Interesting Facts about the Sing Sally O! (version A)
“Sing Sally O! (version A)” is a song which has two versions, capstan and halyard. Both versions Stan Hugill have from Harding Barbadian, who declared they were both used ‘ashore’ in the West Indies for any job where a work-song was needed.
There is some additional historical documentation of this song from my mentor Gibb Schreffler.
In an 1864 book, a woman wrote that “many years ago” she heard Black men near Charleston, South Carolina rowing a boat with the song,
“Ole maum Dinah, she hab ‘leben chillen,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.
One he was a stevedore, an ‘toder was a barber,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.
Wid a head like a tin pan, a back like a crowbar,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.
He done row dis boat so bad, boys, he could n’t make it go far,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.
And it’s hurrah! massa barber, wen did you get to Charleston,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.
An he row to de landin’, wid tank you berry much, sar,
Fol de rol de ri, oh, fol de rol de ray.”
In an American whaling ship journal from 1852, the sailors mention that some people were singing,
“hura hura for old marm dinah.”
A recording of the version was made in 1962 in Anguilla (A Caribbean island):
https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/south-hill-village-762/oh-mother-dinah
Oh Mother Dinah | Lomax Digital Archive
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the capstan shanty.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 388).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 388, 389).
The Record of the Sing Sally O! (version 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
And the full lyrics
Sing Sally O! (version A)
Good mornin’ Mudder Dinah,
I wander what’s the matter?
– Sing, Sally-O! an’ a fol-lol-day!
– Hurraw, hurraw, me bully boys,
– For ol’ Mudder Dinah,
– Sing, Sally-O! an’ a fol-lol-day!
* 2 *
As she went down to the market,
She met her high brown sailor boy,
* 3 *
An’ now he’s gone an’ left her,
That man who was her keeper,
* 4 *
But still she loves all sailors,
She buys ’em rum an’ ter-bac-ker.