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Fire Down Below (Rogue's Gallery) Lyrics
She was the parson's daughter
With her red and rosy cheeks
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
She went to church on Sunday
And sang the anthem sweet
(And there's fire down below)
The parson was a misery
So scraggy and so thin
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
Look here, you motherfuckers
If you lead a life of sin
then there's fire down below
He took his text from Malachi
And pulled a weary face
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
Well, I fucked off for Africa
And there, I feel from grace
'Cause there's fire down below
The parson's little daughter
Was as sweet as sugar-candy
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
I said to her, "us sailors
Would make lovers neat and handy"
'Cause there's fire down below
She says to me, "you sailors
Are a bunch of fucking liars
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
And all of you are bound to hell
To feed the fucking fires"
'Cause there's fire down below"
Well, there's fire down below, my lad
So we must do what we oughta
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
'Cause the fire is not half as hot
As the parson's little daughter
And there's fire down below
Yes, there's fire (fire)
Down (down)
Below
Yes, there's fire (fire)
Down (down)
Below
Yes, there's fire (fire)
Down (down)
Below
With her red and rosy cheeks
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
She went to church on Sunday
And sang the anthem sweet
(And there's fire down below)
So scraggy and so thin
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
Look here, you motherfuckers
If you lead a life of sin
then there's fire down below
And pulled a weary face
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
Well, I fucked off for Africa
And there, I feel from grace
'Cause there's fire down below
Was as sweet as sugar-candy
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
I said to her, "us sailors
Would make lovers neat and handy"
'Cause there's fire down below
Are a bunch of fucking liars
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
And all of you are bound to hell
To feed the fucking fires"
'Cause there's fire down below"
So we must do what we oughta
(Wa-hey-heave-hi-ho!)
'Cause the fire is not half as hot
As the parson's little daughter
And there's fire down below
Down (down)
Below
Down (down)
Below
Down (down)
Below
Song Info
Submitted by
mutinyinheaven_x On Jan 17, 2010
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Hey does anyone know whether Nick Cave wrote the lyrics for this or not? There supposed to be covers right? But the only other version of this song I can find as a sea shanty is completely different lyrically and musically. Any help would be great.
You're right that the "Rogue's Gallery" songs are all covers. As with other traditional tunes, the original songwriter for 'Fire Down Below' is likely unknown, the song was recorded only by memory, and there are probably many different variations on the lyrics. While Nick Cave didn't write the lyrics, it's quite possible that he modified/adapted them from whatever version he heard.
You're right that the "Rogue's Gallery" songs are all covers. As with other traditional tunes, the original songwriter for 'Fire Down Below' is likely unknown, the song was recorded only by memory, and there are probably many different variations on the lyrics. While Nick Cave didn't write the lyrics, it's quite possible that he modified/adapted them from whatever version he heard.
Following are the liner notes from the Rogue's Gallery CD:
Following are the liner notes from the Rogue's Gallery CD:
"A popular pumping chantey, this was actually the last chantey sung aboard a commercial British square-rigger, by Stan Hugill in 1929, as the barque was pumped...
"A popular pumping chantey, this was actually the last chantey sung aboard a commercial British square-rigger, by Stan Hugill in 1929, as the barque was pumped out for the last time. There are a number of versions, and in some the 'fire down below' is more explicitly a reference to venereal disease.'"