I Saw Three Ships

The lyrics mention the ships sailing into Bethlehem, but the nearest body of water is the Dead Sea about 20 miles (32 km) away. The reference to three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century.[2] Another possible reference is to Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, who bore a coat of arms "Azure three galleys argent".[4] Another suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi, as camels are frequently referred to as "ships of the desert". Here is a typical version of the lyrics, printed in Birmingham between 1813 and 1838:

As I sat on a sunny bank,

A sunny bank, a sunny bank,

As I sat on a sunny bank

On Christmas-Day in the morning.

I spy'd three ships come sailing by,

Come sailing by, come sailing by,

I spy'd three ships come sailing by

On Christmas-Day in the morning.

And who should be with these three ships,

With these three ships, with these three ships,

And who should be with these three ships

But Joseph and his Fair Lady.

O he did whistle, she did sing,

And all the bells on earth did ring

For joy that our Saviour Christ he was born

On Christmas-Day in the morning.[5]

Countless traditional versions of the song have been collected. Many different melodies were used, as is typical of traditional folk songs including Christmas carols. In the 1910s, the English folklorists Cecil Sharp[6] and Janet Blunt[7] noted the tunes and lyrics of dozens of versions, primarily in the south of England.

Several traditional recordings have been made of the song The American folk song collector James Madison Carpenter recorded several slightly different English versions in the early 1930s, all of which can be heard online via the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, several recorded in Cornwall[8][9][10][11] and one in Gloucestershire.[12] In 1956, Peter Kennedy recorded a man named John Thomas singing the song in Camborne, Cornwall.[13]

The famous Appalachian musician Jean Ritchie was recorded by Alan Lomax in 1949 singing a traditional version learnt from her Kentucky family (whose ancestors seemingly brought the song from England), which can be heard courtesy of the Alan Lomax archive.[14] Ritchie later recorded the song on her album 'Carols of All Seasons' (1959).[15] Whilst Jean Ritichie's family version is the only traditional American version to be recorded, the song was known to be present in the United States in previous decades, particularly in the south.[16]

An arrangement by Martin Shaw appears in the Oxford Book of Carols.[17] The Carols for Choirs series of carol books features arrangements of the carol by both Sir David Willcocks and John Rutter. Organist Simon Preston and former conductor of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Sir Philip Ledger, have also written arrangements that the choir have performed at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in recent years. There is also a more recent choral arrangement by British composer Richard Fox. This carol is also featured in the musical Caroline, or Change, but as a counterpoint. Adapted by Jon Schmidt on Jon Schmidt Christmas album. John Renbourn has arranged it (in a rather free adaptation) for guitar. The song appears on Nat King Cole's 1960 album The Magic of Christmas (l/k/a "The Christmas Song"), arranged by Ralph Carmichael.

Illustration for three pretty girls in the ship entertaining at a wedding held on New Year's Day in a children's book

• "I saw three ships come sailing by on New Year's Day" is a 19th-century version, which mentions three pretty girls in the ship entertaining at a wedding held on New Year's Day.[18]

• The Barenaked Ladies recorded a version on their Christmas album Barenaked for the Holidays in 2004 and on their Snacktime:Live at Massey Hall album in 2009.
• Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn recorded a version on his Christmas album Christmas in 1993.
• English musician Sting recorded a version for the compilation album A Very Special Christmas 3 in 1997.
• Progressive rock singer Jon Anderson released a version as the title track of his album 3 Ships in 1985.[19]
• Keyboardist Keith Emerson recorded an instrumental rock adaptation on his The Christmas Album (1988).[20]
• Mannheim Steamroller recorded the song on their first Christmas album.
• In 1995, Glen Campbell recorded the song on his Christmas album Christmas with Glen Campbell.
• Blackmore's Night recorded the song on their 2006 Christmas-themed album Winter Carols.
• Sufjan Stevens recorded a version of the song in 4/4 time for his album Hark!: Songs for Christmas, Vol. II.*
• The main refrain is used as the outro for the Half Man Half Biscuit song "It's Cliched to be Cynical at Christmas" from the album Trouble over Bridgwater.
• Lindsey Stirling released her version on her holiday album Warmer in the Winter.[21]
• Three ships appear as an instrumental version of Teletubbies, since the Teletubbies had to sit down the hill to see the ships.
• At the end of A Muppet Family Christmas, during the Christmas caroling medley, the Count leads everyone in singing "I Saw Three Ships".
• In their 2002 album, Twenty-Four Seven, folk trio Coope Boyes and Simpson include a loose adaptation written by Mike Waterson as a tribute to the lives lost when three Hull trawlers sunk in close succession in February 1968.
• Chris Squire recorded this song on his Swiss Choir album. This was his second and last solo album and he chose to record Christmas songs. Steve Hackett, of Genesis fame, played guitar on the album also.
• Cyndi Lauper recorded this song on her Christmas album: Merry Christmas...Have a Nice Life.

• List of Christmas carols

Works related to I Saw Three Ships at Wikisource

• Free scores of I Saw Three Ships in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• History, lyrics and sheet music at The Hymns and Carols of Christmas
• Free sheet music for piano, voice and SATB from Cantorion.org
• Full lyrics