Blow The Man Down (B1 – first method)

Interesting Facts about the Blow The Man Down (B1)

Here is one of the most favorite shanties is the tops’l halyard shanty “Blow The Man Down (B1)”. Verses for this version Stan Hugill took from Paddy Delaney, an Irish old-timer, and two or three verses from Bill Fuller who sang them in his version of “Bound Away”.
It was two methods of starting this version, so this is how the first method did go.

Stan Hugill left a record on his album: “Chants des Marins Anglais (1992)” where singing with Stormalong John, and this is the version with melody and tempo, I try to replicate.
I would also like to thank Artur Pietrzykowski for the wonderful illustration that you can find at the beginning of the record.

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 203).

The lyrics:  “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 206, 207).

The Record of the Blow The Man Down (B1)

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.

Blow The Man Down ( B - first method ) - Halyard Shanty

The full lyrics

Blow The Man Down (B1)

In the Blackball Line I served My time,
– Timme WAY, hay, BLOW the man down!
In the Blackball Line I wasted me prime,
– Ooh! GIMME us some time to BLOW the man down!

* 2 *

Blackball ships are good an’ true,
They’re the ships for me an’ you.

* 3 *

There wuz once a Blackball ship,
That fourteen knots an hour could clip.

* 4 *

‘Twas when this Blackballer wuz ready for sea’
‘Tis then that you’d see such a hell o’ a spree

* 5 *

There’s tinkers an’ tailors an’ sogers an’ all,
All ship as prime seamen aboard the Blackball.

* 6 *

Oh, muster ye sojers an’ fakirs an’ sich,
An’ hear yer name called by a son-o’-a-bitch.

* 7 *

An, when the Blackballer hauls out o’ the dock,
To see these poor bastards, how on deck they flock.

* 8 *

‘Lay aft here, ye lubbers! Lay aft one an’ all,
I’ll have none o’ yer dodgers aboard this Blackball!’

* 9 *

Now see these poor bastards how aloft they will scoot,
Assisted along by the toe o’ a boot.

* 10 *

The second mate stands ’em all up in a row,
A seam in the deck he sure makes ’em all toe.

* 11 *

It’s ‘Fore tawps’l halyards!’ the mate he will roar,
‘Oh, lay along smartly, ye son-o’-a-whore!’

* 12 *

It’s way aloft, lubbers, shake them tawps’ls out,
The last man in the riggin’ he clouts on the snout.

* 13 *

Oh, lay along smartly each lousy recruit,
Or ’tis lifted ye’ll be by the greaser’s sea-boot.

* 14 *

‘Tis larboard an’ starboard on deck ye will sprawl,
For Kickin’ Jack Williams commands this Blackball.

* 15 *

An’ when the Blacballer is levin’ the dock,
All the pretty young gals on the pierhead do flock.

* 16 *

An’ now when she’s leavin’ the ol’ Merseyside,
All hands are now ordered to scrub the ship’s side.

* 17 *

An’ now when she’s clear over ol’ Mersey Bar,
The mate knocks ’em down with a big caps’n-bar.

* 18 *

An’ when the Blackballer hauls clear o’ the land,
The bosun roars out the hoarse words o’ command.

* 19 *

Yes, soon as the packet is well out to sea,
‘Tis cruel, hard treatement o’ every degree.

* 20 *

Ye’ve handspike hash every day for yer tea,
An’ belayin’-pin soup many times will ye see.

* 21 *

Now we are sailin’ the Western so wide,
An’ the green rollin’ seas run along our black side.

* 22 *

Soon, bully boys, we’ll be back round the Rock,
An’ then, bully boys, we’ll be snug in the dock.

* 23 *

An’ then all the hands they will bundle ashore,
To ship in a Blackballer we’ll niver do more.

Related to this sea shanty

Roll The Cotton Down (C) – Halyard Version

Roll The Cotton Down (D)

Oh Köm un Beer for mi (German)

Ratcliffe Highway

Interesting Facts about the Ratcliffe Highway

Here is the old forebitter “Ratcliffe Highway”, which was sometimes sung at the pumps and the capstan, as told to Stan Hugill, his fellow sailor Paddy Delaney, who used to sail in the old days on the Packet Ships. As Stan Hugill tells us, regarding the words of this song, they were used in the first version of “Blow the Man Down”, which Stan Hugill calls in his book the “Blow the Man Down – A”.
As one of these Western Ocean shanties, I will reconstruct with a common introductory verse (first verse at the beginning).
I would also like to thank Artur Pietrzykowski for the wonderful illustration that you can find at the beginning of the record.

The song will be reconstructed by myself as the forebitter.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 200).

The lyrics:  “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 200, 201).

The Record of the Ratcliffe Highway

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.

Ratcliffe Highway - Forebitter

The musical notation

Ratcliffe Highway - music notation

The full lyrics

Ratcliffe Highway

    *introductory verse*

Come all ye young sailors an’ listen to me,
I’ll sing ye a song all about the high sea,
Now it tain’t very short, nor it tain’t very long,
‘Tis of a Flyin’ Fish Sailor just home from Hong Kong.

– Singin’ too-relye-addie, too-relye-addie,
– Singin’ too-relye-addie, aye, too-relye-ay!

* 1 *

Now as I wuz a walkin’ down Ratcliffe Highway,
A flash lookin’ packet I chanet for to say,
Of the port that she hailed from I cannot say much,
But by her appearance I took her for Dutch,

* 2 *

Her flag wuz three colours, her masthead wuz low,
She wuz round the counter an’ bluff at the bow.
From larboard to starboard an’ so sailed she,
She wuz sailing at large, she wuz runnin’ free.

* 3 *

She wuz bowlin’ along wid her wind blowin’ free;
She clewed up her courses an’ waited for me.
I fired me bow-chaser, the signal she knew,
She backed her maintops’l an’ for me hove to.

* 4 *

I hailed her in ENglish, she answered me clear,
I’m from the Black Arrow, bound to the Shakespeare,
So I wore ship an’ with a ‘What d’ya know?’
I passed ‘er me hawser an’ took ‘er in tow.

* 5 *

I tipped up my flipper an’ took her in tow,
And yard-arm to yard-arm away we did go,
She then took me up her lily-white room,
An’ there all the evening we drank and we spooned.

(Verses 6 and 7 omitted.)

* 6 *

Soon the evening did pass, boys, I lashed up an’ stowed,
I gave her some shillings ‘fore I left her abode,
But it ‘twarn’t quite enough, boys, she wanted some more,
She cursed me an’ called me a son-o’-a-whore.

She blazed like a frigate, at me she let fire,
An’ nothing could stem, boys, that Irish tart’s ire,
She kicked me an’ cursed me an’ stove in me jaw,
An’ I beat retreat through her open back-door.

* 7 *

I’ve fought wid the Russians, the Prussians also,
I’ve fought wid the Dutch, an’ wid Johnny Crapo,
But of all the fine fights that I ever did see,
She beat all the fights o’ the heathen Chinee.

* 8 *

Now all ye young sailors take a warnin’ I say,
Take it aisy, me boys, when yer down that Highway,
Steer clear of them flash gals, on the Highway do dwell,
Or they’ll take up yer flipper an’ yer soon bound ter Hell!

Related to this Forebitter

The Fishes – W. B. Whall

The Limejuice Ship (Short Chorus)

Oh, Aye, Rio

The Codfish Shanty

Interesting Facts about The Codfish Shanty

One another version of the very popular capstan shanty “South Australia” is a version called “The Codfish Shanty”, and it’s due to on account of the prominence of the codfish in this shanty. The following version is got by Stan Hugill from his shipmate shantymen Harding (American version), and Paddy Delaney old-timer who told Stan Hugill about British alternatives.

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 196).

The lyrics:  “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 196).

The Record of The Codfish 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 Codfish Shanty - Capstan Shanty

The musical notation

The Codfish Shanty - music notation

The full lyrics

The Codfish Shanty

Down east gals ain’t got no combs,
– Heave away! Heave away!
They comb their hair wi’a whale fish bone,
– An’ we’re bound for south Australia!

– Heave-away, me bully, bully boys,
– Heave-away! Heave away!
– Heave away, why don’t ye make some noise?
– An’ we’re bound for South Australia!

* 2 *

Yankee gals don’t sleep on beds,
They go to sleep on codfish’s heads,

* 3 *

Cape Cod gals have got big feet,
Codfish’s rows is nice an’ sweet.

* 4 *

Quaker gals don’t wear no frills,
They’re tight an’ skinny as a halibut’s gills.

* 5 *

Glou’ster gals make damn fine cooks,
They’re good at catching sprats on hooks.

* 6 *

Nantucket gals are very fine,
They know how to bait a codfish line.

Related to this sea shanty

Round The Bay Of Mexico

Rio Grande (D)

Rio Grande (E)

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B)

Interesting Facts about The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B)

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B) is an old Capstan song with other titles: “Harp without the Crown” or “The Shenandoah”. Miss Joanna Colcord gives it shanty to us as a forebitter. She also said it; was sung by sailors to a tune almost the same; as that of “The Banks of Newf’n’land”.
The “Harp without the Crown” is a phrase hearkening back to rebellious times in Ould Ireland. According to Miss Colcord, Captain Jim Murphy of the “Shenandoah”, in actual fact, flew the Irish flag beneath the American one aboard his ship.
Stan Hugill gives us as a capstan shanty, but because they are two versions, one I will recreate as forebitter and another as capstan shanty. Both versions come from Stan Hugill’s shipmate Paddy Delaney (ex-blackball line sailor).

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 141). I try to recreate this song from hearted Stan Hugill’s version from the album “Chants des Marins Anglais” (1992).

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 141,142).

The Record of The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B)

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 Gals O' Dublin Town ( B ) - Capstan Shanty

The full lyrics

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (B)

Sometimes we’re bound for Liverpool; sometimes we’re bound for France,
But now we’re bound to Dublin Town to give the gals a chance.
– Hurrah! Hurrah! for the gals o’ Dub-a-lin Town,
– Hurrah for the bonnie green flag an’ the Harp without the Crown!

* 2 *

Sometimes we’re bound for furrin’ parts, sometimes we’re bound for home,
A Johnny’s always at his best whenever he may roam.

* 3 *

Sometimes the weather’s fine an’ fair, sometimes it’s darn well foul,
Sometimes it blows a Cape ‘Orn gale that freezes up yer soul.

* 4 *

Sometimes we work as hard as hell, sometimes our grub it stinks,
Enough to make a sojer curse, or make a bishop blink.

* 5 *

Sometimes we wisht we’d niver jined, sometimes we’d like to be
A-drinkin’ in a pub, me bhoys, a gal sat on each knee.

* 6 *

Sometimes we are a happy crowd, sometimes we’ll sing a song,
Sometimes we wish we’d niver bin born, but we do not grouse for long.

* 7 *

An’ when the voyage is all done, an’ we go away on shore,
We’ll spend our money on the gals, ‘n’ go to sea for more!

Related to this sea shanty

Bound for the Rio Grande (Cecil Sharp Version)

Rio Grande (B)

A Long Time Ago (C)

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A)

Interesting Facts about The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A)

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A) is an old Capstan song with other titles: “Harp without the Crown” or “The Shenandoah”. Miss Joanna Colcord gives it as a forebitter, and she says it was sung to a tune almost the same as that of “The Banks of Newf’n’land”.
The “Harp without the Crown” is a phrase hearkening back to rebellious times in Ould Ireland. According to Miss Colcord, Captain Jim Murphy of the “Shenandoah”, in actual fact, flew the Irish flag beneath the American one aboard his ship.

Stan Hugill gives us, as the capstan shanty, but because they are two versions, one I will recreate as forebitter and another as capstan shanty. Both versions come from Stan Hugill’s shipmate Paddy Delaney (ex-blackball line sailor).

This version will be reconstructed as a forebitter.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 141). I try to recreate this song from hearted Stan Hugill’s version from the album “Chants des Marins Anglais” (1992).

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 141).

The Record The Gals O’ Dublin Town (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 Gals O' Dublin Town ( A ) - Forebitter

The musical notation

the-gals-o-dublin-town-a music notation

The full lyrics

Naow, ’tis of a famous Yankee ship, to New York we wuz bound,
An’our cap’-n be-in’ an Oirish man, belongin’ to Dubalin Town,
– Hurrah! Hurrah! for the gals o’ Dub-a-lin Town,
– Hurrah for the bonnie green flag an’ the Harp without the Crown!

* 2 *

An’ when he gazes on that land, that town of high renown,
Oh, it’s away the green burgee and the Harp without the Crown.

* 3 *

‘Twas on the seventeenth o’ March, we arrived in New York Bay,
Our Capen bein’ an Irishman must celebrate the day.

* 4 *

With the Stars an’ Stripes ‘way high aloft, an’ flutterin’ all around,
But underneath his monkey-gaff flew the Harp without the Crown.

* 5 *

Now we’re bound for ‘Frisco, boys, an’ things is runnin’ wild,
The officers an’ men dead drunk, around the decks they pile.

* 6 *

But by termorrer mornin’, boys, we’ll work without a frown,
For on board the saucy ‘Shenandoah’ flies the Harp without the Crown!

Related to this Forebitter

The Five-Gallon Jar

The Limejuice Ship (Long Chorus)

Oh, Aye, Rio

The Five-Gallon Jar

Interesting Facts about The Five-Gallon Jar

This version of The Five-Gallon Jar is a forebitter, (Only the first verse and all choruses are Hugill’s version), which Stan Hugill took from old Irish Sailor Paddy Delaney. We see the story of Jack Ratcliffe and Marry Ann, a couple who were crimps and took profit from the “Shanghaiing” sailors.
Shanghaiing or crimping is the practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as crimps.

The source of this forebitter

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 61).

The lyrics: The first full verse and all Choruses come from: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 61). To make the song story complete, and give it a sensible length I added other 3 verses from (Doerflinger – ‘Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman’ – p111) Doerflinger’s version of “The Big Five-Gallon Jar” comes from Capitan Henry E. Burke.

To keep the consistency of the song I replaced Doerflinger verses I replaced the original wife’s name from “Caroline” into Hugill’s “Mary Ann”.

The Record of The Five-Gallon Jar

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 Five-Gallon Jar - Forebitter

The musical notation

the-five-gallon-jar - musical notation

The full lyrics

The Five-Gallon Jar

In Liverpool there lived a man, Jack Ratcliffe was his name
An’in the days of the Cape Horn Trade, he played the Shanghai Game,
His wife’s name was Mary Ann, sailors knew both near an’far,
an’ when they played the Shanghai Game, They used the big stone Jar,

– In The Old Virginia Lowlands, Lowlands Low
– In The Old Virginia Lowlands Low.

* 2 *

There were drunkards in the corner and bummers at the bar
And [Mary Ann]Caroline was supplying them with a big five-gallon jar

……………
……………

* 3 *

Said old Jack to old [Mary Ann]Caroline, I’ll tell you what we’ll do,
There’s a ship lying down to McKinnon’s Wharf; I think she wants a crew.
We’ll go down around the corners to get some drunken tars
We’ll shanghai them away out of Liverpool Bay with a big five gallon jar.

* 4 *

So Jack and Cal[Ann] they worked their game when the ships signed on their tars,
Skys’l Jack and Pete and Bowline Bill helped to judge old Cal’s five gallon jar.
Now we’ll bid adieu to Cal and Jack and set our sails for ports afar
Dear Shanghai Cal, we’ll all come back, and sample Jack’s five-gallon jar.

Related to this Forebitter

Susannavisan (Stan Hugill Translation)

The Gals O’ Dublin Town (A)

Susannavisan

Larry Marr

Interesting Facts about Larry Marr

“Larry Marr”, also known as “Five Gallon Jar”, was the shanty used at the capstan and pumps sometimes. In the chorus, it is related to the “short refrain” version of “The Limejuice Ship”. This version was taken by Stan Hugill from Irish Sailor, Paddy Delaney. Paddy Delaney was sure that is of Irish origin.

Shanghaiing or crimping is the practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors by coercive techniques such as trickery, intimidation, or violence. Those engaged in this form of kidnapping were known as crimps.

The verb “shanghai” joined the lexicon with “crimping” and “sailor thieves” in the 1850s, possibly because Shanghai was a common destination for ships with abducted crews. The term has since expanded to mean “kidnapped” or “induced to do something by means of fraud”.

This song will be reconstructed as the capstan shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 60). I will sing this song as a capstan shanty. And try to recreate this song from hearted Stan Hugill’s version from the album “Shanties From The Seven Seas” (1962), with The York & Albany Crew.

The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 60).

The Record of the Larry Marr

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.

Larry Marr - Capstan Shanty

The musical notation

larry-marr - musical notes

The full lyrics

Larry Marr

There wuz five or six old drunken shellbacks standin’ before the bar
An’ Larry he wuz servin’ them from a big five-gallon jar

– Then hoist up yer flag, long may it wave
– Long may it lead us to the glory or the grave
– Steady boys steady, we’ll sound this Jubilee
– For Babylon’s a fallen an’ the Diggers are set free!

* 2 *

In Larry’s place way on the coast there lived old Larry Marr
Missus an’ Larry did employ such a big five-gallon jar.

* 3 *

The pair they played the Shanghai game, wuz known both near an’ far’
They never missed a lucky chance to use the five-gallon jar.

* 4 *

A hell-ship she wuz short o’ hands, o’ full red-blooded tars,
Missus an’ Larry would prime the beer in their ol’ five-gallon jar.

* 5 *

Shellbacks an’ farmers jist the same sailed into Larry Marr’s,
And sailed away around the Horn, helped by the five-gallon jar.

* 6 *

In ‘Frisco town their names is known, as is the Cape Horn Bar,
An’ the dope they serve out to ol’ Jack, from the big five-gallon jar.

* 7 *

From the Barbary Coast steer clear, me boys, an’ from ol’ Larry Marr,
Or else damn soon shanghaied ye’ll be by Larry’s five-gallon jar.

* 8 *

Shanghaied away in a skys’l-ship around Cape Horn so far,
Goodbye to all the boys an’ girls an’ Larry’s five-gallon jar.

(Verses 1&7 have the first tune – rest have the second tune)

Related to Larry Marr

A Long Time Ago (C)

California

Et Nous Irons a Valparaiso