Shanties, Sea Songs, and all that kind of stuff.
Cairo Town
Or Roustabout Song
Chorus:
Rolling and flowing around these hills
I must take a rest, but this river never will
Rolling and flowing to Cairo Town
Just give me time to lay me down
Boat's up the river, she won't come down
I believe it in my soul, she is water-bound
Back her, slack her, bring her round
Give me time to lay me down
Come, Rosianna, the boat is lying low
On a sandy bar, out in the Ohio
Roustabouts are pulling, pulling mighty slow
To give me time to lay me down
I work these steamboats. a dollar bill a day
I buy a dress for Rosianne, drink the rest away
Captain, he just told me to call lead line today
Lord, I got no time to lay me down
All of the rich folks out on the promenade
Twirl their parasols, drink their lemonade
I got hot steam to drink, I got smokestack for my shade
And I got no time to lay me down
I load all of this freight by bale and by sack
I slow coonjine the plank, I fast coonjine it back
A hundred eighty pounds a bale, a hundred ninety pounds a sack
Two hundred pounds'd break your back
Can't Ye Hilo?
Young gals love to dance with Jack
Chorus: Young gals can't ye hilo?
I have always had me whack
Chorus: Young gals can't ye hilo?
Young gals, good gals, bad gals O!
I will take 'em all in tow
Love 'em all both old an' young
Thin gals, fat gals, let 'em all come.
When I was a young man in me prime
I chased them yeller gals all the time.
Black gals, teller gals, I don't care
Her comes Sally with her long red hair
Dance gals dance till the break o'day
Let's all dance our cares away
Brown gals, yeller gals, black gals O!
Let's all go on a big Hilo?
Young gals, young gals, young gal O!
Rouse her up and let's Hilo.
Captain Kidd
Oh my name was Captain Kidd
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
Oh my name was Captain Kidd
Chorus:As I sailed
My name was Captain Kidd
And God's laws I did forbid
And so wickedly I did
As I sailed, as I sailed
Chorus: So wickedly I did as I sailed
My father taught me well
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
My father taught me well
Chorus: As I sailed
My father taught me well
To shun the gates of hell,
But against him I rebelled
As I sailed, as I sailed
Chorus: against him I rebelled as I sailed
He shoved a bible in my hand
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
He shoved a bible in my hand
Chorus: As I sailed,
He shoved a bible in my hand
But I left it in the sand
And I pulled away from land,
As I sailed, as I sailed
Chorus: And I pulled away from land, as I sailed
I sailed from sound to sound,
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
I sailed from sound to sound,
Chorus: As I sailed
I sailed from sound to sound
and many ships I found
And most of men I drowned,
As I sailed, as I sailed,
Chorus: Oh, the most of men I drowned, as I sailed
Oh I murdered William Moore
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
I murdered William Moore
Chorus: As I sailed
And I laid him in his gore
Not many leagues from shore
Oh I murdered William Moore
As I sailed, as I sailed
Chorus: I murdered William Moore as I sailed
And being crueler still
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
And being crueler still
Chorus: As I sailed
And being crueler still,
the gunner I did kill
And his precious blood did spill
As I sailed as I sailed
Chorus: His precious blood did spill as I sailed
I was sick and nigh to death,
Chorus: As I sailed as I sailed
I was sick and nigh to death,
Chorus: As I sailed
I was sick and nigh to death,
And I vowed at every breath,
Oh to walk in wisdom's path,
As I sailed as I sailed
Chorus: To walk in wisdom's path, as I sailed
But my repentance lasted not,
Chorus: As I sailed as I sailed
But my repentance lasted not,
Chorus: As I sailed
But my repentance lasted not,
My vows I soon forgot,
Oh damnation is my lot,
As I sailed.
Chorus: Oh damnation is my lot, as I sailed
I spied three ships from Spain
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed
Oh I spied three ships from Spain
Chorus: As I sailed
I spied three ships from Spain
And I fired on them a-main
And most of them I slain
As I sailed, as I sailed
Chorus: And most of them I slain, as I sailed
I had ninety bars of gold,
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed,
I had ninety bars of gold,
Chorus: As I sailed.
I had ninety bars of gold
and had dollars manifold,
With riches uncontrolled,
As I sailed, as I sailed,
Chorus: With riches uncontrolled, as I sailed.
I spied three ships from France,
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed,
I spied three ships from France,
Chorus: As I sailed.
I spied three ships from France
and on them I advanced,
And I took them all by chance,
As I sailed, as I sailed,
Chorus: And I took them all by chance, as I sailed.
Then fourteen ships I saw,
Chorus: As I sailed, as I sailed,
Then fourteen ships I saw,
Chorus: As I sailed.
Then fourteen ships I saw
and braved them anywhere,
They were too much for me,
As I sailed, as I sailed,
Chorus: Oh, they were too much for me, as I sailed.
To Newgate I am cast, and must die,
Chorus: And must die,
To Newgate I am cast,
Chorus: And I must die.
To Newgate I am cast,
in chains they bound me fast,
To receive my just desert,
I must die, I must die,
Chorus: To receive my just desert, oh I must die.
To execution dock
Chorus: I must go, I must go
To execution dock
Chorus: I must go
Oh, to execution dock,
lay my head upon the block
God's laws no more I'll mock
As I sailed as I sailed
Chorus: God's laws no more I'll mock as I sailed
Come all you young and old
Chorus: See me die, see me die
Come all you young and old
Chorus: See me die
You are welcome to my goal
And by it I've lost my soul
Come all you young and old
I must die, I must die
Chorus: Come all you young and old I must die
Cheerly Man
(Chorus or refrain is in parentheses)
Oh, Nancy Dawson, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
She's got no draws on Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Says our old bo'sun, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man,)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh, Bessey Baker, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Slept with a Quaker, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
She let him take her, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh, Sally Racket, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Pawned my best jacket, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
And sold the ticket, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh, Katy Carson, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Slept with the the parson, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
She's got his bastard Hi-oh!(Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh Flora Fernanah Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Plays the pianner Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
With your bananner Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh Polly Riddle Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
She's broken her fiddle Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Right down the middle Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh Sally Hackett Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Works on the racket Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Gave me a packet Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh Susie Skinner Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
She's no beginner Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Prefers it to dinner Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh Polly 'awkins Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
In her white stockings Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Yours for the taking Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Oh haughty cocks, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Split her blocks, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
Oh sweat her up, Hi-oh! (Cheerly, man!)
O! Haulee, Hi-oh, (Cheerly, man!)
Chicken on a Raft
By Cyril Tawney
Skipper's in the wardroom drinking gin,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
I don't mind knocking but I ain't going in,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
'Jimmy's' laughing like a drain,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Been looking at m' 'comic cuts' again.
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Chorus:
Chicken on a raft on a Monday morning,
oh what a terrible sight to see,
'Dabtoes' for'd and the Dustmen aft,
sitting there picking at a 'chicken on a raft'.
Hey -oh,
(chicken on a raft,)
Oy -oh,
(chicken on a raft.)
Hey -oh,
(chicken on a raft,)
Oy -oh,
(chicken on a raft.)
They gave me the Middle and the Forenoon too,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
And now I'm pulling in the whaler's crew,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Seagulls wheeling overhead,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
I ought to be 'flogging' in a feather bed.
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
I had a little girl in 'Donny B',
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
And oh, she made a fool of me,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Her heart was like a Pusser's shower,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
From hot to cold in a quarter of an hour.
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
An Amazon girl lives in Dumfries,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
She only has kids in twos and threes,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Her sister lives in Maryhill,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
She says she won't but I think she will. (Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
We kissed goodbye on the midnight bus,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
She didn't cry, she didn't fuss,
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Am I the man that she loves best?
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Or am I just a cuckoo in another man's nest?
(Hey -oh, chicken on a raft)
Come all you Tonguers
Come all you tonguers and land-loving lubbers,
Here's a job cutting in and boiling down blubbers,
There's a job for the youngster or old or ailing.
And the Agent will grab any man for shore whaling.
Chorus:
I am paid in salt and sugar and rum
For cutting up whale and boiling down tongue
The agents fee makes my blood so to boil
I'll push him in a hot bottle of oil
Go hang the Agent, the company too,
They are makin' a fortune off me and off you.
No chance of a passage from out of this place,
And the price of livin's a bloody disgrace
Chorus:
I am paid in salt and sugar and rum
For cutting up whale and boiling down tongue
The agents fee makes my blood so to boil
I'll push him in a hot bottle of oil
Come all you tonguers and land-loving lubbers,
Here's a job cutting in and boiling down blubbers,
There's a job for the youngster or old or ailing.
And the Agent will grab any man for shore whaling.
Chorus:
I am paid in salt and sugar and rum
For cutting up whale and boiling down tongue
The agents fee makes my blood so to boil
I'll push him in a hot bottle of oil
Congo River
Say - was you ever on the Congo River?
Chorus: (Blow, boys, blow.)
Where fever makes the white man shiver.
Chorus: (Blow, m' bully boys, blow)
A 'blackbird' ship come down the river,
Her masts and spars they shone like silver.
Who do you think was the skipper of her?
It's old Bully Hayes, he's a sailor robber.
What do you think that they had for cargo?
"Black Sheep" that had run the embargo.
What do you think that they had for breakfast?
The starboard side of an old sou'wester.
What do you think that they had for dinner?
Hot water broth but a little bit thinner.
What do you think that they had for supper?
Belaying-pin pie and a roll in the scupper.
Blow today and blow tomorrow,
Blow me from this ship of sorrow.
Blow today and blow forever,
Blow me down that Congo River.
Cornish Farewell Shanty
Solo is the first line, chorus thelast three.
It is time to go now
Haul away your anchor
Haul away your anchor,
Tis our sailing time.
Set the sails upon her
Haul away your fore-sheets
Haul away your fore-sheets,
Tis our sailing time.
See the winds go by her
Haul away your halyards
Haul away your halyards,
Tis our sailing time.
See the swell go under,
Haul away down channel,
Haul away down channel,
Tis our sailing time.
When my day is over,
Haul away to heaven,
Haul away to heaven,
Tis our sailing time.
It is time to go now
Haul away your anchor
Haul away your anchor,
Lord is by my side.
Dead Horse
Stan Hugill's version
A poor old man came a riding buy
Chorus: And we say so and we hope so
A poor old man came a riding buy
Chorus: Poor old man.
I said old man your 'orse must die
And if he don't we'll ride him again
One month this rotten life we've led
Whilst you lays in you feather bed
But now your time is up old Turk
Get off yer arse and look for work
Get off yer arse and looks for graft
Whilst we lays on and hauls you aft
We'll haul you aft to the cabin door
And you'll not go hazing us no more
He's as dead as a nail in the lamp room door
He's as dead as a nail you son of a whore
And we'll hoist him up to the main yard arm
And we'll hoist him up to the main yard arm
And we'll drop him down with a long long roll
Where the sharks'll have his body and the devil have his soul
I though I heard the old man say
Just one more pull and then belay.
Donkey Riding
Those of us who were at school in the 60's and 70's will remember singing a less robust version of this song in music lessons. I think we would have enjoyed it more with these words.
Wuz you ever in Quebec
Loading timber on the deck
Where you'd break your bleedin' neck
Riding on a donkey
Chorus:
Whey hay and away we go
Donkey riding, donkey riding
Whey hay and away we go
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in Timbuctoo
Where them girls is black and blue
Where they waggle their arses too
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in Valipo
Where them gals puts on a show
Waggle and wiggle with a roll and go
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in Mobile Bay
Screwin' cotton all the day
A dollar a day is a white mans pay
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in Canton
Where the men wear pigtails long
And the girls play hong-ki-kong
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in London town
Where them flash girls do comedown
To see a king in a golden crown
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in Miramashee
Where we ties up to a tree
Where the skeeters do bite we
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever in the Broomielow
Where them Yanks is all the go
Where them girls dance heel and tow
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever down 'Frisco Bay
Where them girls all shout 'HOORAY'
Here comes Johnny with his three years pay
Riding on a donkey
Wuz you ever off Cape Horn
Where your arse is never warm
And you wish to hell you'd never been born
Riding on a donkey
Chorus x 2 to finish.
Down the River of Gambia
Down the River of Gambia,
(up) Chorus: Oh Calibah
Down the river of Gambia boys,
(down) Chorus: Oh Calibah.
Yellow jack am a-ragin’.
Yellow jack am a-ragin’boys
Folks they're a-dyin
There’s weepin’ and a-sighin’ boys.
Our packet sails tomorrow,
I’ll leave here without sorrow.
Bound away St. Georges.
Bound away St. Georges boys
We’ll heave and cat the anchor
Shake out the jibs and spanker boys.
I love my Juliana
I love my Juliana boys.
Bound away to leave her
I never will deceive her boys.
Don稚 you hear the old man growlin'?
Don’t you hear the first mate howlin'? boys?
Down the river of Gambia.
Down the river of Gambia boys.
Down Trinidad
Oh tell me, master stevedore, how you stow your cargo?
Chorus: Way, hey, sing Sunny Dore!
Tell me, master stevedore, how do you stow your cargo?
Chorus: Bound down Trinidad, to look for Sunny Dore
Trinidad! Oh Trinidad! The lovely little harbor!
Trinidad! Oh Trinidad! The lovely little harbor!
What will you do with Sunny Dore if ever you should find her?
Roll her in the grass, me boys, and all amongst the clover
Oh say, Mr. Barber, how you shave your customers?
Take 'em by their noses, and scrape them on their chinsieos!
Now stretch her luff, she's high enough, the end is just in sight boys
Hoist her high an' hoist her dry, come rock and roll me over
The ship's all right, the crew is tight, the ol' man's all in clover
The ship's all right, the crew is tight, the ol' man's all in clover
Chorus that can be sung between verses:
Booch free, me bully boys, and burtoned in the archway
Booch free, me bully boys, and burtoned in the archway
Eight Bells
Oh, me husband’s a saucy foretop man
Oh, a chum of the cook, don’t ye know
He put his head down the cook’s funnel
An’ he shouted “Come up from below”
Chorus:
Eight bells, eight bells .
Rouse out there the watch from below!
Eight bells, eight bells .
Rouse out there the watch from below!
My husband he shipped in a whaler
An’ he sailed to the far northern seas
An’ bein’ a bold-hearted sailor
He cared not for ice, sea, nor breeze
When up in the hoops he wuz dandy
At sightin’ a whale – “There she blows!”
When out in the whaleboat wuz handy
A smarter young tar never rowed!
At the end of his watch, oh his fancy
Wuz to git to his bunk quickly-O
For he wanted to dream o’his Nancy
So he shouted “Come up from below”
An’ now he’s no longer a sailor
He often wakes up in the night
Thinkin’ he’s still on that whaler
Shouts out with the greatest delight!
Emma
or Rolling Down the Bay to Julianna
Emma, Emma let me be
Chorus: Rolling down the bay to Julianna
Oh Miss Emma don't you cry
Chorus: Rolling down the bay to Julianna
Send Miss Emma to the crow
Wish I had that girl in tow
Windward girls are hard to beat
Haul boys on your ol main sheeet
Oh the dawning of the day
Haul away & get your pay
Haul boys when she takes a roll
Shake an break her blast your soul
Sweat that yard the mate did say
One more pull & then belay
Esiquibo River
Traditional
Essiquibo river is the queen of rivers all
Chorus Buddy ta na na, we are somebody oh
Essiquibo river is the queen of rivers all
Chorus Buddy ta na na, we are somebody oh
Chorus:
Somebody, oh buddy, 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