Shanties, Sea Songs, and all that kind of stuff.
We'll Hurry on Now
The swell was ours and the sea ran high
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now
The women would wave as we went by
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now.
Chorus:
We’ll hurry on now
We’ll hurry on now
Aye, There’s gold to find and I’ll make it mine
We’ll hurry on now
We’re all like brothers, yes, we’re all kinsmen
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now
Live aboard, wake full, sails in
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now.
Chorus:
We’ll hurry on now
We’ll hurry on now
Aye, There’s gold to find and I’ll make it mine
We’ll hurry on now
We all set sail from summer’s peak
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now
We’ve got loot to steal, yeah, it’s gold we seek
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now.
Chorus:
We’ll hurry on now
We’ll hurry on now
Aye, There’s gold to find and I’ll make it mine
We’ll hurry on now
He’s the bravest man that the world would allow
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now
Colton Shelly is our Captain now
Chorus: We’ll hurry on now.
Chorus:
We’ll hurry on now
We’ll hurry on now
Aye, There’s gold to find and I’ll make it mine
We’ll hurry on now
Where am I to go Me Johnnies?
Where am I to go me Johnnies, where am I to go?
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
Ho where am I to go me Johnnies, oh where am I to go?
For I’m a young sailor boy and where am I to go?
Way up on that t'gallant yard, that's where you’re bound to go
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
Way up in that t'gallant yard, the gans'l for to stow.
For I’m a young sailor boy and where am I to go!
Way up on that t'gallant yard and take that gans'l in
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
Way up on that t'gallant yard the rabbit for to skin
For I'm a young sailor boy and where am I to go!
Where am I to go me Johnnies, where am I to go.
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
You're bound away around Cape Horn, that's where you're bound to go .
For I'm a young sailor boy and where am I to go!
You're bound away around cape horn all through the ice an' snow
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
You're bound away me bully boys, that's where you're bound to go.
For I'm a young sailor boy and where am I to go!
You're bound to be a sailorman, when you have served your time.
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
You're bound to be a sailorman all in the blackball line
For I’m a young sailor boy and where am I to go!
Where am I to go me Johnnies, where am I to go?
To-me! way hey hey, high roll and go,
Ho where am I to go me Johnnies, oh where am I to go?
For I’m a young sailor boy and where am I to go?
Whiskey Johnny
Oh whiskey is the life of man,
Whiskey Johnny
I'll get whiskey where I can,
Whiskey for my Johnny
A whiskey here, and whiskey there,
I'll get whiskey everywhere,
Whiskey made me pawn my clothes,
And whiskey gave me this red nose
A whiskey here, and whiskey there,
I'll get whiskey everywhere,
Whiskey killed my poor ole dad,
And whiskey drove my mother mad,
Well I'll get whiskey everywhere,
A whiskey here and whiskey there,
Oh whiskey hot, whiskey cold,
Whiskey new and whisky old,
If the river was whiskey and I was a duck,
I'd jump right in and I wouldn't give a fuck (damn)
A whiskey here, and whiskey there,
I'll get whiskey everywhere,
Oh whiskey up, whiskey down,
Whiskey all around this town,
A whiskey here, and whiskey there,
I'll get whiskey everywhere,
Oh champaign's good and rum is free,
But whiskey's good enough for me,
A whiskey here, and whiskey there,
I'll get whiskey everywhere,
Whiskey O
Sometimes also called Whiskey Johnny
Whiskey is the life of man
Always was since the world began
Chorus:
Whiskey-o, Johnny-o
John rise her up from down below
Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey-o
Up aloft this yard must go
John rise her up from down below
Whiskey here, whiskey there
Whiskey almost everywhere
Whiskey up and whiskey down
Whiskey all around the town
Whiskey killed me poor old dad
Whiskey drove me mother mad
My wife and I do not agree
She puts whiskey in her tea
I had a girl and her name was Lize
She puts whiskey in her pies
Oh whiskey straight, and whiskey strong
Give me some whiskey and I'll sing you a song
If whiskey comes too near my nose
I tip it up and down she goes
Some likes whiskey, some likes beer
I wisht I had a barrel here
Whiskey made me pawn me clothes
Whiskey gave me this broken nose
Oh the mate likes whiskey, the skipper likes rum
The sailors like both but me can't get none
Whiskey is the life of man
Whiskey from that old tin can
I thought I heard the first mate say
I treats me crew in a decent way
If whiskey was a river and I could swim
I'd say here goes and dive right in
If whiskey was a river and I was a duck
I'd dive to the bottom and never come up
I wisht I knew where whiskey grew
I'd eat the leaves and the branches too
A tot of whiskey all around
And a bottle full for the shanty man
Whup Jamboree
Traditional. A cotton screwing song.
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
Oh, now we see the lizard 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
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
Well, 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
Wild Goose
Also known as Ranzo
Did you ever see a wild goose
Sailing o’er the ocean?
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
They're just like them young girls
When they take a notion
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
I met a young woman when walking
by the river
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
And at every step she made
her topsails quiver.
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
I flew up to her and said
“how are you my darling?
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
She said, "None the better sir
For the seeing this morning."
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
Did you ever see a wild goose
Sailing on the ocean?
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
They're just like them young girls
When they take a notion
Chorus: Ranzo, Ranzo, aWay-hey!
Windy Old Weather
Come all you young sailormen, listen to me,
I'll sing you a song of the fish of the sea.
Chorus (repeated after each verse):
In this windy old weather, stormy old weather,
When the wind blows, we'll all pull together
As I was a’fishing off Dungeness light
Shooting and hauling all through the long night
When up spoke the cod with his great big head,
“Hold hard there Skipper I’ll go chuck the lead!”
Then up spoke the herring, the king of the sea,
“In this stormy weather you’ll never catch me!”
When up spoke the place with spots on his side,
“Now look here skipper these sea you can’t ride!”
Then up spoke the mackerel with stripes on his back,
“Hold hard there Skipper I’ll shift the jib tack!”
Then up spoke the sprat, the smallest of all,
“Come on there Skipper let’s give the mans trawl!”
Then up spoke the Skipper, “it’s true what they say,
We’ll all hump our trawl and we’ll get underway!”
Then up spoke the crew, “ If these fish are right
We’ll sail in royal harbour and we’ll be alright!”
Won't You Help Me to Raise 'Em?
L = shantyman or leader.
C = crew
L:* Won't you help me to raise 'em boys
C: Ohhh honey
L:Won't you help me to raise 'em boys
C: Ohhh honey
L:Won't you help me to raise 'em boys
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: Oh the weight's on the captain's boat
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh the weight's on the captain's boat
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh the weight's on the captain's boat
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: We're waiting on the donkey man.
C: Oooh honey
L: We're waiting on the donkey man.
C: Oooh honey
L: We're waiting on the donkey man and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
Oh the weight is on the donkyman.
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh the weight is on the donkyman.
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh the weight is on the donkyman and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: I got a long tall yellow gal.
C: Oooh honey
L: I got a long tall yellow gal.
C: Oooh honey
L: I got a long tall yellow gal and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: I got a girl in Georgia boys.
C: Oooh honey
L: Her name is Alvolina boys.
C: Oooh honey
L: Her name is Alvolina and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: She'll be waitin' on the dockside..
C: Oooh honey.
L: She'll be waitin' on the dockside..
C: Oooh honey.
L: She'll be waitin' on the dockside and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: Oh the crew are gonna leave ya cap'm
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh the crew are gonna leave ya cap'm.
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh, the crew are gonna leave ya cap'm and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: next pay day cap'm.
C: Oooh honey
L: next pay day cap'm.
C: Oooh honey
L: We'll leave ya next pay day cap'm and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
L: Oh won't you help me to raise em now.
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh won't you help me to raise em now.
C: Oooh honey
L: Oh won't you help me to raise em now and I'll
C: See you when the sun goes down
Yarmouth Town 1
Or Maid of Yarmouth Town
In Yarmouth Town there lived a man,
He kept a tavern by the sand.
This landlord had a daughter fair,
A plump little thing with the golden hair.
Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Oh, won't you come down,
Won't you come down,
Won't you come down
To Yarmouth town.
Now to this tavern come a sailor-man
He asked the daughter for her hand.
“Why should I marry you?” she said,
“I get all I want without being wed.”
“But,” she says, “If you want with me to linger,
I'll tie a bit of string all around my finger.
As you pass by, just pull on the string,
And I'll come down and I'll let you in.”
At closing time the sailor-man,
He went to the tavern by the sand.
And then he went and he pulled on the string,
And she come down and she let him in.
Well, he's never seen such a sight before,
'cause the string around the finger was all she wore.
And when he went and he pulled the old string
She pulled back the blanket and let Jack in.
So, the sailor stayed the whole night through
And early in the morning went back to his crew,
Where then he told them all about that maiden fair,
The plump little thing with the golden hair.
And the story, that soon got around
And the very next night in Yarmouth Town
There was fifteen sailors pulling on the string
And she come down and she let them all in.
So all young men what ever to Yarmouth do go,
See a plump little girl with her hair hung low,
Well, all you got do is pull the old string,
And she'll come down and she'll let you all in.
Yarmouth Town 2
In Yarmouth town there lived a maid,
Mark well what I do say.
In Yarmouth town there lived a maid
She was mistress of her trade.
Chorus:
I'll go no more a roving with you fair maid.
A roving a roving
since roving has been my ru i in
I'll go no more a roving with you fair maid.
I took that fair maid for a walk
Mark well what I do say
I took that fair maid for a walk
And we had such a loving talk.
I put my hand upon her knee
Mark well what I do say
I put my hand upon her knee
She said young man that is still free
I put my hand upon her thigh
Mark well what I do say
I put my hand upon her thigh
She said you'll get there by and by
She said to tie up to this groyne
Mark well what I do say
She said to tie up to this groyne
You'll give to me a silver coin
I gave her all that was in my purse
Mark well what I do say
I gave her all that was in my purse
And she gave me the sailor's curse
Off to the surgeon I did go
Mark well what I do say
Off to the surgeon I did go
To quench that fire down below
She said young man will you marry me
Mark well what I do say
She said young man will you marry me
I said oh! No I'm off to sea!
Chorus X 2
Yeller Girls
There is a place called Madam Gashee's way out in Callyo,
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
A whorehouse known as Madam Gashee's, a place you ought to go.
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
(Full chorus after every verse,)
Doodle let me go me girls, doodle let me go
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
She took me in, she gave me gin, she danced me on the floor
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
Well being just a sailor lad I stayed around for more
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
She took me to her father's house to see if I would go,
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
All around the bed me boys, wasn't it a show.
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
Well at the hour of twelve o'clock her father he did show
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
He grabbed me by the bobstay, boys and wouldna' let me go
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
We'll throw a rope 'round Madam Gashee's and take them all in tow,
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
We'll haul 'em back to Liverpool and give the boys a show.
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
Doodle let me go me girls, doodle let me go
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!