Folk-Songs of America: The Robert Winslow Gordon Collection, 1922-1932

Band B3

From rowing songs to sea shanties in black song tradition is a logical step, for during the nineteenth-century black seamen and dock workers had an important effect upon shantying traditions. J. A. S. Spencer's "Blow Boys Blow" is what Gordon called a "quick time" shanty (Gordon, p. 14) with an unusual text and a familiar refrain. Doboy sound is on the Atlantic coast of Georgia, just north of Darien.

BLOW BOYS BLOW (1) [MP3 file]
Gordon cyl. A479, Item GA252
J. A. S. Spencer
Darien, Georgia [?]
May 11, 1926

The prettiest girl in Doboy town,
Blow, boys, blow.
Her name is fancy Nellie Brown,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

Chorus:
Heave her high and let her go,
Blow, boys, blow.
Heave her high and let her blow,
Oh, blow, my bully boys, blow.

The prettiest girl I ever knew,
Blow, boys, blow.
She wear the red morraca shoe,
Oh, blow, my bully boys, blow.

The prettiest girl I ever saw,
Blow, boys, blow.
She's always riding the white horse,
Oh, blow, my bully boys, blow.

The prettiest boy in Doboy town,
Blow, boys, blow.
His name is Little Johnny Brown,
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow.

Heave her high and let her go,
Blow, boys, blow.
Heave her high and jam her low,
Oh, blow, my bully boys, blow.

It is not known where or when Gordon recorded A. Wilkins, who sang good versions of both "Blow Boys Blow" and "Haul Away" in a splendid voice. Adventure correspondents sent Gordon four other versions of this "Blow Boys Blow" (770, 1033, 1642, 2362). It is a well known song which has been frequently collected; see Doerflinger (pp. 25-29, 327), Hugill (pp. 224-30), and Colcord (pp. 7-8).

BLOW BOYS BLOW (2) [MP3 file]
Gordon cyl. G100, Item Misc.188
A. Wilkins [?]
Place and date unknown

Oh, blow, my boys, for I love to hear you,
Blow, boys, blow;
Oh blow, my boys, for I long to hear you,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

Oh, a Yankee ship dropping down the river,
Blow, boys, blow;
It's a Yankee ship dropping down the river,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

Now, how do you know she's a Yankee clipper?
Blow, boys, blow;
Her spars and decks they shine like silver,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

Oh who do you think was the chief mate of her?
Blow, boys, blow;
Oh, Skys'l Taylor, the Frisco slugger,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

And who do you think was the chief cook of her?
Blow, boys, blow;
Oh big black Sam, the Baltimore nigger,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

And what do you think we had for dinner?
Blow, boys, blow;
A monkey's legs and a monkey's liver,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

And what do you think we had for supper?
Blow, boys, blow;
The starboard side of an old sou'wester,
Blow, my bully boys, blow.

"Haul Away" also is a well-known shanty, with many different verses. The testimony of sailors is that this song was one to which improvisation occurred freely, and the verses which Wilkins sings here are a mixture of the familiar (verse one) and the novel (verse two). See Doerflinger (pp. 4-6, 338), Hugill (pp. 358-61), and Colcord (p. 3) for further references. Gordon collected a version of this in California (Cal. 249).

HAUL AWAY [MP3 file]
Gordon cyl. G100, Item Misc.190
A. Wilkins [?]
Eastern U. S. [?]
1930-32 [?]

Away, haul away, a-haul away, my Rosie,
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe.

I wish I was in Ireland, a diggin' turf an' taters,
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe;
But now I'm in a Yankee ship, a-pullin cleats and braces,
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe.

Once I loved an Irish gal and she was double jointed,
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe;
I thought she had a double chin but I was disappointed,
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe.

Away, haul away, the old man he's a-growlin',
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe;
Away, haul away, our oats are growing mouldy;
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe.
Away, haul away, the bloody ship is rollin',
Away, haul away, a-haul away, Joe.