Interesting Facts about Roll The Cotton Down (E)
Here halyard version of the shanty “Roll the cotton down” including Roll The Cotton Down (E) version, opens a big family of the shanties, which Stan Hugill describes as the shanty with the word ‘Roll’. As a matter of fact, it vies with ‘blow’ and ‘Hilo’ as the most popular word in a sailor’s work song.
The versions of this great shanty are:
(a) Negro Version
(b) Cotton-Stowers’ version
(c) Deep-sea version.
(d) Blackball version.
(e) Paddy and the railway.
(f) “A Long Time Ago”
This version is a “Paddy and the Railway” version theme version. The book example suggests using more verses from “Blow the Man Down” shanty, I add an additional five verses which gives us a reasonable length of the song.
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 154 ).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 155 ).
The Record of the Roll The Cotton Down (E)
“Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 155 ).
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
Roll The Cotton Down (E)
Oh! in eighteen hundred an’ seventy-one,
– Roll the cotton down!
I did what many other have done.
– We’ll roll the cotton down!
* 2 *
I shipped away across the sea,
I shipped away to Amerikee.
* 3 *
In eighteen hundred and seventy-two,
I shipped away with an Irish crew.
* 4 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-three,
I sailed away across the sea
* 5 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-four,
I landed on Columbia’s shore
* 6 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-five,
Still Dan O’Connel he wuz alive
* 7 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-six,
Me drink no longer I could mix
* 8 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-seven,
Me children number jist eleven
* 9 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-eight,
I made a fortune, not to late
* 10 *
In eighteen hundred an’ seventy-nine,
I for a sight of Home did pine