trad
In 1964, J.S. Manifold wrote in the Penguin Australian Song Book "A foc'sle song from the Queensland coast? The original sources were Dick Fizgerald of Charleville, and Jack Wright of Coogee." Included in the 1937 film "Captains Courageous" with different verses but the same tune and chorus and credited to Gus Kahn and Franz Waxman. Bob Coltman wrote on Mudcat in 2009 "the Kahn lyrics are unusually folk-like and delightful-but then, he always did have that knack. As for Waxman's tune, he didn't work very hard for his copyright, changing only one note in the traditional tune." Ed Trinkett in 1972 wrote "In Meredith and Anderson's 'Folksongs of Australia' they report the song to be Portuguese in origin, but fairly widely known in North Queensland, Australia." The "cabbage" verse below is Kahn's, and the final verse is in Manifold, while the first three are from Manifold but sung by most other newer recordings including Arrowsmith's.
Jess Arrowsmith with Faye Hield & Jon Boden from “Off We Go Again”
Oh the crew are asleep and the ocean’s at rest
And I’m singing this song for the one I love best
Chorus:
Hey ho, little fishes, don’t cry, don’t cry (x2)
The ship’s underway and the weather is fine
And the skipper’s down aft hanging out extra line
Little fish when he’s caught he fights like a bull whale
Thrashes the water with his mighty tail
Said Cabbage to fish cake Who lay on a dish
I’m a beautiful cabbage you’re only poor fish
There are fish in the sea, there is no doubt about it,
Just as good as the ones that have ever come out itÂ