Interesting Facts about Where Am I To Go M’ Johnnies?
This is another “Roll” halyard shanty that comes from Stan Hugill’s friend, Harding, “Where Am I To Go, M’ Johnnies?”. According to Stan Hugill, Harding Barbadian from Barbados sang this shanty with many wild yelps and “hitches”, this song has been the first time in print in Stan Hugill’s “Shanties From The Seven Seas”.
It is also worth mentioning, that the only exceptional great use of Harding’s wild yelps and “hitches”, you can find in the CD record attached to Jim Mageean’s great book “Haul Away – A Collection of Hauling Shanties Compiled by Jim Mageean”.
Like many shanties, it mentions the Black Ball Line of Trans-Atlantic sailing packets which operated from 1818 until 1878.
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 169).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 169, 170).
The Record of the Where Am I To Go M’ Johnnies?
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
Where Am I To Go, M’ Johnnies?
Where am I to go, me Johnnies? O, where am I to go?
– To me WAY hay, hay, high, ROLL an’ go!
O, where am I to go, me Johnnies? O, where am I to go?
– For I’M a young sailor boy, an’ WHERE am I to go?
* 2 *
‘Way up on that t’gallant yard, that’s where yer bound to go,
‘Way up on that t’gallant yard, that’s where yer bound to go,
* 3 *
‘Way up on that t’gallant yard an’ take that gans’l in.
‘Way up on that t’gallant yard an’ take that gans’l in.
* 4 *
Yer bound away around Cape Horn, that’s where yer that gans’l in,
Yer bound away around Cape Horn, that’s where yer that gans’l in.
* 5 *
Yer bound away through ice an’ snow, that’s where yer bound to go.
Yer bound away through ice an’ snow, that’s where yer bound to go.