Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune)

Interesting Facts about Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune)

The Blackball Line of packet ships started in 1816 as an American line running between New York and Liverpool. The ships were small roughly 300 to 400 tons. After 1850 were added ships over a thousand tonnes. Here Horraw version with the melody of a very popular tune with Liverpool Jacks. For this version, I will utilize the first verse from music notation and verses from page 132 of the first edition of “Shanties From The Seven Seas”. This shanty was sung at the capstan or windlass.

The song will be reconstructed by myself as the capstan shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 133).

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 133).

The Record of the Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune)

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.

Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune) - Capstan Shanty

The musical notation

horraw-for-the-blackball-line-liverpool-jacks-tune music notation

The full lyrics

Horraw For The Blackball Line (Liverpool Jacks Tune)

I served me time in the Blackball Line,
– Timme way, hay, a-way, yah!
In the Blackball Line I served me time,
– Hurraw for the Blackball Line!

* 2 *

Oh, around Cape Horn with a mainskys’l set,
Around Cape Stiff an’ we’re all wringing wet.

* 3 *

Oh, around Cape Stiff in the month o’ May,
Oh, around Cape Horn is a very long way.

* 4 *

It’s when the Blackballer is ready for sea,
The sights in the fo’c’sle is funny to see.

* 5 *

There’s tinkers and sogers an’ fakirs an’ all
All ship for prime sailors aboard the Blackball.

* 6 *

Now the packet ship she is crowdin’ on sail,
The wind from the south’ard is blowin’ a gale.

* 7 *

An’ when we git to ol’ New York Town,
We’ll meet ol’ Patrick an’ drink till we drown.

Related to this sea shanty

Bound for the Rio Grande (Cecil Sharp Version)

Rio Grande (B)

A Long Time Ago (C)

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