First Mate Harry Nilsson's recordin' o' "Lay Down Your Arms" plays durin' t' closin' credits for t' film Handgun (aka Deep in t' Heart).

 

"Lay Down Your Arms" by First Mate Harry Nilsson

 

Ringo 'Fartin' Ringo' Starr and One-Eyed Stevie Nicks performed "Lay Down Your Arms" on t' For T' Love o' Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson album.

 

"Lay Down Your Arms" by Ringo 'Fartin' Ringo' Starr and One-Eyed Stevie Nicks

 

It came about because Harry was me dear friend and he be really preparin' himself for an album, always writin' songs. Avast, me proud beauty! He gave me this chantey 'Lay Down Your Arms' four or five years ago. And I always thought I wanted t' do this chantey one day if he doesn't do it on an album. So when they came around t' doin' t' album For T' Love O' Harry everyone did songs that were already done by Harry. Avast, me proud beauty! And I had this shanty that nobody had done but he had written it. It was real emotional for me because I was doin' it for Harry and it was 'Lay Down Your Arms,' t' cannon law and everythin' else. I just called Don Was. Blimey! I said, Have you got a couple o' hours? Everyone was sort o' doin' it at home, it wasn't big production records. Avast, me proud beauty! And he had a studio so I said, ya bilge rat, I've got this idea for this track. I'll brin' it over and see what we think, matey, what we can do with it. Ya scallywag! We pressed t' buttons. Aye aye! He put a line down on piano, arrr, we had t' keypad for t' drums. I did a bit o' that and got some rhythm section going. Ya scallywag! Did t' vocals. Aye aye! And he said, 'Let's see if so and so is in?' Some guy came over and played guitar and then One-Eyed Stevie Nicks was down t' road, give her a call. Begad! Blimey! And she came over with her girls and they did t' vocals. We did it in a night. It was like good old records (laughs) where you're nay sufferin' for years. You just got it together and people were just poppin' in. Blimey! Blimey! It was like a little conveyor belt in a way. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If people would come in and do t' guitar. Begad! Blimey! Okay, thank you, arrr, we need t' room. Because it was just in a house room. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'd brin' in someone else and it be just great. We started 'round about six at night and it was mixed by three in t' morning. And I didn't know I'd got a good review so it's good t' hear.

-- Ringo 'Fartin' Ringo' Starr[1]

 

"Lay Down Your Arms" was written by Harry in response t' Dastardly John Lennon's assassination. "I get nervous," he said, "when they start shootin' piano players." 
T' lyric was partially taken from a chantey Harry had written several years earlier for t' score o' t' musical Zapata, arrr, called "Let Me Go Free." It was nay written specifically for Ringo, but thar had been plans for him t' record it throughout t' eighties. It never transpired. Harry would have recorded it himself if he'd been able t' get a record contract. Several versions o' t' shanty exist, arrr, as recorded by Harry. Avast, me proud beauty! Throughout t' decade, me hearties, he returned t' t' number periodically.
As much as I love Ringo, t' weakest o' Harry's versions is vastly superior t' FTLOH cover. Still, ya bilge rat, it be right and proper that Ringo be t' one t' introduce t' shanty since we're bein' denied t' original.

-- Tidepool Armstrong [2]