pump shanty

Interesting Facts about the Poor Paddy Works On The Railway

“Poor Paddy Works On The Railway” usually used as the pump or capstan shanty “. Alden in Harpers Magazine (July 1882) declares that it is a “sailors” song tamed to do land service . . . on the minstrel stage. Stan Hugill also tells us that song was popular in the Western Ocean Packets about the time of the Irish Potato famine. This song will be reconstructed as the pump shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 337).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 337, 338).

The Record of the Poor Paddy Works On The Railway

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

Poor Paddy Works On The Railway

Oh, in eighteen hundred an’ forty one,
Me dungaree breeches I put on,
Oh, me dungaree breeches I put on,
To work upon the railway,

– The railway,
– I,m weary of the railway,
– Oh, Poor Paddy works on the railway!

* 2 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-two,
I did not know what I should do,
So I shipped away wid and Irish crew,
To work upon the railway,

* 3 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-three,
I packet me gear an’ went to sea,
I shipped away to Amerikee,
To work …

* 4 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-four,
I landed on Columbia’s shore,
I had a pick-axe an’ nothin’ more.

* 5 *

In eighteen hundred and forty-five,
When Dan O’Connell he wuz alive,
To break me leg I did contrive.

* 6 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-six,
Me drinks no longer I could mox,
So I changed me trade to carrying bricks.

* 7 *

In eighteen hundred an’ forty-seven,
Me Children numbered jist eleven,
Of girls I’d four, of boys I’d seven.

* 8 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-eight,
I made a fortune, not to late,
An’ shipped away to the River Plate.

* 9 *

In eighteen hundred an’ fourty-nine,
I for a sigh of Home did pine,
So I sailed down so uth to a warmer clime.

Related to this sea shanty

Shallow Brown A (Sentimental)

Way Stormalong, John

Santiana (A)

Interesting Facts about the Albertina – Glyn Davies

“Albertina” a Swedish pumping shanty, it has a melody very close to the opening line of a popular wartime song: “Twas down on the Rhine I met Rosalein”. Stan Hugill gives us two versions of this shanty, this one is the version from Professor J. Glyn Davies who gave to Stan the English translation of this song. The comment from stan Hugill says that the melody is German; shanty of Norwegian origin; taken down by J. Glyn Davies, October 1926, Uppsala. The song will be reconstructed by myself as the pump shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 326).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 326, 327).

The Record of the Albertina – Glyn Davies

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

Albertina – Glyn Davies

A schooner was built on the baltic,
Albertina that was the schooner’s name,
– Pump ‘er dry!
Albertina, says the story, Albertina’s all for glory,
Albertina that was the schooner’s name,
– Pump ‘er dry!

– Albertina, says the story, Albertina’s all for glory,
– Albertina thet was the schooner’s name,

* 2 *

And the schooner is painted already,
She is painted in red and violet —

She is painted, says the story, she is painted all for glory,
She is painted in red and violet.

* 3 *

And the schooner is rigged out already,
She is rigged out with tackles and with ropes,
She is rigged out, says the story, she is rigged out all for glory,
She is rigged out with tackles and with ropes.

* 4 *

And the schooner is charted already,
She is charted from Hamubrg, homeward bound,
She is chartered, says the story, she is chartered all for glory,
She is chartered from Hamburg, homeward bound.

* 5 *

And the schooner is loaded already,
She is loaded with beer and with wine,
She is loaded, says the story, she is loaded all for glory,
She is loaded with beer and with wine.

* 6 *

And the schooner is sailing already,
She is sailing away from sight of land,
She is sailing, says the story, she is sailing for glory,
She is sailing away from sight of land.

* 7 *

And the schooner is stranded already,
She is stranded between surf and reef,
She is stranded, says the story, she is stranded all for glory,
She is stranded between the surf and reef.

* 8 *

And her headstone is written already,
It is written in Latin and in gold,
It is written, says the story, it is written all for glory,
It is written in Latin and in gold.

* 9 *

On the beach there is a maiden weeping,
She is weeping for her lover on the beach,
She is weeping, says the story, she is weeping all for glory,
She is weeping for her lover on the beach.

Related to this sea shanty

Heave Away Cheerily O!

Leave Her Johnny Leave Her – Pumps

Across The Rockies

Interesting Facts about the Leave Her Johnny Leave Her – Pumps

“Leave Her Johnny Leave Her – Pumps” 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 pump 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 297, 298).

The Record of the Leave Her Johnny Leave Her – Pumps

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 (Pumps)

Oh, a dollar a day is a Jack Sprite’s pay,
– leave her, Johnny, leave her!
To pump all night an, to work all day,
– An’ it’s time for us to leave her!

– Leave her, Johnny, leave her,
– Ooh! leave her, Johnny, leave her!
– For the winds do roar an’ we wish we wuz ashore,
– An it’s time for us to leave her!

* 2 *

Though times is hard an’ the wages low,
There’s fathom o’ water down in the hold.

* 3 *

The Old Man shouts, the pumps stand by,
Oh, we can never suck her dry.

* 4 *

Heave one more turn an’ around she goes,
Or else we’ll be kickin’ up our toes.

* 5 *

Leave her, Johnny, we can pump no more,
Of pump or down we’ve had full store.

* 6 *

It’s pump or drown, the Old Man said,
Or else damn soon ye’ll all be dead.

* 7 *

Heave around or we shall drown,
Hey! don’t yiz feel her settlin’ down?

* 8 *

Heave around them pump-bowls bright,
There’ll be no sleep for us this night.

* 9 *

The rats have gone an’ we, the crew,
It’s time be damned that we went too.

* 10 *

Oh, pump away in merry, merry strife,
Oh, heave away for to save dear life.

* 11 *

Oh, pump her out from down below,
Oh, pump her out an’ away we’ll go.

* 12 *

The starboard pump is like the crew,
It’s all worn out an’ will not do.

* 13 *

Leave her, Johnny, we can pump no more,
It’s time we wuz upon dry shore.

Related to this sea shanty

John come tell us as we haul away

The Ox-eyed Man (Davis & Tozer)

Across The Rockies

Interesting Facts about the Across The Rockies

Here is probably one of the development stages for the very famous shanty “Leave her, Johnny, Leave here”, the “Across The Rockies”. The places where this shanty can be sung were various depending on time, so in the beginning was serve as the hauling shanty, mainly for halyards, and when the grand chorus was added later used mainly at the pumps and even capstan. Stan Hugill partially learned it from his mother’s father and partially from an Irish sailor, both used the final chorus. His suppositions carry over the theory that the song came to life about the time of the Irish potato famine, in the forties of the nineteenth century. This reconstruction will be sung as a pump 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).

The Record of the Across The Rockies

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 Rockies

Oh, a young girl said to me one day,
– A YOUNG gal goes a-WEEPin’,
I’ve got no money an’ I can’t get home,
– ACROSS the Rocky MOUNtains!

* 2 *

Oh, what shall we poor shellbacks do?
We’ve got no money and we can’t get home,

* 3 *

I thought I heard the Ol’ Man say,
If ye git no money, oh, ye’ll niver git home.

* 4 *

Oh, my poor ol’ mother she wrote to me,
She wrote to me to come home from sea.

* 5 *

Oh, I’ve got no money an’ I’ve got no clothes,
I’ve joined a bunch of though hoboes.

Related to this sea shanty

John come tell us as we haul away

The Ox-eyed Man (Davis & Tozer)

Shallow Brown C

Interesting Facts about John come tell us as we haul away

“John come tell us as we haul away” is another shanty with “Johnny” in text, often sung at pumps. Stan Hugill tells us a bit more about what kind of pump he talks about it:
“when the word ‘pump’ would be substituted for the word ‘haul’, although in the more modern flywheel type of pump where a bell-rope was used both words were equally appropriate.”

Also, Stan Hugill tells us that this is one of not too many shanties that had two singers for the solo lines.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 287).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed: p 287, 288).

The Record of the John come tell us as we haul away

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

John come tell us as we haul away

From Liverpool Town we sailed away,
– John, come tell us as we haul away!
Outward bound at the break of day,
– John, come tell us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– John, come tell us as we haul away!

* 2 * – First Shantyman:

Wuz ye never down in Mobile Bay?
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
A-screwin’ cotton all the day,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!

* 3 * – Second Shantyman:

Oh, yes, I’ve bin down Mobile Bay,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
A-screwin’ cotton all the day,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– So he tells us as we haul away!

* 4 * – First Shantyman:

What did yer see down in Mobile Bay?
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Were the gals all free an’ gay?
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!

* 5 * – Second Shantyman:

Oh this I saw in Mobile Bay,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
A spankin’ gal in a hammock lay,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– So he tells us as we haul away!

* 6 * – First Shantyman:

An’ this flash gal wuz Saucy May,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
She wuz tall an’ fine an’ had lots to say.
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!

* 7 * – Second Shantyman:

An’ what did yer do in Mobile Bay?
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Did yiz give that flash tart all yer pay?
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– John, come_tell us as we haul away!

* 8 * – First Shantyman:

Oh, this I did in Mobile Bay,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
I courted this gal whose name was May,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– So he tells us as we haul away!

* 9 * – Second Shantyman:

I married her in Mobile Bay,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
An’ lived there happy many a day,
– So he tells us as we haul away!
Aye, aye, haul, aye,
– So he tells us as we haul away!

Related to this sea shanty

The Ox-eyed Man (Davis & Tozer)

The Girl With The Blue Dress (Davis & Tozer)

Shallow Brown C

July 27, 2022 by Jerzy Brzezinski

Interesting Facts about the Shallow Brown A (Sentimental)

Shallow Brown A (Sentimental) is a usual version of the general family of the shanties called “Shallow Brown”. At the beginning life of this song, it was used as a pump shanty. As the age of sails progressed, in the late days this song was usually sung at halyards, William Doerflinger give it as being used to bowse down tack and sheets. I will reconstruct this song as a pump shanty.

The source of this sea shanty

The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 258).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 258, 259).

The Record of the Shallow Brown A (Sentimental)

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

Shallow Brown A (Sentimental)

– Och! Shallow, Och! Shallow Brown!

Oh! Shallow in the mornin’,
– Och! Shallow, Och! Shallow Brown!
Just as the day was dawnin’,
– Och! Shallow, Och! Shallow Brown!

* 2 *

She is a bright mulatter,
She hails from Cincinatter

* 3 *

Come put me clothes in order,
The packet sails termorrer.

* 4 *

I’m bound away to leve yer,
I never will deceive yer.

* 5 *

I long ter look upon yer,
I spend me money on yer,

* 6 *

Ye are me only treasure,
I love ye to full measure.

* 7 *

The packet sails termorrer,
I’ll leave ye with much sorrer.

* 8 *

In the cradle is my baby,
I want no other lady.

* 9 *

My wife an’ baby grieves me,
‘Tis pain for me ter leave ye.

* 10 *

Be on the pier ter meet me,
With kisses I will greet thee.

* 11 *

Goin’ away termorrer,
Bound away termorrer.

Related to this sea shanty

Shallow Brown – Cecil Sharp

Mister Stormalong (A1)

Stormy Along, John