Sea Shantys
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Salty Dog
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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Storm Along
This shanty was originally sung around the pumps and later used as
a capstan shanty. There is no doubt it is of African-American origin.
It dates back to at least the 1830s. Their were several shanties
closely related to this song such as "Mister Stormalong", "Stormy
Along, John", and "Stormalong, Boys, Stormy". Most of these were
halyard shanties, but some were also sung at the pumps. In most of
the Stormalong songs there was a pattern of praising the dead
seaman or praising the son of the dead seaman.
Lyrics
Stormie's gone, the good old man,
To my aye storm a-long!
Oh, Stormie's gone, that good old man;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
They dug his grave with a silver spade,
To my aye storm a-long!
The shroud of finest silk was made;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
They lowered him with a golden chain,
To my aye storm a-long!
Their eyes all dim with more than rain;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
He was a sailor bold and true,
To my aye storm a-long!
A good old skipper to his crew;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
Of captain brave, he was the best,
To my aye storm a-long!
But now he's gone and is at rest;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
He lies low in an earthen bed,
To my aye storm a-long!
Our hearts are sore our eyes are red;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
He's moored at least and furled his sail,
To my aye storm a-long!
No danger now from wreck or gale;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long.
Old Storm has heard the angel call,
To my aye storm a-long!
So sing his dirge, now one and all;
Aye, aye, aye, Mister Storm a-long. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:50 am Post subject: |
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Whiskey Johnnie
Lyrics
Whisky is the life of man,
Whisky Johnnie.
Oh! whisky is the life of many,
Whisky for my Johnnie.
I'll drink whisky when I can,
Whisky Johnnie.
I'll drink it out of an old tin can,
Whisky for my Johnnie.
Whisky gave me a broken nose,
Whisky Johnnie.
Whisky made me pawn my clothes,
Whisky for my Johnnie.
Whisky drove me around Cape Horn,
Whisky Johnnie.
It was many a month when I was gone,
Whisky for my Johnnie.
I thought I heard the old man say,
Whisky Johnnie.
'I'll treat my crew in a decent way,'
Whisky for my Johnnie.
A glass of grog for every man,
Whisky Johnnie.
And a bottleful for the chanteyman,
Whisky for my Johnnie. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:51 am Post subject: |
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Whup Jamboree
This shanty was from a time in the 1800s when, with the approach of winter,
Irish crews would desert their Western Packet ships to head south
to work in the cotton stowing ports like Mobile or New Orleans.
Lyrics
Chorus
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Oh a long-tailed sailor man comin' up behind
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Come an’ get your oats me son
The pilot he looked out ahead
The hands on the cane and the heavin’ of the lead
And the old man roared to wake the dead
Come and get your oats me son
Chorus
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Oh a long-tailed sailor man comin’ up behind
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Come an’ get your oats me son
Oh, now we see the lizzard light
Soon, me boys, we’ll heave in sight
We’ll soon be abreast of the Isle of Wight
Come and get your oats me son
Chorus
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Oh a long-tailed sailor man comin’ up behind
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Come an’ get your oats me son
Now when we get to the black wall dock
Those pretty young girls come out in flocks
With short-legged drawers and long-tailed frocks
Come and get your oats me son
Chorus
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Oh a long-tailed sailor man comin’ up behind
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Come an’ get your oats me son
Wel,, then we’ll walk down limelight way
And all the girls will spend our pay
We’ll not see more ’til another day
Come and get your oats me son
Chorus
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Oh a long-tailed sailor man comin’ up behind
Whup Jamboree, whup jamboree
Come an’ get your oats me son |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:51 am Post subject: |
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The Worst Old Ship
This was a capstan or pump shanty.
The Lyrics below are copied from an old songbook.
The verse about the captain and mate are usually
not sung today as not to offend in a PC world.
Lyrics
The worst old brig that ever did weigh,
Sailed out of Harwich on a windy day.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
She was built in Roman time,
Held together with bits of twine.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
The skipper's half Dutch and the mate's a Jew,
The crew are fourteen men too few.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
Nothing in the galley—nothing in the hold,
But the skipper's turned in with a bag of gold.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
Off Orford Ness she sprang a leak,
Hear her poor old timbers creak.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
We pumped our way round Lowestoft Ness,
When the wind backed round to the west-sou'-west.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
Through the Cockle to Cromer cliff,
Steering like a wagon with a wheel adrift.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
Into the Humber and up the town,
Pump you blighters—pump or drown.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay.
Her coal was shot by a Keadby crew,
Her bottom was rotten and it went right through.
(Chorus)
And we're waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day,
Waiting for the day
That we get our pay. |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Alabama - from Colcord
When the Alabama's keel was laid
Roll Alabama, roll
They laid her keel at Birkenhead
Oh, roll Alabama, roll
Oh, she was built in Birkenhead
Built in the yard of Jonathan Laird
Away down the Mersey she rolled one day
And across the "Western" she ploughed her way
With British guns, oh, she was stocked
She sailed from Fayal, in Cherbourg she docked
To fight the north Semmes did employ
Any method to kill and destroy
But off Cherbourg the Kearsage lay tight
Awaiting was Winslow to start a good fight
Outside the three mile limit they fought
An Semmes escaped on a fine British yacht
The Kearsage won - Alabama so brave
Sank to the bottom of a watery grave |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Blood Red Roses -
My clothes are all in pawn
Go down you blood red roses, go down
And it's mighty draughty around Cape Horn
Go down you blood red roses, go down
Oh, you pinks and posies
Go down you blood red roses, go down
It's round Cape Horn we've got to go
Chasing whales through ice and snow
Oh my old mother she wrote to me
My darling son come home from sea
Oh it's one more pull and that will do
For we're the bullies to kick her through |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Blow the Wind Westerly - trad. Newfoundland capstan shanty
Up jumps a crab with his crooked legs
Saying "you play the cribbage and I'll stick the pegs"
Singing blow the wind westerly, let the wind blow
By a gentle nor'wester how steady she goes
Up jumps a dolphin with his chuckle-head
He jumps on the deck saying "pull out the lead!"
Up jumps a flounder so flat on the ground
Saying "damn your old chocolate, mind how you sound"
Up jumps a salmon so bright as the sun
He jumped down between the decks and fired off a gun
Up jumps a whale, the biggest of all
He jumped up aloft and he's pawl after pawl
Up jumps a herring, the king of the sea
He jumps up on deck saying "helms a-lee!"
Up jumps a shark with his big row of teeth
He jumped up between the decks and shook out the reefs |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Bold Riley
Our anchor's aweigh and our sails are all set
Bold Riley, oh, boom-a-lay
The folks we are leaving, we'll never forget
Bold Riley, oh, gone away
Goodbye, me darling. Goodbye, me dear, oh
Bold Riley, oh, boom-a-lay
Goodbye, me darling. Goodbye, me dear, oh
Bold Riley, oh, gone away
Wake up Mary Ellen and don't look so glum
By Whitestocking time you'll be drinking hot rum
The rain it is raining now all the day long
And the northerly wind, it does blow so strong
We're outward and bound for Bengal bay
Get bending, me boys, it's a hell of a way |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Bully in the Alley - as sung by Nola Johnston at the VFSS shanty workshop, Nov 30, 1988
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley
Way, hey, bully in the alley
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley
Bully down in Shinbone Al
Oh, Sally is the girl down in our alley
Now, Sally is the gal that I spliced nearly
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley
I'll leave my Sal to go a-sailin'
I'll leave my gal and go a-whalin'
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley
So help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Cape Cod Girls
Cape Cod girls ain't got no combs
Haul away, haul away
They brush their hair with codfish bones
And we're bound away for Australia
So heave away, me bully, bully boys
Haul away, haul away
Heave her up and don't you make a noise
And we're bound away for Australia
Cape Cod kids ain't got no sleds
They slide down the hills on codfish heads
Cape Cod girls ain't got no frills
They tie their hair with codfish gills
Cape Cod cats ain't got no tails
They lost them all in the northeast gales |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:06 am Post subject: |
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The Dead Horse Shanty - as sung by the crew of Zawisza Czarny
Oh, poor old man your horse will die
And we say so, and we know so
Oh, poor old man your horse will die
Oh, poor old man
We'll hoist him up to the main yardarm
We'll hoist him up to the main yardarm
Say, I old man your horse will die
Say, I old man your horse will die
We'll drop him down to the depths of the sea
We'll drop him down to the bottom of the sea
We'll sing him down with a long, long roll
Where the sharks'll have his body
and the devil have have his soul |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 5:54 am Post subject: |
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Alabama - from Colcord
When the Alabama's keel was laid
Roll Alabama, roll
They laid her keel at Birkenhead
Oh, roll Alabama, roll
Oh, she was built in Birkenhead
Built in the yard of Jonathan Laird
Away down the Mersey she rolled one day
And across the "Western" she ploughed her way
With British guns, oh, she was stocked
She sailed from Fayal, in Cherbourg she docked
To fight the north Semmes did employ
Any method to kill and destroy
But off Cherbourg the Kearsage lay tight
Awaiting was Winslow to start a good fight
Outside the three mile limit they fought
An Semmes escaped on a fine British yacht
The Kearsage won - Alabama so brave
Sank to the bottom of a watery grave |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Essiquibo River - traditional
Essiquibo river is the queen of rivers all
Buddy ta na na, we are somebody oh
Essiquibo river is the queen of rivers all
Buddy ta na na, we are somebody oh
Somebody, oh body, somebody, oh
Buddy ta na na, we are somebody oh
Essiquibo capen is the king of capens all
Essiquibo bosun is the king of bosuns all
Essiquibo sailors is the chief of sailors all
Essiquibo sallies is the queen of sallies all
Essiquibo maidens is the queen of maidens all |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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General Taylor - as sung by Barry Truter at the VFSS Shanty workshop Nov 30, 1988
General Taylor gained the day
Walk him along, John, carry him along
General Taylor gained the day
Carry him to his burying ground
To me way hay, you stormy
Walk him along, John, carry him along
To me way hay, stormy
Carry him to his burying ground
General Taylor died long ago
He's gone, me boys, where the winds never blow
We lowered him down with a silver chain
We made sure he wouldn't rise again
We dug his grave with a silver spade
His shroud of finest silk was made
General Taylor gained the day
General Taylor gained the day |
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Salty Dog
Sailing Master
Posts: 10060
191991 Gold -
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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Good Bye, Fare Thee Well - as sung by the crew of Zawisza Czarny
We're going away to leave you now
Good bye, fare thee well
Good bye, fare thee well
We're going away to leave you now
Hoorah, me boys, we're homeward bound
Ah, give me the girl with the bonny brown hair
Your hair of brown is the talk of the town
So fare you we're homeward bound
Homeward bound to Liverpool town
So fill up your glasses for those who were kind
And drink to the girls we leaving behind
We're homeward bound I hear them say
We're homeward bound with eleven months pay
Our anchor we'll weigh, our sails we will set
The friends we are leaving we'll never forget |
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