[ Bayley & Russell / "The Newfoundland Dog" ]
This "descriptive ballad" (1843) was written by Frederick William Naylor Bayley, with music by Henry Russell (1812 - 1900). Published by T. E. Purdy, London. (Some websites claim these lyrics were first published in Scenes and Stories by a Clergyman in Debt (3 vols, 1835; London: A. H. Bailey), written while Bayley was in debtors' prison, but a search of those volumes turns up nothing Newf-related at all. Oddly, Bayley seems never to have been a clergyman.)
Bayley (1808 - 1853) was an English author, editor, and journalist; Russell (1812? - 1900) an English singer and composer.
Noteworthy here is the fact the life-saving Newfoundland in the song is named "Carlo." This name may be directly, or more likely indirectly, influenced by the life-saving Newf in Francis Reynold's The Caravan (1803), a Newf made famous (or perhaps infamous) not only because of the popularity of that play but also by the use of Carlo in the "culture wars" of the opening decade of the 19th Century in Britain. I say "indirectly" because it is possible that this song was inspired by a real-life incident involving a Newfoundland that may well have been named Carlo, though I have not yet been able to prove that. Of course, if this song was not inspired by any real incident, the fact Bayley would assume "Carlo" remains recognizable forty years after Reynold's play debuted is a good indication of the "staying power" of the conceptualization of Newfoundlands in 19th Century British culture. (For another work — in this case a poem — celebrating a life-saving Newfoundland mix named "Carlo" and inspired by a real-life incident — possibly the same incident inspiring this song? — go to this entry here at The Cultured Newf.
It is also worth noting that many newspaper advertisements for Henry Russell's performance specifically listed "The Newfoundland Dog" as among the works he would performing during his shows.
Image courtesy of the British Museum
The cover image is credited to G. E. Madeley (1798 - 1858),
an English engraver, lithographer, and printer.
Life saver! Wave stemmer!
Deep diver! away!
Night's shadows are closing
The portals of day;
On the breast of the billow
We hear his low wail,
We have put up the rudder,
And furl'd up the sail.
No signal from Heav'n
Will show where he be;
And where'er he be driven
We men cannot see.
Ho! Carlo! Newfoundland!
Go follow his cry,
As it gaspingly answers
The sea moaners sigh;
The boat shall be lower'd,
The men shall belay,
Life saver! Wave Stemmer!
Deep diver away!
Away fetch him out! fetch him up! seize him! ho!
Mount the wave dog! mount the wave dog! ha! down, down below!
hark! watch! bear a hand bring a light not a sound bring a light
Hark! there's a moan
Yes the waves moaning over the drown'd
God's spirit preserve him,
Amen and amen.
Hist! a flash and a motion
Ha! Carlo Ha! Carlo again
Good dog then good dog then
Bear a hand then pull tight
A boat hook a boat hook
He's in and all's right;
Come Carlo quick follow,
Fine fellow hard strife,
Wave stemmer! Deep diver!
We owe you a life.
(lyrics from Digital Commons, Connecticut College)
This image is from the cover of an American printing of the song: James Hewitt and Firth & Hall, New York, 1843.
The image credit is to "Endicott" (no further information)