Interesting Facts about the Blow Boys Blow (A)
Another shanty with the word “Blow” is a fine old tops’l halyard shanty “Blow, Boys, Blow”.
This shanty has three patterns:
(a) The Guinea Slaver;
(b) The Buck Ship (A Yankee China Clipper);
(c) The Harry Tate Ship (English skit on Yankee Packets);
This version (The Guinea Slaver), Stan Hugill obtained from Australian seamen, ex-“Manuerwa” and “Silver Pine”.
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 226).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 226, 227).
The Record of the Blow Boys Blow (A)
You can also find this record on my YouTube channel here, or directly listen below. Additionally, if you want to share your opinion about the record 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, Boys, Blow (A)
Say, wuz ye niver down the Congo River?
– BLOW, boys, BLOW!
Ohh! yes I’ve bin down the Congo River,
– BLOW, me bully boys, BLOW!
* 2 *
Congo she’s a mighty river,
Where the fever makes the white man shiver,
* 3 *
A yankee ship came down the river,
As she rolls down her tops’ls shiver.
* 4 *
Yonder comes the “Arrow” packet,
She fired her guns an’ I heard the racket.
* 5 *
Yonder comes a Creole lady,
I guess she’s got a – creol – [nigger] baby.
* 6 *
Who d’yer thinks the skipper of her?
Who, ol’ Bully Pete, the – creol – [nigger] lover.
* 7 *
Who d’yer thinks the skipper of her?
Why, Saccrappa Joe wuz the chief mate of her.
* 8 *
Who d’yer think wuz second mate of her?
Saccrappa Jim was the second mate of her.
* 9 *
Sacrappa Jim he’s a rocket from hell, boys,
He’ll ride yiz down like yiz ride a spanker.
* 10 *
What d’yer think they had for breakfast?
Why, the starboard side o’ an ol’ sou’wester.
* 11 *
What d’yer think they had for dinner?
Belayin’-pin soup an’ a squeeze through the wringer.
* 12 *
What d’yer think they had for supper?
Oh, handspike hash an’ a roll in the scuppers.
* 13 *
What d’yer think they had for carger?
Why, black sheep that have run the Embarger.
Related to this sea shanty
Ane Madam – Bergen Version (Norwegian)