She sails from the Mersey where the broad waters flow; She's a Liverpool packet,1 O God, let her go! Bound away! Bound away, where the stormy winds blow! She's a Liverpool packet, O God, let her go! O it's now we are leaving the Waterloo dock— Where the girls and the boys on the pier-head do flock— They give three loud cheers, while the tears down do flow; Then away in the Dreadnought, O God, let us go! Bound away! Bound away, while the wages are low! With flags all a-flying and shore boats around- 99 Then the bands striking up "Yankee Doodle will flow, All to welcome the Dreadnought-O God, let us go! Bound away! Bound away, through gale, hail and snow! She's a Liverpool packet, O God, let her go! WHISKEY! JOHNNY! O WHISKEY is the life of man Whiskey! 3 Johnny!4 O Whiskey is the life of man— Whiskey for me, Johnny! 5 1 No ships were ever worse driven than the Liverpool and New York packets, from about fifteen years before the advent of steam until steam drove them off the Atlantic. The average easterly passage was 23 days, and 39 on the west ward run; but few of the vessels failed to make the former in sixteen days now and then. I can remember hearing the phrase "as hard to drown as a packet rat.' ""Packet rats were the men who manned the vessels, and they grew to be known as, generally, the "hardest cases" that ever trod a deck. "Handspike hash," marline-spike cracker," "belaying-pin soup" and similar phrases came into existence on those vessels. 66 2 In all hoisting chanties the chanty man stands up and pulls on the leading part of the tackle, usually with the second or third mate; while the body of the men "tail on" to the fall after it has been "snatched" into a block on the deck thus forming two sides of a square, 3, 4 and 5 At O Whiskey killed my poor old dad-- O Whiskey killed my poor old dad-- O Whiskey gave me two black eyes- O Whiskey gave me two black eyes— O Whiskey made me pawn my clothes- O Whiskey made me pawn my clothes- O Whiskey drowned my old grey aunt— O Whiskey drowned my old grey aunt— O Whiskey made me go to sea- O Whiskey made me go to sea- O Whiskey hot or whiskey cold- O Whiskey hot or whiskey cold- O Whiskey young or whiskey old- O Whiskey young or whiskey old- O Whiskey's a drink for a man with a heart- O Whiskey's a drink for a man with a heart- these words all hands pull together. This is one of our oldest chanties; it is supposed to have been known at the time of the Armada, with malmsey" in the place of "whiskey." In all hauling chanties the men pull together at the end of each chorus. BANKS OF SACRAMENTO. (CAPSTAN.) Now, my lads, get your beds and lie down— Now, my lads, get your beds and lie down— There's plenty of gold, So I've been told, On the banks of Sacramento! 1 In the Black Ball Line I served my time- In the Black Ball Line I served my time- Blow, my bully-boys, blow, For Californi-O! There's plenty of gold, So I've been told, On the banks of Sacramento! O that was the line for cracking it on To me hoodah! to me hoodah! O that was the line for cracking it on To me hoodah, hoodah, O! Blow, my bully-boys, blow, There's plenty of gold, So I've been told, On the banks of Sacramento! (THE SAME AS A HAULING CHANTY.) Now, my lads, get your beds and lie down— Now, my lads, get your beds and lie down— Blow, boys, blow for Californi-O With a hoodah! There's plenty of gold, so I've been told On the banks of Sacramento! 1 The first line of New York and Liverpool packets; the vessels had a huge black ball painted on the lower part of their topsails. See page 218. We came to a land where the cocktail flows- We came to a land where the cocktail flows- We came to a river where we couldn't get across And the plenty of gold, as I'll have you told, BOWLINE SONGS. I THE bully ship's a-rolling- A Black Ball liner lies a-lee--- She'll lead us a chase, I'll bet a spree Haul away the bowline! She'll lead us a chase, I'll bet a spree The bowline haul! 1 II Haul away the bowline, so early in the morning— Haul away the bowline, so early in the morning— O London docks they are so fine, early in the morning— O London docks they are so fine, early in the morningHaul away, haul! The bowline haul! 1 The original of this is said to have been sung in Tudor times, but it must have changed greatly since then. In those days, when sails were not so well made as they are now, the bowline was a much more important rope than it is to-day. And there lives Kitty on my half-pay, early in the morning-- Haul away! haul away the bowline! And there lives Kitty on my half-pay, early in the morning Haul away, haul! The bowline haul! When I get back I'll marry her, O, early in the morning Haul away! haul away the bowline! When I get back I'll marry her quick, O, early in the morning Haul away, haul! The bowline haul! And if she's married another man, O, early in the morning— Haul away! haul away the bowline! And if she's married another man, O, early in the morning Haul away, haul! The bowline haul! I'll black his eyes and I'll off to sea, early in the morning Haul away! haul away the bowline! I'll black his eyes and I'll off to sea, early in the morning Haul away, haul! The bowline haul! STORM ALONG.1 (PUMPING.) STORM along, and round she'll go- Old Storm-along was a good old man— Old Storm-along was a good old man-- To me hi-hi-hi, Mister Storm-along! The only time I heard this sung was at the pumps, after an Indian Ocean hurricane. There is another version of it, with the second chorus: "Come along, get along. Storm along, John”; but it is used as a hauling chanty. |