Interesting Facts about the Blow The Man Down (IV – Doerflinger)
Here it is one of the most favorite shanties is the tops’l halyard shanty “Blow The Man Down(IV – Doerflinger)”. This version comes from William Doerflinger’s “Shantymen And Shantyboys” (1951). Doerflinger says that almost any simple song could be adapted to “Blow The Man Down”. Les Nickerson (Doerflinger’s shantyman), a Nova Scotian, uses verses from the ancient Anglo-Scottish ballad of “The Three Crowns”, or “The Twa Corbies”.
I would also like to thank Artur Pietrzykowski for the wonderful illustration that you can find at the beginning of the record.
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the halyard 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 212).
The Record of the Blow The Man Down (IV – Doerflinger)
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 (IV – Doerflinger)
There was there crows sat on a tree,
– WAY, hay, BLOW the man down!
And they was black as black could be.
– GIMME some time to BLOW the man down!
* 2 *
Says one old crow unto his mate,
“Where shall we go for somethin’ to eat?”
* 3 *
“There is an old horse on yonder hill,
And there we can go and eat our fill.
* 4 *
“There is an old horse on yonder mound.
We’ll light upon to his jaw-bone.”
* 5 *
Says one old crow unto the other,
“We’ll pick his eyes out one by one”.