capstan shanty

Interesting Facts about the Leave her Johnny Leave Her – Capstan

“Leave her Johnny Leave Her” was a shanty that was used at pumps or capstan, also sometimes used as halyard shanty. However, it was mostly not used during the voyage due to the risk of being accused of mutiny by the singers, which was quite a serious risk as it was the unwritten rule of the merchant fleet that no serious complaints aloud about the captain or the job were allowed. So, due to the lyrics of this song (many verses are unprintable), it was especially used at the end of the voyage, when the (especially wooden) ship was in port, and all that was left was the final clearing and pumping out the water from the bilge, then the sailors could complain freely and it was accepted by the captain. This reconstruction will be a capstan shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 293).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 295, 296).

The Record of the Leave her Johnny Leave Her – Capstan

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

Leave her Johnny Leave Her (Capstan)

Oh, the times wuz hard, an’ the wages.. low,
– leave her, Johnny, leave her!
But now once more ashore we’ll go,
– An’ it’s time for us to leave her!

– Leave her, Johnny, leave her,
– Oooh! leave her, Johnny, leave her!
– For the voyage is done and the winds don’t blow
– An it’s time for us to leave her!

* 2 *

Oh, I thought I heard the Ol’ Man say,
Tomorrow ye will get your pay,

* 3 *

The work wuz hard an’ the voyage wuz long,
The sea wuz high an’ the gales wuz strong.

* 4 *

The wind wuz foul an’ the sea ran high,
She shipped it green an’ none went by.

* 5 *

The grub wuz bad an’ the wages low,
But now once more ashore we’ll go.

* 6 *

Oh, our Old Man he don’t set no sail,
We’d be better off in a nice clean goal.

* 7 *

We’d be better off in a nice clean goal.
With all night in an’ plenty o’ ale.

* 8 *

She’s poverty-stricken an’ parish-rigged,
The bloomin’ crowd is fever-stricked.

* 9 *

Oh, sing that we boys will never be
In a hungry bitch the likes o’ she.

* 10 *

The mate wuz a bucko an’ the Old man a Turk,
The bosun wuz a beggar with the middle name o’, work.

* 11 *

The Old Man swears an’ the mate swears to,
The crew all swear, an’ so would you.

* 12 *

It’s growl yer may an’ go yer must,
It matters not whether yer last or fust.

* 13 *

The winds wuz foul, all work, no pay,
To Liverpool Docks from ‘Frisco Bay.

* 14 *

The ship won’t steer, nor stay, nor wear,
An’ so us shellbacks learnt to swear.

* 15 *

She will not wear, nor steer, nor stay,
Her sails an’ gear all carried away.

* 16 *

We wuz made to pump all night an’ day,
An’ we half-dead had beggar-all to say.

* 17 *

We’ll leave her tight an’ we’ll leave her trim,
We’ll heave the hungry bastard in.

* 18 *

Oh, leave her, Johnny, an’ we’ll work no more,
Of pump or drown we’ve had full stroke

* 19 *

Leave her, Johnny, an’ we’ll leave her with a grin,
There’s many a worser we’ve sailed in.

* 20 *

The sails is furled an’ our work is done,
An’ now ashore we’ll have our bit o’ fun.

* 21 *

We’ll make her fast an’ stow our gear,
The gals are a-waitin’ on the pier.

* 22 *

Leave her, Johnny, ye can leave her like a man,
Oh, leave her, Johnny, oh, leave her while yer can.

* 23 *

Now I thought I heard the Old Man say,
One more good heave an’ then belay.

Related to this sea shanty

Ooker John

Hooker John (Harding)

Across The Western Ocean ( I )

Interesting Facts about the Across The Western Ocean ( I )

Here is probably one of the development stages for the very famous shanty “Leave her, Johnny, Leave here”, the “Across The Western Ocean ( I )”. Stan Hugill mentions this song just before the description of the “Leave her, Johnny, Leave here”. This is the hauling shanty and will be reconstructed as a halyard shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 292).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 292, 293).

The Record of the Across The Western Ocean ( I )

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

Across The Western Ocean ( I )

Oh, though times are hard and the wages low,
– AMELia whar yer BOUND to?,
The Rocky Mountains is me home,
– Oh, ACROSS the Western OCEAN!!

* 2 *

A land of promise there ye’ll see,
I’m bound away across that sea.

* 3 *

To Liverpool that I’ll take my way,
To Liverpool that Packet School.

* 4 *

There’s Liverpool Pat wid his tarpaulin hat,
An’ Yannkee John, the Packet Rat.

* 5 *

Beware them Packet Ships I pray,
They’ll steal yer gear an’ clothes away.

* 6 *

We are bound away from our friends and home,
We’re bound away to seek for gold.

* 7 *

Mothers and sweetharts don’t ye cry,
Sister an’ brothers say goodbye.

Related to this sea shanty

Ooker John

Supen Ut En Dram På Man

O Whos Been Here – Cecil Sharp

Interesting Facts about the Hooker John (Harding)

“Hoker John” is the capstan shanty, which comes from Harding Barbadian, probably the most recognizable source of the shanties that Stan Hugill when sailed with on merchant ships service. Harding Barbadian tells to Stan Hugill, that this song was still popular in the West Indies (1931). It probably originated as a cotton Stower’s song.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 291).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 291).

The Record of the Hooker John (Harding)

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

Hooker John (Harding)

Oh! me Mary she’s a sailor’s lass,
– To me Hooker John, me Hoojohn!
Oh, we courted all day on the grass,
– to me Hooker John, me Hoojohn!

– ‘Way Susanna–oh, way, hay, high, high ya!
– Johnny’s on the foreyard,
– Yonder, way up yonder.

* 2 *

Oh, my Susie she’s a nigger’s gal,
She’s nine foot high–that gal’s so taall.

* 3 *

Oh, my Flora she’s a hoosier’s frien’,
She’s beamy round the ol’ beam-end.

* 4 *

Oh, Sally Brown she’s the gal for me,
She courts a bit when her man’s at sea.

Related to this sea shanty

Ooker John

Supen Ut En Dram På Man

O Whos Been Here – Cecil Sharp

Interesting Facts about The Hog-eye Man

“The Hog-eye Man”, Stan Hugill mentions that he has no idea why this shanty was treated in a special way by collectors. Namely, collectors always wrote about this shanty in a “muted tone”, it is about the obscenity of the text, but as the author of “Shanties from the Seven Seas” recalls, Other shanties were equally or even more indecent. Terry writes about the meaning of the term “hog-eye” and what a disgusting meaning it had to sailors, but with all the convoluted statements, it doesn’t really explain anything. Captain Whall explains the use of the word “hog-eye”.

He claims it was the kind of barge invented for the newly emerged land trade that used America’s canals and rivers during the Gold Rush (1850). According to Stan Hugill, Terry mixed up words, thought of “Dead-eye”, and wrote about “hog-eye”, that first word had both nautical and obscene meanings. However, the solo parts of this song were indecent and a lot of camouflage was required before the song could be released to the public. The usual place of use for this shanty was the capstan.

The source of The Hog-eye Man

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 269).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 269, 270).

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 Hog-eye Man

The hog-eye man is the man for me,
He came a sailin’ from o’er the sea,

– An’ a hog-eye!
– Row the boat ashore for her hog-eye!
– Row the boat ashore wid her hog-eye O!
– She wants the hog-eye man!

* 2 *

He came to a shack where his Sally she did dwell,
And he knocked on the door and he rang her bell.

* 3 *

Oh, Sally’s in the garden, pickin’ peas,
An’ the hair of her head hangin’ down to her knees.

* 4 *

Oh, who’s bin here since I’ve bin gone?
Some big buck nigger wid his sea-boots on.

* 5 *

If I cotch him here wid me Sally any more,
I’ll sling me hook an’ I’ll go to sea some more.

* 6 *

Oh, Sally in the parlour a-sittin’ on his knee,
A-kissin’ of the sailor who’d come o’er the seas.

* 7 *

Sally in the garden siftin’ sand,
An’ the hog-eye man sittin’ hand-in-hand.

* 8 *

Oh, Sally in the garden shellin’ peas,
With her young hog-eye all a-sittin’ on her knee.

* 9 *

Oh, I won’t wed a nigger, no, I’m damned if I do,
He’s got jiggers in his feet an’ he can’t wear a shoe.

* 10 *

Oh, the hog-eye man is the man for me,
He wuz raised way down in Tennessee.

* 11 *

Oh, go fetch me down me ridin’-cane,
For I’m off to see me darlin’ Jane.

* 12 *

Oh, a hog-eye ship an’ a hog-eye crew,
A hog-eye mate an’ a skipper too.

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The Gals O’ Chile

Larry Marr

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