Kraken Up

By now you are wondering what this song is about. Did we make up these words?  Not this time! This is a traditional fo’c’sle song and all of the terms in the song are actual, real, true nautical/maritime type words-even “ju-ber-ju”, “shang-a-roosh”, and “ripstone-pippin”. Would we lie to you? Well, maybe, but the important thing to remember is that it−s a hugely fun song to sing and historical to boot! We dedicate this song to maritime music legend Johnny Collins who introduced us to this song and was always very kind to the “new kids”.  Fair winds, Johnny.

Soloist: Christie Dalby

Hey!  Where have you been all day? Well, you don’t actually have to answer that question, but in this song the guys had better have a good reason for being gone all day.  (Turns out they have a number of excuses for being gone but the girls think they−re all full of carp. Yes, carp!)  This is a walkaway or stamp-and-go shanty which fits right in with our interpretation.

Dean crafted this song for Bounding Main and we are pleased to share it with you.  The lyrics tell a familiar tale … boy meets girl, boy can’t afford to marry girl so boy goes out to sea for years at a time, girl gets tired of waiting for boy and gets swept off her feet by another boy who does the proper thing and stays on land. Sadly our boy ends up alone at sea.  So, depending on your view of sailing and marriage, this song has either a sad ending or a happy ending! Either way, the beautiful melody is sure to haunt you.

Soloist: Dean Calin

This song has something for everyone!  Travel to exotic places where sailors meet exotic women. Exotic women who steal from sailors and make them want their mommies!  Give sailors enough free time and they will pretty much sing about anything.

Soloist: David Yondorf

Sit back, relax, and pretend you are lazing about on a Caribbean island. Now play this song and sway gently along with the hypnotic rhythm of the islands. Now, slowly open your wallet and purchase this CD for all of your friends, family, dog-groomers, and that guy in the corner cube whom you−ve never met but looks like a nice enough fellow and deserves some time on your imaginary island with Bounding Main…

Soloist: Gina Dalby

The Jolly Rogers introduced us to this song and we just had to have it for ourselves.  Actually, we had so much fun singing it together that we decided to meet in St. Louis to record the song as one big group. We hope you have half as much fun listening to this as we did recording it!  The Jolly Rogers are talented musicians and performers; we are honored to call them friends. Usually. Sometimes. Occasionally. Well actually, we call them friends because they−re all bigger than us. (Is THIS your card?)

Additional Tracks Recorded at: Smith/Lee Productions, St. Louis, MO.

A wonderfully crafted story about a night watchman longing for the girl he left behind. The vivid imagery stays with you long after the final notes fade from your ears.

Christie heard this song when Bounding Main performed in Germany and decided to put it in her carry-on and bring it home with her.  Good thing she did as we love it! This is a good old fashioned shanty that reminds us all to … actually, what is this song telling us? Clearly we are to pull down below but what exactly are we pulling and how far below does it go?

Soloist: Christie Dalby

Hey … this is a beautiful song!  Yes, we do sound a bit surprised. Who knew that David could write such a sweet song.  Beneath that crusty, barnacle infested skin lays a romantic heart, we don’t know whose, but still … so nice.  (We’re sure he’ll say something inappropriate any second now and that soft “ahhh” moment will vanish; don’t get too comfortable with the sweeter/softer David … ladies!)

Soloist: David Yondorf

This old Scottish folk song has been repurposed by Bounding Main to help everyone get a bit more fit!  You know the game: every time you hear a word starting with the letter “B” you either stand up or sit down.  So get ready to play along … stand up as soon as you hear “Bonnie”, sit down when you hear the second “Bonnie”, repeat with all the other words starting with the letter “B” and you are working out, Bounding Main style! (Do NOT attempt this while driving-pull over first!)

This song is the direct result of letting Jon write music instead of arrange it!  (It’s also possible that this is revenge for the hours of rehearsal time we have frittered away making jokes, goofing off, and ignoring Jon’s desperate attempts to keep us focused.)

Soloist: Jon Krivitzky

This contemporary maritime piece demonstrates that we still have active waterways and people still want to write music about it!  This is a fun song that uses both old and new maritime lingo. In fact, we’re off to look-up some of those new phases right now!  (TEU … what is a TEU?)

Soloist: Dean Calin

This song is in French. Good thing Maggie could speak, or rather sing, in French!  This is a well traveled song and we hope you think it was worth the trip. We heard a French group sing this song in Germany and brought it home to share with audiences in the United States. 

Soloist: Maggie Hannington (retired)

Ahh, a working song about people who don’t really want to work.  Those on deck want to get off their shift and go below before the storm strikes.  We’d also prefer to be below deck when a storm strikes. And by that we mean we’d rather be snuggled up in a hotel, pub, or even a bank vault when a storm hits. Actually, come to think of it, we’ve done all three. So strike the bell already and get on with it!