Interesting Facts about the Blow The Man Down (A)
Here is one of the most favored shanty, sung by Stan Hugill, when asked by the Polish National Shantimen Marek Szurawski, he quite unambiguously replied that his most favorite shanties are the tops’l halyard shanty “Blow The Man Down”.
I would also like to thank Artur Pietrzykowski for the wonderful illustration that you can find at the beginning of the record.
The six major versions of “Blow The Man Down” are as follows:
(a) – The Flash Packet (from Ratcliffe Highway).
(b) – The Sailing of the Blackballer.
(c) – The Flying Fish Sailor or Policeman Version.
(d) – The Fishes.
(e) – The Milkmaid.
(f) – Bungyereye.
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 203). Stan Hugill left a record on his album: “Chants des Marins Anglais (1992)” where singing with Stormalong John, and this is a version with melody and tempo, I try to replicate.
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 203, 205).
The Record of the Blow The Man Down (A)
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
Blow The Man Down (A)
Oh, as I wuz a rollin’ down Paradise Street,
– Timme WAY, hay, BLOW the man down!
A sassy, flash clipper I chanct for to meet,
– Oooh, GIVE us some time to BLOW the man down!
* 2 *
Of the port that she hailed from I cannot say much,
But by her appearance, I took her for Dutch,
* 3 *
Her flagwuz three colours and her masthead wuz low,
Ahe wuz round in the counter an’ bluff at the bow,
* 4 *
From lardboard to starboard an’ so sailed she,
She wuz sailin’ at large–she wuz runnin’ free.
* 5 *
I fired my bow-chaser the signal she knew,
She backed her maintawps’l an’ for me hove to.
* 6 *
She wuz bowlin’ along with the wind blowin’ free,
She clewed up her curses an’ waited for me.
* 7 *
I hailed her in English she answered me clear,
‘I’m from the Black Arrow bound to the Shakespeare.’
* 8 *
I tipped her me flipper an’ took her in tow,
An’ yard-arm to yard-arm away we did go.
* 9 *
She then took me up to her lily-white room,
An’ there all the evening we danced and we spooned.
* 10 *
Me shot-locker’s empty, me powder’s all spent,
I’ve plenty o’ time, boys, to think and repent.