Interesting Facts about The Ebenezer
“The Ebenezer” – is according to Paddy Delaney, fine old seamen from who Stan Hugill tooks this song, was often sang at the pumps. it sounds like an Irish fiddle tune. it is a typical product of the Irish Packet seamen. One or two parts have had to be altered to meet the demands of the censor. It has many Liverpool ‘trimmings’!
I will reconstruct this song as a pump shanty.
The source of The Ebenezer
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 476).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 476, 477).
The Record of this sea shanty
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
The Ebenezer
I shipped on board of the “Ebenezer”,
Ev’ry day ’twas scrub an’ grease’er,
Send us aloft to scrape’er down,
An’ if we growled they’d blow us down,
– Oh, git along, boys, git along do,
– Handy, me boys, so handy!
– Git along, boys, git along do,
– Handy, me boys, so handy!
* 2 *
The Old Man euz a drunken greezer,
Couldn’t sail the “Ebenezer”,
Learn his trade on a Chinese Junk,
He spent mos’ time, sir, in his bunk.
* 3 *
The Chief Mate’s name wuz Dickie Green, sir,
The dirties beggar ye’ve ever seen, sir,
Walkin’ his poop wid a bucko roll,
May the sharks have his body an’ the devil have his soul!
* 4 *
A Boston buck wuz second greeser,
He used to ship in Limejuice ships, sir,
The Limey packet got to hot,
He jumped ’em an’ he cursed the lot.
* 5 *
The Bosun came from Tennesse, sir,
He always wore a Blackball cheeser,
He had a gal in every port,
At least that’s what his missus thought.
* 6 *
The “Ebenezer” wuz so old, sir,
She knew Columbus as a boy, sir,
“Twas pump her, bullies, night an’ day,
To help her git to Liverpool Bay.
* 7 *
Wet hash is wuz our only grub, sir,
For breakf’st, dinner, an’ for supper,
Our bread wuz thought as any brass,
an’ the meat wuz as salt as Lot’s wife’s ass.
* 8 *
We sailed away before a breezer,
Bound away for Vallaparaiser,
Off the Horn she lost her sticks,
The molly-hawks picked up the bits.