Interesting Facts about A Long Time Ago (E)
A Long Time Ago (E) was very popular on English and American Ships. It was probably, in the nineties of the XIX century of the most-used halyard shanty of them all. Even the Germans and Scandinavians popularized versions in their tongues. This song was sung as a halyard shanty. The stanzas from stanza 6, as suggested in the book (see “Blow the Man Down” and “The Blackball Line”), come from “Horraw For The Blackball Line” from page 131 (same book 1st edition).
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the halyard shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 97).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 101).
The Record of the A Long Time Ago (E)
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 full lyrics
A Long Time Ago (E)
I’ll sing ye a song of the Blackball Line,
– Timme WAY, hay, HO,high ho!
That’s the Line where ye can shine
– Oh a LONG time aGO!
* 2 *
In the Blackball Line I served me time,
That’s the Line where I wasted me prime.
* 3 *
It’s when a Blackballer hauls out of the dock,
To see them poor ‘Westers’, how on deck they flock.
* 4 *
There’s tinkers an’ tailors, an’ fakirs an’ all,
They’ve all shipped as A.B.s aboard the Blackball.
* 5 *
It’s fore tops’l halyards the Mate he will roar,
It’s lay along Paddy, ye son-o-a-whore!
* 6 *
Blackball ship are good an’ true,
They are ships for me an’ you,
* 7 *
If yer wish to find a real goldmine,
Just take a trip on a Blackball ship.
* 8 *
Just take a trip to Liverpool,
To Liverpool that Yankee school.
* 9 *
Yankee sailors ye’ll see there,
With red-topped boots an’ short-cut hair.
* 10 *
There’s Liverpool Pat with his tarpaulin hat,
An’ Paddy Magee the Packet Rat.
* 11 *
There was once a Blackball ship,
That fourteen knots an hour could slip.
* 12 *
They’ll carry ye along through the ice an’ snow,
They’ll take ye where the winds don’t blow
* 13 *
I’ve seen the Line rise an’ shine,
An’ crossed the line ’em many a time.
* 14 *
Oh, drink a health to the Blackball Line,
Their ships are stout an’ their men are fine.