New Songs

2 New Songs at Octobers Shanty Session however I did not manage to obtain any recordings for the session. I will try in the meantime to obtain a link to YouTube recordings close to the way in which we intend to sing them. Watch this space !!

Haul Away Joe

When I was a little boy, so me Mother told me
away haul away, we'll haul away Joe! 
That if I didn't kiss the girls, my lips would go all mouldy
away haul away we'll haul away Joe!


Way, haul away, we're bound for better weather
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe!
Way haul away, we'll haul away together,
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe!
King Louis was the King of France before the revolution
away ….
And when we got his head cut off it spoiled his constitution
away ……

The cook  is in the galley, he's making duff so handy
away …
And the Captain's in his cabin a-drinkin' wine and brandy
away …..

And now we're leaving Liverpool, bound for the Bay of Mexico
away ……
I thought I heard the old man say 'It's time for us to roll and go'
away …….

You call yourself a second mate, you cannot tie a bowline
away ……
You cannot even stand up straight when the ships a-rollin'
away …….



The Mermaid
It was Friday morn when we set sail and we were not far from the land,
When our Captain he spied a mermaid so fair
With a comb and a glass in her hand, her hand, her hand.
With a comb and a glass in her hand.

Chorus:
And the Ocean waves do roll
And the stormy winds do blow
And we poor Sailors are skipping at the top
With the landlubbers lying down below, below, below, with the landlubbers lying down below

Then up spoke the Captain of our jolly ship and a fine man was he,
'This fishy mermaid has warned me of our doom,
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea.

Then up spoke the Mate of our jolly ship and a fine spokesman was he,
'Oh I have a wife in Weymouth by the sea,
And tonight she a widow will be, will be will be,
And tonight she a widow will be'.

Then up spoke the cabin-boy of our jolly ship and a brave young lad was he,
'Oh I have a sweetheart in Portland by the sea
And tonight she'll be weeping for me, for me, for me
And tonight she'll be weeping for me'

Then up spoke the cook of our jolly ship and a crazy old butcher was he,
'I care much more for my pots and my pans
Than I do for the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,
than I do for the bottom of the sea'.

Three times around went our jolly ship and three time round went she,
Three times around went our jolly ship,
And she sank to the bottom of the sea, the sea, the sea,
And she sank to the bottom of the sea.

All songs checked and amended. Note that the original first version of Haul Away Joe has now been removed. All words in the mermaid have been corrected. They will be appearing in the next update to the songbook.