they were weary by half part ten So tired and weary by half past ten A-firing the Mauritania The fan's on the bum and fire won't draw And that's what got to the twelve-to-four It very soon buggered the twelve-to-four A-firing the Mauritania So come all you firemen, listen to me The Mauritania spells purgatory Stick to the coast, don't go deep sea A-firing the Mauritania The source of this song is Stephen Canwright, one of the regular singers at the shanty sings held at the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco. Steve is a great sin ger and has the honor of having recorded with Louis Killen. Steve's notes: I copied this from a tape by Bermuda Quadrangle titled "A Beautif ul Life." They credit Stan Hugill's "The Bosun's Locker" column in The Folksong Magazine, Vol 1, # 9, 1962. He credited collection and arrangement by Redd Sulli van of the Thameside 4, who was apparently a fireman himself. RA JW
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