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> Louis Killen > Songs > The Alabama

The Alabama / Roll, Alabama, Roll

[ Roud 4710 ; Ballad Index Doe035 ; trad.]

The Confederate sloop-of-war CSS Alabama was built in Birkenhead, United Kingdom, in 1862 by Johnathan Laird Sons and Company. Alabama served as a commerce raider, attacking Union merchant and naval ships over the course of her two-year career, during which she never laid anchor in a Southern port. She was sunk on June 19, 1964 off the coast of Cherbourg by USS Kearsarge. The lyrics of the shanty Roll, Alabama, Roll are attributed to the Confederate sailor Frank Townsend who served on the ship.

80 years later, on June 19, 1944, its namesake the battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the largest aircraft carrier battle in history, which basically finished the threat of Japanese aircraft carriers to the US Navy.

Peter Bellamy and Louis Killen sang the three shanties Won't You Go My Way?, A Hundred Years Ago, and The Alabama on June 22, 1971 live at the Folk Studio, Norwich, with the audience cheerfully joining in on the chorus. This performance was issued on their LP Won't You Go My Way?.

Swan Arcade sang Roll Alabama Roll in 1973 on their eponymous Trailer album Swan Arcade.

Kimber's Men sang Roll Alabama Roll at Deal Festival in September 2009:

Jon Boden sang Roll Alabama as the June 19, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He commented in the blog:

I used to sing this a lot when I got started with fiddle-singing. It always used to go down well at the Talking Heads in Southampton. One of the great shanty choruses I think, although I’m not sure it’s actually a work shanty?

Lyrics

Peter Bellamy and Louis Killen sing The Alabama

When the Alabama's keel was laid
  Roll, Alabama, roll!
It was laid in the yard of Jonathan Laird
  Oh, roll, Alabama, roll!

It was laid in the yard of Jonathan Laird
It was laid in the town of Birkenhead

Across the Mersey river she sailed then
And Liverpool fitted her with guns and men

From the Western Isles she sailed forth
To destroy all commerce of the North

Down to Cherbourg came she straight one day
For to take her toll in prize money

There many a sailor lad met his doom
When the ship Kearsarge hove in view

And a shot from the forward pivot that day
It shot the Alabama's stern away

In the three-mile limit, in sixty-five
The Alabama sunk to her grave

Links

See also the Mudcat Café thread Origins: Roll, Alabama Roll.