THE LAST FAREWELL - chords and comments
Roger Whittaker died 13th of September 2023, 87 years old. The Kenyan born man of British origin left a promising medical career for entertainment in the sixties, thanks Lord. The world lost a good teacher, but gained a fabulous folk singer, songwriter and artist.
That man with his pleasent voice and straight apparition has followed me ever since my own interest for music really started, and I've decided to let this tune be MY farewell to my own collection, at "the end of the line".
In 1971, Whittaker hosted a radio programme backed by an orchestra with arrangements by Zack Lawrence. In his own words: «One of the ideas I had was to invite listeners to send their poems or lyrics to me, and I would make songs out of them. We got a million replies, and I did one each week for 26 weeks.»
One of these contributers was a silversmith from Birmingham, Ron A. Webster. The song about departing was recorded for Whittaker's 1971 RCA Victor album "A Special Kind of Man" same year, released as a single in 1975 and became one of the fifty all-time singles to have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Ronald Arthur Webster(1943-1993) is not credited more songs, though being a local folk singer beside his trade as a silversmith. At least he wrote a golden poem. What is this about? The scene is obviously back to the time of the Napolean Wars; a sea warrior from the colonies gotten involved with both these pacific islands AND a woman, and forced to leave both to fight for his native country. If I'm wrong; it doesn't matter. The poem is perfectly melted with the composition of Whittaker's.
Here we go, then I leave. Happy buskin', folks!
... D A D there's a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor D D7 G tomorrow for old England she sails Em G far away from your land of endless sunshine Em E7 A ...A7 to my land full of rainy skies and gales D A D and I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow D D7 G ...Em though my heart is full of tears at this farewell Em A D Bm Em A7 for you are beautiful and I have loved you dearly G A A7 D more dearly than the spoken word can tell
D
D7
A
A7
G
Em
E7
Bm
