The Oceana Roll 1911

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 30 May 2008
2008

Billy McCoy was a musical boy
on the cruiser Alabama,
He was there on that "piana"
like a fish down in the sea
when he rattled off some harmony;
ev'ry night out on the ocean
he would get that raggy notion
start that syncopated motion lovingly.
No one could sleep
'way out there on the deep,
when Billy cut loose out at sea.

Each fish and worm
begins to twist and squirm,
The ship starts in to dip
and does a corkscrew turn,
just see that smoke so black
sneak from that old smoke stack!
It's floatin' right to heaven
and it won't come back,
Now here and there
you'll see a stool and chair,
a slippin' 'round the cabin shoutin'
"I don't care!"
And then the hammock starts a swingin'
and the bell begins a ringin'
while he's sittin' at that piano,
there on the Alabama
playin' The Oceana Roll.

England or Spain
it was always the same,
he'd be there at that piana
on the cruiser Alabama,
ev'ry mornin' noon and night
he would keep it up with all his might.
Ev'ry time he'd start a playin'
all the boys would start a swayin'
ev'ryone would keep a sayin'
"Don't you stop!"
Sailors, take care!
Oh you sailors beware!
For Bill will play on till you drop.

Each fish and worm
begins to twist and squirm,
The ship starts in to dip
and does a corkscrew turn,
just see that smoke so black
sneak from that old smoke stack!
It's floatin' right to heaven
and it won't come back,
Now here and there
you'll see a stool and chair,
a slippin' 'round the cabin shoutin'
"I don't care!"
And then the hammock starts a swingin'
and the bell begins a ringin'
while he's sittin' at that piano,
there on the Alabama
playin' The Oceana Roll.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
The Oceana Roll 1911
Music by Lucien Denni
Lyrics by Roger Lewis
© MCMXI assigned to Aubrey Stauffer & Co.
and assigned to Jerome H.Remick & Co.
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Friday 30 May 2008 at 14.42
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*