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Chicken on a Raft

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Cyril Tawney’s wrote Chicken on a Raft in 1958. He sang it in 1972, accompanied by The Yetties, on his Argo album In Port, and in 1989 on his Neptune Tapes cassette Sally Free and Easy which was reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks as the CD Navy Cuts: The Songs of Cyril Tawney. He noted on the first album:

You will gather from these notes that for Tawney the songwriter 1958 was one of those inexplicably prolific years. My mind was scarcely ever on anything else but songs, and whatever small use I’d ever been to the Navy was rapidly diminishing. In addition to completed songs there were always several “on the stocks”, many having progressed no further than a single four-line verse. In desperation I eventually decided upon a good old clear-out, and by introducing a special chorus I was able to string the stanzas together, shanty fashion. I never dreamed the song would reach the ears of civilians, consequently it’s rather overloaded with Navy jargon which would take the whole of this sleeve to explain, but as far as the chorus is concerned “Chicken on a raft” is a fried egg on a slice of fried bread, “dabtoes” are seamen and “dustmen” are stokers. The adoption of the song by The Young Tradition, one of the two most influential folk groups of the late 60s, breathed extra life into it and has even affected my own rendering.

The Young Traditions sang Chicken on a Raft in 1967 as the title track of their nautical EP Chicken on a Raft. This track was also included in 2004 on the 3 CD Transatlantic Folk Box Set. Their sleeve notes commented:

This is not a shanty, though it could well have been had it been made a hundred years ago, but followers of the group would never have forgiven them if they had not included it on this record. It was compiled by Cyril Tawney, in traditional shanty fashion, from verses that made themselves inside his head while he was in the submarine service. In older days Chicken on a Raft, with the barest changes from its form on this record, could easily have been tipped at the capstan bars.

Vulcan’s Hammer sang Chicken on a Raft in a 1991 recording with the Hartley Morris Men that was included as a bonus track on the 1995 CD reissue of their 1975 album The Two Magicians.

Jim Mageean & Johnny Collins sang Chicken on a Raft on their 1983 album Strontrace!.

Jiig sang Chicken on a Raft in 2005 on their eponymous album Jiig. They noted:

Cyril Tawney spent much of his working life as a Royal Navy submariner, and many of his songs derive their colour from that career. Inconstant love seems to have been a favourite theme in Tawney’s songs, and certainly flavours this raucous offering.

“Chicken on a Raft” is naval slang for a fried egg on toast. “Dabtoes for’ard and the dustmen aft” refers to the seating order (and no doubt pecking order) at table. According to most naval slang dictionaries, “dustmen” are stokers and “dabtoes” are defined as “surface sailors”. The latter definition seems to disqualify submariners like Cyril, whose position at table was presumably “below the salt” in more ways than one.

Corncrow sang Chicken on a Raft in 2013 on their EP So Brightly Shining.

Tony and Steve Haynes sang Chicken on a Raft on their 2013 album Special Brew.

Sound Tradition sang Chicken on a Raft in 2014 on their CD Blackbird. They noted:

A shanty-like song from the submariner days of the great Cyril Tawney. It’s full of Navy slang and is a right rollicking laugh—he could have called it Fried Egg on Toast but it doesn’t quite have the same ring, now does it?

Lyrics

Cyril Tawney’s Chicken on a Raft

Skipper in the wardroom drinking gin,
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!
I don’t mind knocking, but I ain’t a-going in!
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!
Jimmy’s laughing like a drain,
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!
Been lookin’ at my comic cuts again,
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Chicken on a raft on a Monday morning,
Oh, what a terrible sight to see,
Dabtoes forrard and the dustmen aft,
Sittin’ there a-pickin’ at a chicken on a raft!
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!
Oy-o, chicken on a raft!
Hey-o, chicken on a raft!
Oy-o, chicken on a raft!

They gave me the middle and the forenoon too,
Now I’m pullin’ in a whaler’s crew.
There’s a seagull wheelin’ overhead,
Oh to be floatin’ in a feather bed!

We kissed goodbye on the midnight bus
She didn’t cry, she didn’t fuss.
Am I the one that she loves best
Or am I just a cuckoo in another man’s nest?

An Amazon girl lived in Dumfries,
She only had her kids in twos and threes;
Her sister lives in Maryhill,
She says she won’t but I think she will!

I had another girl in Donny B
And did she make a fool of me.
Her heart was like a pusser’s shower,
From hot to cold in a quarter of an hour!

The Young Tradition sing Chicken on a Raft

Well, they gave me the middle and the forenoon too,
So now I’m pullin’ in a whalin’ crew.
There’s a seagull wheelin’ overhead,
I oughter be sleepin’ in a feather bed!

Well, I had a little girl in Donny B
And did she make a fool of me.
Her heart ’twas like a pusser’s shower,
From hot to cold in a quarter of an hour!

So we kissed goodbye on the midnight bus
But she didn’t cry and she didn’t fuss.
So am I the man what she loves best
Or am I just a cuckoo in another man’s nest?

An Amazon girl lived in Dumfries,
She only had her kids in twos and threes;
And her sister lives in Maryhill,
She says she won’t but I think she will!