Alabama John Cherokee
Traditional
John Cherokee was an Indian man
Resp: Alabama John Cherokee
He run away every time he can
Resp: Alabama John Cherokee, way, hey, yah
Chorus:
Alabama John Cherokee, way, hey, yah
Alabama John Cherokee
They put him aboard a Yankee ship
Again he gave the boss the slip
They catch him again and chain him tight
And starve him many a day and night
Nothing to drink and nothin to eat
He just fall dead at the boss's feet
So they bury him by the old gate post
The very same day you can see his ghost
All Around Cape Flattery
David LaVine
Come all ye jolly mariners, and listen to my tale
It’s of the Lady Washington, a wooden ship of sail
Where we praise the sheep for tallow and the sternbergs for their tar
But if you want to get out of old Aberdeen town, you cross the Westport bar!
CHORUS (2X) {Or for a shorter version only once!}
All around Cape Flattery, Tatoosh shone bright
Up the Strait of Juan de Fuca on a full moon night
Out of Grays Harbor, Washington we motored north all day
Wished we had a southerly so we could set some sail.
We were rolling in the trough, thinking “This will never end!”
Watch and wait for the helmsman to take her ‘round the bend.
Now it’s nice to have an engine when a lee shore comes in sight
The drone can help you sleep through a sloppy, choppy night
But to wake with the wind and a belly-full of sail
Makes a motorboat ride by comparison in pale.
Orders came to furl detrot’sl now and sail the Lady in
The Olympic range, like pumpkins, filled the night sky with a grain
“Topsl’s! Course! Headsl’s, lads!” “Make it so!” said Brown
While off the stern of Washington the blood-red sun went down.
Past Neah Bay we sailed her then, upon a flooding tide
To port we saw the shining lights of old Victori-aye
Past the Elwha to Port Angeles we were bound that night
As we ran before the wind beneath a full moon’s light
All For Me Grog
CHORUS
And it's all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog
It’s all for me beer and tobacco
For I’ve spent all me tin on the lassies drinkin’ gin
Far across the western ocean I must wander
Where is me shirt, me noggin, noggin shirt
It's all gone for beer and tobacco
For the collar is all wore and the front it is all tore
And the tail is lookin’ for better weather
Where are me boots, me noggin, noggin boots
They're all gone for beer and tobacco
For the tongues are hanging out and the soles are kicked about
And the heels are lookin’ for better weather
Where is me bed, me noggin, noggin bed
It’s all gone for beer and tobacco
For I lent it to a whore, and the mattress is all wore
And the springs are lookin’ out for better weather
I'm sick in the head and I haven't been to bed
Since I came ashore with me plunder
I’ve seen centipedes and snakes, and I’m full of pains and aches
And I think I”ll make a path for way out yonder
The Anti-Shanty (Hose Me Down, Boys)
Greg Scott & Joe Weihi (or Welhe)
Chorus:
Hose me down, boys, hose me down
Roll me o'er, boys, and watch me drown
Let the whirlpool suck me down, boys
Hose me down, boys, hose me down
Now there's one thing makes me angry
Never fails to raise me ire
When I wake up in the morning
And me hair's been set afire, boys
Well, I thought I'd write a shanty
But I've never been to sea
But I've seen Moby Dick twelve times
And that's enough for me, boys
Well, I think I saw a sailboat
But I really couldn't say
'Cause I've never seen a sailboat
And it was very far away, boys
Now I'm sailing on a sailboat
With a captain good and true
If you ask what kind of sailboat
Well, I haven't got a clue, boys
Now the ship is mighty crowded
With a hundred men and me
Who would live with a hundred sailors
That is why I went to sea, boys
A’Roving (“Maid of Amsterdam”)
Traditional
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
Mark well what I do say,
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade.
Chorus:
I'll go no more a roving with you fair maid
A-roving, a-roving
Since roving's been my rue-i-on
I'll go no more a-roving with you fair maid.
I kissed her once, I kissed her twice,
Mark well what I do say,
I kissed her once, I kissed her twice,
She said, "Young sir that's oh so nice."
Chorus...
I put my hand upon her knee,
Mark well what I do say,
I put my hand upon her knee;
She said, "Young sir you're fancy free."
Chorus...
I put my arms around her waist,
Mark well what I do say,
I put my arms around her waist;
She said, "Young sir you're in great haste!"
Chorus…
I put hand upon her thigh,
Mark well what I do say,
I put hand upon her thigh;
She said, "Young sir you're awful high!"
Chorus...
Astoria Bar
by Mary Garvey 2002
It's not very far to Astoria's bar
But a very long journey it can be --
It can start at the mouth of the mighty blue river
And end at the bottom of the sea.
CHORUS
But the river still shines and shimmers in the light
As it did in my grandfather's day
When they rowed all night and fished in the morning
And lived in Willapa Bay.
When the tide is rough, so very, very rough,
So rough that you cannot stand;
It drives the little fish right into the nets,
The boats right into the sand.
In the mist and the rain, the labor and the pain
We know what the fishing here is worth --
It is worth more than gold as we suck 'em from the hold;
It is worth all the treasures of the earth.
Auckland to the Bluff
Rudy Sunde
I left the city when just a lad
Times were hard and no work to be had
So I went to sea on the Flora Belle
Little did I know 'twas a ship from hell
The ship was old and leaking at the seams
A dirty old tub, somewhat broad in the beam
Its sails were torn, some planks were rotten
She lay at the wharf a-gently rock-in'
CHORUS
I've sailed from Auck-land to the Bluff
A thousand miles and that's enough
A thousand miles on the heaving sea
Glory Hal-le-lu' that's enough for me
We set sail on the evening tide,
It was early on a Saturday night
All went well till the Tiri light
And then, by God, I got a fright
The ship was hit by a big beam sea
Christ, I thought, it was all up for me
She rolled and she lollopped like a big tin drum
Hell! I swore my time had come
"Shorten sails" the skipper cried
"Shorten the sails or you buggers will all die
Get aloft, get aloft, right up the mast
Get aloft, get aloft, and get up there fast."
Never in my life had I been so scared
Never in my life had I wished I was dead
But I climbed up the mast and I shortened sail
And I climbed down again and was sick o'er the rail
"Man the pumps!" the skipper roared
"Man the pumps or you'll see the ocean floor!"
So I pumped all night though me hands were raw
And I pumped and I pumped till the coming of the dawn;
How we survived that night I don't know
The wind it did roar and the wind it did blow
But the sun came up and the sea went down
The wind it did ease and we headed south
For breakfast we had moldy bread
Lunch it was the very same fare
Supper was a stinking stew
Cookie couldn't eat his own damn brew
The skipper was an old man, old and mean
Tough as nails and just as lean
A voice like a foghorn in the gloom
When he cursed was the voice of doom
The work was hard and the pay was lean
The food was rotten and our quarters none too clean
A journey south was always rough
So I jumped the ship when we pulled into Bluff
So here in Bluff I've settled down
Never again will I leave this town
Never again will I go to sea
Never again will it see me!
Away Rio
Capstan shanty
Oh say was you ever in Rio Grande,
Resp: Away Rio!
It’s there that the water runs dow golden sand
Resp: And we’re bound for the Rio Grande
CHORUS
Away, Rio! Away, Rio!
Fare ye well, me pretty young gals,
And we’re bound for the Rio Grande!
Our ship goes a-sail’ out over the bar
We’re pointin’ her nose for the bright southern star
So it's goodbye to Sally and goodbye to Sue,
And to all who are listenin’ it’s goodbye to you,
The anchor is weighed and the sails they are set,
And them Liverpool Judies, we shall never forget,
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of town
We‘ve left you enough for to buy a silk gown.
And you Park Lane Judies, I’ll have you know
That we’re bound for the southland, oh lord, let us go.
Cheer up, Mary Ellen, and don’t look so glum
On white stocking day ye’ll be drinkin’ hot rum.
Aye Sir, Aye
Traditional
You went for a walk, sir? Aye sir, aye.
And you did the same sir? No sir, no.
You did, did you not sir? Aye sir, aye.
It's true is it not sir? No sir, no.
CHORUS
One says: "Aye" and the other says: "No",
we are four jolly lads all in a row,
In a row, in a row, in a row, in a row,
we are four jolly lads all in row
You met a fair maiden? Aye sir, aye.
And you did the same sir? No sir, no.
You did, did you not sir? Aye sir, aye.
It's true is it not sir? No sir, no.
She's having a baby? No sir, no.
She is, is she not sir? Aye sir, aye.
It's true is it not sir? No sir, no.
He cannot deny sir? Aye sir, aye.
Will you buy the round sir? No sir, no.
And how about you sir? No sir, no.
You will, will you not sir? No sir, no.
Not one little drop sir? No sir, no.