Music Of The Waters - online book

Sailors' Chanties, Songs Of The Sea, Boatmen's, Fishermen's,
Rowing Songs, & Water Legends with lyrics & sheet music

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Music of the Waters.                  9
Our blue-jackets appear to possess this sentiment of hero-worship to a very large extent, if one may judge by the songs and yarns that find most favour with them.
In the capstan chanties the metre is generally long, and they are of a more pathetic nature than the hauling ones. To those who have heard it as the men run round the cap­stan, bringing up the anchor from the English mud of a ship outward bound for a two or three years' trip, perhaps never to return, what can be more sad or touching,. although sung with a hearty good-will, than " Yo, heave ho!"
or such words as :—
" To the Liverpool Docks we'll bid adieu ; To Suke, and Sally, and Poll too ; The anchor's weighed, the sails unfurled ; We are bound to cross the watery world. Hurrah ! we're outward bound ! Hurrah ! we're outward bound ! "
Liverpool, as the sailing-point and homeward goal of so many vessels, naturally figures very prominently in the sailors' chanties, and the air of romance that attaches itself to California, the Brazils, and Mexico also seems to have a peculiar charm for Jack. He has another outward-bound song something to this effect:—