O Mary Come Down!

Interesting Facts about the O Mary Come Down!

“O Mary Come Down!” is a very intriguing case. Stan Hugill took this shanty from “The Making of a Sailor” by Frederick Pease Harlow (1928). The title is not given by Harlow so must be just made up by Stan Hugill, also noted the type of this shanty we can derive from the description of the sailors work described by Harlow, wrote:

“Taking a turn under the belaying-pin, O’Rourke and “Handsome Charlie” began swaying off. The halliards led down to the starboard side of the five-rail around the main-mast. Bracing their feet below and grasping the halliards above their heads these two men swayed away from the bitts, throwing their bodies backward for all the weight they had. This brought the halliards down until their bodies stood at right angles from the fife-rail, then bending their knees and holding all they had gained, they rendered the rope under the pin while I pulled in the slack ready for another pull.
The sing-out for this kind of work varies in call from “Yo-ho, he-oh!” or “A-hoy, boys!” with the pull coming on the last word, to a semi-chantey. “Handsome Charlie” broke out in the latter, – one of negro origin”

… and here given to us music notation of this like he described “semi- chantey”, after he added:

“Here, the pull for the sway-off comes on the accented notes, In the same measure a hold or pause is necessary while the rope is being rendered under the belaying-pin, giving time for men to regain their feet and secure a fresh hold on the halliards above.”
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the sweating-up shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “The Making of a Sailor” by Frederick Pease Harlow (1928).
The lyrics: “The Making of a Sailor” by Frederick Pease Harlow (1928).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 368).

The Record of  the O Mary Come Down!

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.

O Mary Come Down! - Sweating-up Shanty

The musical notation

O Mary Come Down! - music notation

The full lyrics

O Mary Come Down!

Oh Ma – RY!
Come down with you bunch of ro – SES!
Come down when I call, oh Ma – RY!
Oh Mary, come DOWN!

Related to this sea shanty

John Dameray (Silsbee)

Cant Ye Hilo? (short drag)

Rise Me Up From Down Below – Doerflinger

Haul On The Bow-Line – Sharp

Interesting Facts about the Haul On The Bow-Line – Sharp

“Haul On The Bow-Line – Sharp”, as stated in “English Folk Chanteys” by Cecil Sharp (1914), is the “Pulling Chantey”, which is the contradiction to this what mention Stan Hugill. He mentions that Sharp gives us this song in the “capstan form”. In the later description, Stan Hugill says:
“of course, these forms were also used for hauling; in this case, my form would be sung with the first line of the final chorus as a solo – the third solo. The same applies to Sharp’s version”.
This song was Sung to Cecil Sharp by one of the most famous shantymen, Mr. John Short, at Watchet.
The song will be reconstructed by myself as the sheet shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “English Folk Chanteys” by Cecil Sharp (1914) (1st ed: p 42).
The lyrics: “English Folk Chanteys” by Cecil Sharp (1914) (1st ed: p 42).
Mentioned in: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 356).

The Record of  the Haul On The Bow-Line – Sharp

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.

Haul On The Bow-Line (Sharp) - Sheet Shanty

The musical notation

Haul On The Bow-Line - Sharp - musical notation

The full lyrics

Haul On The Bow-Line – Sharp

Haul on the bowline, O Kitty you are my darling,
– Haul on the bowline, the bowline haul,
Because she had a fore-top, fore and main to bowline;
– Haul on the bowline, the bowline haul,
Because she had a main-top main and mizen to bowline;
– Haul on the bowline, the bowline haul,
Haul on the bowline, O Kitty you are my darling,
– Haul on the bowline, the bowline haul,

Related to this sea shanty

John Dameray (Silsbee)

Cant Ye Hilo? (short drag)

Rise Me Up From Down Below – Doerflinger

Haul The Bowline A

Interesting Facts about the Haul The Bowline A

“Haul The Bowline” is the shanty that opens the fourth part of the “Shanties From The Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill. Song also opens the family of the shanties with the word “haul”. Stan Hugill tells us that it is quite possible that this is the most ancient of the shanties, seeing that the bowline was a rope of prime importance in medieval times. In more modern times “bowline shanties” were used at tacks, sheets, or “sweating-up” shanties, and the pull came on the last word of the chorus.
This version has been learned by Stan Hugill from Mr. Dowling of Bootle, the sailor from the Colonial Packets.
And in the end, due to the specifics of the “sweetening up” job (final pulls), would not take more than three or four verses at the most. For my reconstruction, I select the first eleven verses which are more than enough for the described job.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 354).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 354).

The Record of  the Haul The Bowline 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.

Haul The Bowline A - Sweating-up Shanty

The musical notation

Haul The Bowline A - music notation

The full lyrics

Haul The Bowline A

Ha-ul the bowline – for Kitty she’s me darlin’,
– Haul the bowline – the bowline HAUL!

* 2 *

Haul the bowline – Kitty lives in Liverpool,

* 3 *

Haul the bowline – Liverpool’s a fine town.

* 4 *

Haul the bowline – so early in the morning.

* 5 *

Haul the bowline – before the day wuz dawnin’.

* 6 *

Haul the bowline – the fore ‘n’ main t’bowline.

* 7 *

Haul the bowline – the fore t’gallant bowline.

* 8 *

Haul the bowline – the Cape Horn gale’s a-howlin’.

* 9 *

Haul the bowline – the cook he is a-growlin’.

* 10 *

Haul the bowline – we’ll either break or bend it.

* 11 *

Haul the bowline – we’re men enough ter mend it.

* 12 *

Haul the bowline – an’ bust the chafin’-leather.

* 13 *

Haul the bowline – oh, haul away tergether.

* 14 *

Haul the bowline – we’ll hang for finer weather.

* 15 *

Haul the bowline – we’ll bowl along tergether.

* 16 *

Haul the bowline – the bonnie, bonnie bowline.

* 17 *

Haul the bowline – the packet is a-rollin’.

* 18 *

Haul the bowline – the long, the long-tailed bowline.

* 19 *

Haul the bowline – the Old Man he’s a-moanin’.

Related to this sea shanty

John Dameray (Silsbee)

Cant Ye Hilo? (short drag)

Rise Me Up From Down Below – Doerflinger

Johnny Bawker (Sweating-up)

Interesting Facts about the Johnny Bawker

“Johnny Bawker” is another shanty from Stan Hugill’s “Johnny” shanties family. It was the shanty used for sheets. It was used for ‘sweating up’, i.e. to give a final drag on a halyard to gain the last inch, at tacks and sheets. Stan Hugill also mentions that this song was used for bunting sails, quite a unique theory because this job was considered the prerogative of “Paddy Doyle” shanty (we don’t know if Stan Hugill saw this song in action when sails were bunting or if this is only the theory). Another interesting fact is that the final “DO” was grunted out staccato, or rather the word was sung to its correct note and then a rising, gasped-out ‘UGH” would follow as the pull came.

And in end due to the specifics of the “sweetening up” job (final pulls), would not take more than three or four verses at the most. For my reconstruction, I select five verses which are more than enough for the described job.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 289).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 289, 290).

The Record of  the Johnny Bawker

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.

Johnny Bawker - Sweating-up Shanty

The musical notation

Johnny Bawker - music notation

The full lyrics

Johnny Bawker

Ooh! do, me Johnny Bowker, Come rock ‘n’ roll me over,
– Oh do me Johnny Bowker do!

* 2 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, Come roll me down to Dover,

* 3 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, lets’ all go on a Jamboree.

* 4 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the watches are cala-la-shee.

* 5 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the chief mate he’s a croaker.

* 6 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the Old Man he’s a soaker.

* 7 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the bosun’s never sober.

* 8 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, I bet ye are a rover.

* 9 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the he is a tailor.

* 10 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the chips he ain’t no sailor.

* 11 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, come roll me in the clover.

* 12 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, come rock an’ roll ‘er over.

* 13 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, from Calais down to Dover.

* 14 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, in London lives yer lover.

* 15 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, the packet she is rollin’.

* 16 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, come haul away the bowline.

* 17 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, we’ll either break or bend it.

* 18 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, we’re men enough to mend it.

* 19 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, get round the corner, Sally.

* 20 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, let me an’ you live tally.

* 21 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, we’ll haul away an’ bend ‘er.

* 22 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, me sweethart’s young an’ tender.

* 23 *

O do, me Johnny Bowker, one more pull then choke ‘er.

Related to this sea shanty

John Dameray (Silsbee)

Cant Ye Hilo? (short drag)

Rise Me Up From Down Below – Doerflinger