Interesting Facts about Sally Brown (A – Dick Maitland version)
This Sally Brown (A – Dick Maitland version), was sung by Dick Maitland, a shantyman whose shanties were the core of the collection of William Main Doerflinger. Here is how this shanty was commented by Doerflinger: Favorite heroine of shanty lore was the beguiling, rum-drinking, fickle Sally Brown. “Some people might think Sally Brown was rather immoral,” Dick Maitland philosophized, “but it was the way of the world in the days!” This I another “roll” shanty, the most famous “Roll an’ Go!”, also known as “Sally Brown”. This is a capstan shanty, as Stan Hugill mentions it is only one theme of this song, and it is – all about Sally and her daughter. As the author of “Shanties from The Seven Seas” mentioned – there existed many obscene verses, which accounts partly for the fact that popularity never waned!
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the capstan shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shantymen And Shantyboys” by William Main Doerflinger (1951).
The lyrics: “Shantymen And Shantyboys” by William Main Doerflinger (1951).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 164).
The Record of the Sally Brown (A – Dick Maitland version)
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
Sally Brown (A – Dick Maitland version)
Saly Brown was a gay old lady,
– Way-ay, Roll and go!
Oh, Saly Brown was a Creole lady,
– Spend my money on Sally Brown!
* 2 *
She had a farm in the isle of Jamaica,
Where she raised sugarcane, rum an, terbacker.
* 3 *
Also she had a fine young daughter,
And that’s the gal that I was after,
* 4 *
Seven long years I courted the daughter,
And when I asked her if she’d marry,
* 5 *
She would not have a tarry sailor!
She would not have a tarry sailor!
* 6 *
“Those lily-white hands and slender waist?
A tarry sailor I’ll ne’er embrace!”
* 7 *
But now my troubles they’re almost over,
Sally got married to a creol solider.
* 8 *
He beat and abused her and stole her money,
And left her with creol baby.
* 9 *
One night she was taken with a pain in her belly,
And they sent for a doctor and his name was kelly.
* 10 *
He rode a horse with a ropeyarn bridle,
And he laid young Sally on the table
* 11 *
And from her took a little tar baby.
Oh, Sally dear, why didn’t you have me?