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32 Music of the Waters. |
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2. Blow the man down, you darlings, lie down, Blow the man down for fair London town.
3. When the Black Bailer is ready for sea, That is the time that you see such a spree.
4. There's tinkers, and tailors, and soldiers, and all, They all ship for sailors on board the Black Ball.
5. When the Black Bailer hauls out of the dock,
To see these poor fellows, how on board they flock.
6. When the Black Bailer gets clear of the land,
'Tis then you will hear the great word of command.
7. ' Lay aft here, ye lubbers, lay aft, one and all,
I'll none of your dodges on board the Black Ball.'
8. To see these poor devils, how they will all 'scoat,' Assisted along by the toe of a boot.
9. It's now we are sailing on th' ocean so wide,
Where the deep and blue waters dash by our black side.
10. It's now when we enter the channel so wide, All hands are ordered to scrub the ship's side.
11. And now, my fine boys, we are round the rock, And soon, oh ! soon, we will be in the dock.
12. Then all our hands will bundle ashore, Perhaps some will never to sea go more."
Chorus.—Wae ! Hae ! Blow the man down,
Give me some time to blow the man down.
" Reuben Ranzo " (a true story ?), of course is given in yet another form, both as regards music and poetry ; this favourite hauling chanty seems to have as many different versions as a pickpocket has aliases. The remark made by the collector on this song is worth remembering; he says, " Ranzo is suspiciously like a ' crib' from a well-known old sea-song concerning a certain ' Lorenzo,' who also ' was no sailor.' However the versions of Reuben Ranzo may alter one salient point in each remains, and that is the fact of ' his being no sailor.' " The last lines of this poem run :— |
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