Bringin' Home the Oil
Encyclopedia
Bringin' Home the Oil is an Irish
-themed sea shanty
written in 1969 by Tommy Makem
and the Clancy Brothers as the theme for a two-minute long television commercial for Gulf Oil
as part of their sponsorship of NBC News
coverage of the US space program and the national political conventions in celebration of Gulf Oil's then-new operations in Bantry Bay
.
Quite possibly the only song ever written about a modern-day oil tanker
, the upbeat 6/8 melody is that of a traditional Scottish
song, "The Gallant Forty Twa" which was also recorded by the Clancys. It tells the story of Gulf's 300,000 dwt
Universe Ireland as well as making mention of three other ships in the fleet: Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal. The song alludes to the construction of still more vessels; these would later be the vessels rounding out the six-vessel Universe-class fleet, namely the Universe Iran and Universe Korea. Instrumentation in the song is simple, consisting of strummed banjo
and guitar
as well as a solo tin whistle
between verses.
The song is told from the point-of-view of an "able-bodied sailor" who boasts of "sailin' all around the world" and "bringin' home the oil" to "keep all Europe movin' from our base in Bantry Bay." Gulf's operations from its Whiddy Island
oil terminal in Bantry Bay ended on a night in January 1979 when the Total Oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded while unloading its cargo of Arabian crude oil
.
The commercial itself was simple, consisting of helicopter shots of the various vessels (beginning with the superstructure
of the Universe Kuwait) often in conjunction with tugboat
s to give the viewer a sense of scale regarding the size of the ships. One overhead shot shows five tugboats pushing on the port side of the Universe Ireland as part of a docking maneuver.
The words to the song are as follows:
1. I'm an able-bodied sailor and I've often crossed the line,
On whalin' ships and sailin' ships and ships of every kind;
But now I've got the very best job I've had for many a day.
I'm workin' on a tanker bringin' oil to Bantry Bay.
CHORUS: Hey! Bringin' home the oil, me boys, bringin' home the oil!
Sailin' all around the world, bringin' home the oil!
A-workin' on a giant ship, it's very hard we toil,
Sailin' into Bantry Bay, bringin' home the oil!
2. She is the biggest ship, me lads, that ever sailed the sea.
As graceful (?) as a swan she goes; we sail her at our ease.
From Araby around Cape Hope we proudly make our way,
To keep all Europe movin' from our base in Bantry Bay. CHORUS
3. They're building other tankers now to speed more oil to you,
The Universe Kuwait, me lads, Japan and Portugal, too.
Also the Universe Ireland, I'm very proud to say,
Is among the giant ships that's bringin' oil to Bantry Bay. CHORUS
Folk music of Ireland
The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.-History:...
-themed sea shanty
Sea shanty
A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...
written in 1969 by Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem
Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
and the Clancy Brothers as the theme for a two-minute long television commercial for Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
as part of their sponsorship of NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
coverage of the US space program and the national political conventions in celebration of Gulf Oil's then-new operations in Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is a bay located in County Cork, southwest Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km wide at the head and wide at the entrance....
.
Quite possibly the only song ever written about a modern-day oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
, the upbeat 6/8 melody is that of a traditional Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
song, "The Gallant Forty Twa" which was also recorded by the Clancys. It tells the story of Gulf's 300,000 dwt
Deadweight tonnage
Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
Universe Ireland as well as making mention of three other ships in the fleet: Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal. The song alludes to the construction of still more vessels; these would later be the vessels rounding out the six-vessel Universe-class fleet, namely the Universe Iran and Universe Korea. Instrumentation in the song is simple, consisting of strummed banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
as well as a solo tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
between verses.
The song is told from the point-of-view of an "able-bodied sailor" who boasts of "sailin' all around the world" and "bringin' home the oil" to "keep all Europe movin' from our base in Bantry Bay." Gulf's operations from its Whiddy Island
Whiddy Island
Whiddy Island is an island near the head of Bantry Bay, Ireland. It is approximately long and wide. The topography comprises gently-rolling glacial till, with relatively fertile soil...
oil terminal in Bantry Bay ended on a night in January 1979 when the Total Oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded while unloading its cargo of Arabian crude oil
Betelgeuse incident
The Betelgeuse incident, also known as the Betelgeuse or Whiddy Island disaster, occurred on 8 January 1979, at around 1:00 a.m., when the oil tanker Betelgeuse exploded in West Cork, Ireland, at the offshore jetty of the Whiddy Island Oil Terminal, due to the failure of the ship's structure...
.
The commercial itself was simple, consisting of helicopter shots of the various vessels (beginning with the superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
of the Universe Kuwait) often in conjunction with tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s to give the viewer a sense of scale regarding the size of the ships. One overhead shot shows five tugboats pushing on the port side of the Universe Ireland as part of a docking maneuver.
The words to the song are as follows:
1. I'm an able-bodied sailor and I've often crossed the line,
On whalin' ships and sailin' ships and ships of every kind;
But now I've got the very best job I've had for many a day.
I'm workin' on a tanker bringin' oil to Bantry Bay.
CHORUS: Hey! Bringin' home the oil, me boys, bringin' home the oil!
Sailin' all around the world, bringin' home the oil!
A-workin' on a giant ship, it's very hard we toil,
Sailin' into Bantry Bay, bringin' home the oil!
2. She is the biggest ship, me lads, that ever sailed the sea.
As graceful (?) as a swan she goes; we sail her at our ease.
From Araby around Cape Hope we proudly make our way,
To keep all Europe movin' from our base in Bantry Bay. CHORUS
3. They're building other tankers now to speed more oil to you,
The Universe Kuwait, me lads, Japan and Portugal, too.
Also the Universe Ireland, I'm very proud to say,
Is among the giant ships that's bringin' oil to Bantry Bay. CHORUS
External links and references
- Section in Wikipedia's Gulf Oil article which tells of the commercial and song
- Original commercial at Youtube.com
- YouTube video featuring the original recording
- Music and lyrics to "The Gallant Forty Twa"
- Rendition of "The Gallant Forty Twa"