Credits
What happens when a group of beauticians decide to move their salon onto a sailboat, changing the ship’s name without proper prayers to Poseidon? Trouble!
This story song is probably the most wordy tune Alane Crowomyn has ever written. It was inspired by an outing on a sailboat with crowsister Melanie and some of their friends. Alane wanted to write a song full of sailing superstitions. Can you find all 4 of the taboos our sailing beauticians broke? The prayer to Poseidon is adapted from an article about naming your sailboat.
The Clipper Joy is track 20 on our album Pantheon: Honoring the Pagan Divine. The whole album is available for sale here on Bandcamp, and this song can also be purchased as an individual digital download. All of the Crow Women sing on the song, and everyone has some featured lines. Guitar accompaniment by Jeff Hibshman.
The Clipper Joy was sponsored by Sierra Crowling, & is dedicated to Peter Dybing: a god among goddesses, & so well-coiffed!
Lyrics
Running our salon was getting dull
One fateful night we said; “Let’s bail!
Why not do this all afloat?”
Cashed it all in and bought a boat
Name on the boat was ‘Drunken Sailor’
Not the clients to which we’d tailored
Argued a minute what to call her
Anxious to get out on the water
Chorus:
We named our ship the Clipper Joy
Set off on our maiden voyage
Didn’t know we’d poke Poseidon
To change her name without his blessing
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, a beautician’s life for me
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, a beautician’s life for me
Made a salon in the cabin
Sailors stopped in for a clippin’
A manicure station set on gimbals
Feeling good about our business
Made a point to wish always
Goodbye and good luck today
Didn’t understand why they’d frown
Shake their heads like we’d wished they’d drowned
Chorus
Soon enough we discovered
Hair was fouling up the scuppers
Just when we had to get to something
We would find our sails just luffing
We had a sinking feeling
Taking water on while heeling
Something was amiss
On our beloved clipper ship
Chorus
One day we told an old salt boy
We’d named our ship the Clipper Joy
Just painting the old name away
As we set sail that first Thursday
“You can’t do that,” he avowed
“You must placate the ocean god
Pray to Poseidon ere you change
Any boat’s official name”
Chorus
That very day we heaved to
Invited folks who believed this, too
Begged the ocean god’s forgiveness
Did this ritual before witnesses:
Oh, mighty ruler of the seas to whom all ships are required to pay homage, we implore you in your graciousness to take unto your records this worthy vessel hereafter known as “Clipper Joy”, guarding her with your mighty trident and ensuring her of safe passage throughout her journeys within your realm. In appreciation of your greatness we offer these libations to your majesty and your court.
We cast champagne to the four winds
For peaceful evenings and speedy mornings
Boreas, Zephyrus, Eurus, Notus
Feeling safer now they’d know us
From that day forward, clear sailing
Any port we were hailing
Sailors rowed up to be shorn
And have their toenails all adorned
We sail our ship the Clipper Joy
on many an ocean voyage
We sail beneath clear skies
Now Poseidon is our ally
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum a beautician’s life for me
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum a beautician’s life for me
music & lyrics © Alane Susan Brown (ASCAP) 2022
YouTube video
Blog posts that mention this song
blog posts about “The Clipper Joy” will be gathered here as they are written
Photo of sailboat by Christina Ambalavanar