Interesting Facts about My Dollar An’ A Half A Day
This originally pumping shanty, My Dollar An’ A Half A Day was later used as windlass and capstan. This is the Southern States version, Bullen believes it to be of Negro origin, and Whall calls it’ American’, from the cotton ports. “Mr. Perring said this was a ‘typical’ (‘ti’ rhymes with ‘my’) Negro Chantey, sung by Negro sailors in the East India trade, in complaint at their being harder worked and lower-waged than white seamen. Doerflinger disagrees and thinks it is an English song, taken to the Gulf ports by the English and Irish pocket seamen who worked there loading cotton.
Its “Dead Lover” theme definitely originated in Scotland or North England.
This “dead lover” pattern one I sing, of four is:
“Later southern States version”
another three patterns are:
“The dead lover is a male”,
“Sailor’s dream of his sweetheart”
“The dead lover is a female”
This song will be reconstructed as the pump shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 68, 69). The version I will try to recreate I heard on Stan Hugill’s album – “Aboard the Cutty Sark” (1979).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 68, 69).
The Record of the My Dollar An’ A Half A Day
You also can find this record on my YouTube channel here or directly listen below. Additionally, if you want to share your opinion about the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here, or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog article.
The musical notation
The full lyrics
Lowlands (My Dollar An’ A Half A Day)
– Low-lands, Lowlands away my John
– Low-lands away, I heard them say,
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 1 *
A dollar an’ a half a day is a (black man) nigers pay,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
I thought I heard out Old Man say,
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 2 *
A white man’s pay is rather high.
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
A black man’s pay is rather low,
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 3 *
Five dollars a day is a hoosier’s pay,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
Five dollars a day is a hoosier’s pay,
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 4 *
A dollar an’ a half a day is mathlow’s pay,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
A dollar an’ a half a day won’t pay my way.
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 5 *
Ohwhat shall we poor shellbacks do?
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
We’ve got no money an’ we can’t git home.
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 6 *
I packet me bag an’ I’m bound away,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
I’m bound away for Mobile Bay.
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 7 *
We’re bound away for Mobile Bay,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
We’re bound away at the break o’ day.
– My Dollar an’ a half a day.
* 8 *
Oh, say wuz ye never down in Mobile Bay?
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
A-screwin’ cotton all the day.
– My Dollar an’ a half, a day.
* 9 *
Oh, me poor ol’ mother, oh, she wrote to me,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
She wrote to me to come home from sea.
– My Dollar an’ a half, a day.
* 10 *
We’ll heave ‘er up from down below,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
Oh, heave ‘er up an’ away we’ll go!
– My ...
* 11 *
Oh, I though I heard the Ol’ Man say,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
He’d give us rum three times a day.
– My ...
* 12 *
I wish I had ten thousand pound,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
I’d steer me ship for miles around.
– My ...
* 13 *
I’d load her up with grub an’ gin,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
An’ stay in the port where we wuz in.
– My ...
* 14 *
I’d stand ye drinks three times a day,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
An’ feel ye well am’ raise yer pay.
– My ...
* 15 *
With a bully ship an’ a bully crew,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
An’ a bucko skipper for to kick her through.
– My ...
* 16 *
Oh, I wished I wuz in Liverpool Town,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
With them Liverpool judies I’d dance around.
– My …
* 17 *
Wake up, yer bitch, an’ let us in,
– Lowlands, Lowlands away my John!
Wake up, yer bitch, cos we want some gin.
– My …