Sea Shanties

It'll be hard to top that one, mate...

DRUNKEN SAILOR

What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning

Way-hay up she rises
Way-hay up she riese
Way-hay up she rises
Early in the morning

Put him in the long boat til he's sober

Pull out the bung and wet him all over

Put him in the scuppers with the deck pump on him

Heave him by the leg in a runnin bowlin

Tie him to the taffrail when she's yard-arm under

Nice classic there Edgar, with so many variations. This is the version done by a German Celtic band, Tears for Beers:

What shall we do with the drunken sailor
early in the morning
Hooray up he rises
early in the morning

Put him in the bed with the captain`s daughter
Put him in the bed with the captain`s daughter
Put him in the bed with the captain`s daughter
early in the morning

Put him in scupper with the horsepipe on him
Put him in scupper with the horsepipe on him
Put him in scupper with the horsepipe on him
early in the morning

Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
Hoist him aboard with a running bowline
early in the morning

Put him in the brig until he`s sober
Put him in the brig until he`s sober
Put him in the brig until he`s sober
early in the morning

THE HOG-EYE MAN

Go fetch me down me riding cane
For I'm off to see me darlin Jane

With a hog-eye
Railroad navie with his hog-eye
Roll ashore and a hog-eye oh
She wants the hog-eye man

Oh the hog-eye men are all the go
When they come to San Francisco

Now its whos been here since I've been gone
Well a railroad navie with his sea boots on

Oh Sally in the garden picking peas
Her golden hair hanging down to her knees

Oh Sally in the garden shelling peas
With a little hog-eye all sitting on her knees

Well a hog ship and a hog-eye crew
Hog-eye mate and a skipper too

BLOW, BOYS, BLOW

A Yankee ship came down the river
Blow, boys, blow!
Her masts and spars they shone like silver
Blow my bully boys blow!

How do you know she's a Yankee liner?
Blow, boys, blow!
The Stars and Stripes float out behind her.
Blow my bully boys blow!

How do you know she's a Yankee packet?
Blow, boys, blow!
They fired a gun, I heard the racket
Blow my bully boys blow!

And who d'you think is the captain of her?
Blow, boys, blow!
Why, Bully Hayes is the captain of her.
Blow my bully boys blow!

Oh, Bully Hayes, he loves us sailors;
Blow, boys, blow!
Yes, he does like hell and blazes!
Blow my bully boys blow!

And who d'you think is the mate aboard her:
Blow, boys, blow!
Santander James is the mate aboard her.
Blow my bully boys blow!

Santander James, he's a rocket from hell, boys,
Blow, boys, blow!
He'll ride you down as you ride the spanker.
Blow my bully boys blow!

And what d'you think they've got for dinner?
Blow, boys, blow!
Pickled eels' feet and bullock's liver.
Blow my bully boys blow!

Then blow, my bullies, all together,
Blow, boys, blow!
Blow, my boys, for better weather.
Blow my bully boys blow!

Blow, boys, blow, the sun's drawing water;
Blow, boys, blow!
Three cheers for tlhe cook and one for his daughter.
Blow my bully boys blow!

A Yankee ship on the Congo River,
Blow, boys, blow!
Her masts they bend and her sails they shiver.
Blow my bully boys blow!

boy, you guys, you really can bring up the holiday spirit.

Do you know "MAkin for the HORN?

Don't know that one offhand farmerman, but in honour of the sea journey you took to "The Rock" here's this:

The Banks of Newfoundland

You bully boys of Liverpool
I'll have you all beware
When you sail on them packet ships,
No dungaree jumpers wear
But have a big monkey jacket
All ready to your hand
For there blows some cold nor'westers
Off the banks of Newfoundland

Chorus:
We'll scrape her and we'll scrub her
With holy stone and sand
For there blows some cold nor'westers
On the banks of Newfoundland

We had Jack Lynch from Malnahinch,
Mike Murphy and some more
I tell you well, they suffered like hell
On the way to Baltimore
They pawned there gear in Liverpool
And sailed as they did stand
For there blow some cold nor'westers
On the banks of Newfoundland

Chorus:

Now the mate he stood on the fo'c'sle head
And loudly he did roar
Come rattle her in me lucky lads,
You're bound for America's shore
Come wipe the blood off that dead man's face
And haul or you'll be damned
For there blow some cold nor'westers
On the banks of Newfoundland

Chorus:

So now we're off the hook me boys,
And the land is white with snow
And soon we'll see the pay table
And we'll spend the whole night below
And on the docks, come down in flocks,
Those pretty girls will say
Ah, It's snugger with me than on the sea,
On the banks of Newfoundland

Chorus:

Did Stan Rogers sing that?? sweeet

I think it's traditional. However....what's a sea shanty thread without Barrett's Privateers?

Oh, the year was 1778, HOW I WISH I WAS IN SHERBROOKE NOW!
A letter of marque come from the king,
To the scummiest vessel I'd ever seen,

CHORUS:
God damn them all!
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns-shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett's Privateers.

Oh, Elcid Barrett cried the town, HOW I WISH I WAS . . .
For twenty brave men all fishermen who
would make for him the Antelope's crew
(chorus)

The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight,
She'd a list to the port and and her sails in rags
And the cook in scuppers with the staggers and the jags
(chorus)

On the King's birthday we put to sea,
We were 91 days to Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way
(chorus)

On the 96th day we sailed again,
When a bloody great Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four pounders we made to fight
(chorus)

The Yankee lay low down with gold,
She was broad and fat and loose in the stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days
(chorus)

Then at length we stood two cables away,
Our cracked four pounders made an awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in
(chorus)

The Antelope shook and pitched on her side,
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the Maintruck carried off both me legs
(chorus)

So here I lay in my 23rd year,
It's been 6 years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday
(chorus)

Oh, and The Mary Ellen Carter:

She went down last October in a pouring driving rain.
The skipper, he'd been drinking and the Mate, he felt no pain.
Too close to Three Mile Rock, and she was dealt her mortal blow,
And the Mary Ellen Carter settled low.
There were five of us aboard her when she finally was awash.
We'd worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost.
And the groan she gave as she went down, it caused us to proclaim
That the Mary Ellen Carter would rise again.

Well, the owners wrote her off; not a nickel would they spend.
She gave twenty years of service, boys, then met her sorry end.
But insurance paid the loss to them, they let her rest below.
Then they laughed at us and said we had to go.
But we talked of her all winter, some days around the clock,
For she's worth a quarter million, afloat and at the dock.
And with every jar that hit the bar, we swore we would remain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.

Rise again, rise again, that her name not be lost
To the knowledge of men.
Those who loved her best and were with her till the end
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.

All spring, now, we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend.
Three dives a day in hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends.
Thank God it's only sixty feet and the currents here are slow
Or I'd never have the strength to go below.
But we've patched her rents, stopped her vents, dogged hatch and
porthole down.
Put cables to her, 'fore and aft and birded her around.
Tomorrow, noon, we hit the air and then take up the strain.
And watch the Mary Ellen Carter Rise Again.

For we couldn't leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale.
She'd saved our lives so many times, living through the gale
And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to a sorry grave
They won't be laughing in another day. . .
And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken
And life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend.
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

arrrr, where d ye get the ol school songs matey?
On our trip this summer we passed a Canadian Research vessel (4masted schooner) I believe it was named Vespid. They were singing a line raising shanty and were quite busy so we just tooted and kept going. We ran into them later as the moored near Grand Manan It turned out they just returned from a long summer in the Arctic doing a whale census . The boat was magnificent, I think they park it in Dartmouth
Damn I still dont know how to load the pix that I have on Kodak Cds or Id show them off.
and thanks for the Mary Ellen Carter

i love those old names they used for some of the Gloucestermen,
We saw the SYlvina W Beal, theChristina Pottle, and the local Skipjacks like the Mary T.

Dang, if you get those pics loaded, I'd love to see 'em farmerman. Now, they don't write shanties like this anymore:

THE UNFORTUNATE MISS BAILEY

A captain bold from Halifax
Once left his captain quarters,
Seduced a maid who hanged herself
One morning in her garters.

His wicked conscience smitted him,
He lost his stomach daily,
He took to drinking turpentine
And thought upon Miss Bailey.

Chorus: Oh! Miss Bailey, unfortunate Miss Bailey!

One night while sleeping on his ship,
The captain heard a banging,
He left his bed and went on deck,
And saw Miss Bailey hanging.

His timepiece stopped at Midnight
And his candle burned quite palely.
And from the mast a ghost stepped down,
Behold it was Miss Bailey.

(Chorus)

Away, Miss Bailey, he implored,
You don't affright me, really,
Dear Captain Smith, the ghost replied,
You've used me ungenteely.

The coroner was hard on me,
Because I acted fraily,
The Parson would not bury me,
Though I'm a dead Miss Bailey.

(Chorus)

You won't believe me when I say,
The captain got soft-hearted.
He gave the ghost a five-pound note,
With which she then departed.

'Twill bribe the sexton for my grave,
And so I leave thee gaily,
Oh bless you, wicked Captain Smith,
For rescuing Miss Bailey.

Ah, shanties. My grandad used to sing a few of the ones that you mentioned; in What shall we do with the drunken sailor, I remember him purposely singing 'ear-ligh' instead of 'early.' I remember this one:

A hundred years is a very long time,
Oh yes, oh,
A hundred years is a very long time
A hundred years ago.

They used to think that pigs could fly
Oh yes, oh,
I don't believe it no, not I
A hundred years ago.

They thought the moon was made of cheese
Oh yes, oh,
You can believe it, if you please
A hundred years ago.

They thought the stars was set alight
Oh yes, oh,
By some good angel every night
A hundred years ago.

They hung a man for making steam
Oh yes, oh,
They cast his body in the stream
A hundred years ago.

A hundred years is a very long time
Oh yes, oh,
A hundred years is a very long time
A hundred years ago.

I thought I heard our old man say
Oh yes, oh,
That we were homeward bound today
It's time for us to go!

My grandad taught me a few French ones.
============================
Refrain:
L'âme de nos marins plane sur l'océan
Je l'ai vue ce matin sur l'ail' d'un goëland
Ell' s'enferme le soir sur les îl's endormies
Protégeant les secrets qui entourent leur vie.
----------------------------------

On fredonne la mer les ports et les bateaux
Les peintr's en ont tiré tous leurs meilleurs tableaux
On parl' des goëmons exhalant leur parfum
Mais on ne chante pas l'âme de nos marins.

*Refrain*

Quand vous traînez vos bott's sur les pavés des quais
Vous rêvez près du phare au bout de la jetée
Vous écoutez le vent siffler dans les filins
Mais vous ne pensez pas à l'âme des marins.

*Refrain*

Et vous gens de la mer qui venez tous les soirs
Sur les ancres rouillées un instant vous asseoir
Vous traînez dans la nuit parfois jusqu'au matin
Mais vous ne dites rien sur l'âme des marins.

*Refrain*

Et moi pauvre paumé j'ai passé mon caban
J'interroge le ciel, j'interroge le vent
Si je fais la bamboche en chantant des refrains
Je ne sais pas prier pour l'âme des marins.

*Refrain*

Do ye know Stan rodgers Northwest Passage?

Ah, for farmerman, just one time:

Chorus:

Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea;
Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea.

Westward from the Davis Strait 'tis there 'twas said to lie
The sea route to the Orient for which so many died;
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones
And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones.

Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland
In the footsteps of brave Kelso, where his "sea of flowers" began
Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again
This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain.

And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west
I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest
Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me
To race the roaring Fraser to the sea.

How then am I so different from the first men through this way?
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away.
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again.

Well, I don't know if there is an English version of this German shanty, thus:

Ich hab' ein Schiff gesehen
In einer Winternacht.
Aus Silber war das Segel,
Aus Gold der Mast gemacht.
Vielhundert Kerzen brannten,
Ich sah den Steuermann.
Da wußt' ich, daß ich Weihnacht
Zu Hause feiern kann.

St. Niklas war ein Seemann.
Er liebte Wind und Meer.
Und alle Jahr zur Winterzeit
Fährt er millionen Meilen weit
Vom Land der Sterne her.
St. Niklas war ein Seemann
Wie kaum ein andrer war.
St. Niklas, schütze unser Boot
Vor Sturm und Klippen und Feuersnot
Und jeglicher Gefahr.

2. Es wehte vierzehn Tage
Wir fürchteten uns sehr.
Ich stand allein auf Wache,
Da legte sich das Meer.
Ich hab' ein Schiff gesehen
Und sah den Steuermann,
Da wußt' ich, daß ich Weihnacht
Zu Hause feiern kann.

St. Niklas war ein Seemann.
... ... ....

I have to sing that one at our next PA German Society 'Versommling" what tune does one use Walter?

Thanks Cav, I get all emotional when I hear NW passage

I just know this shanty by the lyrics (actually, I didn't know more that it was the only real christmas shanty).

Asked someon from the shanty choir of my hometown this morning - he didn't even know the lyrics.

So, farmerman, sorry: no hint for the tune.

Btw: a great shanty site is here:
Shanty and Sailor Songs
(Some with the tune, but not this one.)

Not exactly a shanty, but sea-related, and it always breaks me up when I hear it:

THE LAST OF THE GREAT WHALES
Andy Barnes

My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
My heart it has been rent and I am crying
All the beauty around me fades and I am screaming
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying

Last night I heard the cry of my last companion
The roar of the harpoon gun and then I was alone
I thought of the days gone by when we were thousands
But I know that I soon must die the last leviathan

This morning the sun did rise Crimson in the north sky
The ice was the colour of blood and the winds they did sigh
I rose for to take a breath it was my last one
From a gun came the roar of death and now I am done

Oh now that we are all gone there's no more hunting
The big fellow is no more it's no use lamenting
What race will be next in line? All for the slaughter
The elephant or the seal or your sons and daughters

My soul has been torn from me and I am bleeding
My heart it has been rent and I am crying
All the beauty around me fades and I am screaming
I am the last of the great whales and I am dying

And so since time began we have been hunted
Through oceans that were our home we have been haunted
From Eskimos in canoes to mighty whalers
Still you ignored our plea, none came to save us

Cav, Is this a sea shanty?

Blow Ye Winds
Sarah Makem
Blow ye winds, hi ho, aroving I will go
I'll stay no more 'round England's shore, so let the music play
I'll be off on the morning train, to cross the stormy main
I'll be on the move to my own true love, three thousand miles away

Dark and stormy was the night when first I met my Peg
She'd a government band around each hand and another one 'round her leg
She'd another one 'round her leg, my boys, and as I sing, I pray
For she's doing it grand in a distant land three thousand miles away

Blow ye winds, hi ho, aroving I will go
I'll stay no more 'round England's shore, so let the music play
I'll be off on the morning train, to cross the stormy main
I'll be on the move to my own true love, three thousand miles away

My love she is beautiful, my love she is young
My love she is beautiful and silver sounds her tongue
Silver sounds her tongue, my boys, and as I sing, I pray
For she's doing it grand in a distant land three thousand miles away

Blow ye winds, hi ho, aroving I will go
I'll stay no more 'round England's shore, so let the music play
I'll be off on the morning train, to cross the stormy main
I'll be on the move to my own true love, three thousand miles away

I always heard "I'm off to my love with a boxing glove." Didn't get it, however.