The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-11
SONGS IND THE SAILOR.
AIRS USED TO LIoHTEN LABOR AND
INSURE COOPERATION.
A voluntary Feature Of Life NJ Sea,
Yet an Absolute Necessity to ss-
cure the Rest Results From the
Men In the ships rorecastle.

BY the above must not be taken to
mean the well known lyrics Of Dibdin or
the older Come all yes" that. like every
thing else belonging to tho sea. seem to
have been elbowed out Of existence by the
coming of the engineer, and. in the mer-
chant service at any rate, the supremacy
OF the foreigner. Indeed. have shrewd
suspicion that sailors songs, as the term
is generally understood are mostly sung
ashore, the sailor with a curious pervers-
ity. usually preferring the most vapid
and banal productions of the music halls
to such beautiful and sp.rit-stirring lyrics
as Tom Bowling" and 1.-THE Anchors
Weighed"
No; the songs speak OF are those
wherewith the sailor. borrowing, no doubt.
from the primitive peoples he meets with
at his many calling places around the
world, uses not only to tighten his labor
world, TO tighten his labor, but to give no.
tice Of the precise moment at which all
the workers shall put forth their strength
by the Incidence Of a certain note or break
or emphasis. In Its lowest. and therefore
earliest, form this sea music Is purely ar
bitrary as to tune and IL absolutely with
out words 1t consists simply Of a success
sion Of musical sounds produced from the
-ehest while the tongue lies quiet in the
mouth. and utterly unproduclble In any
graphic form. Varying with the indivd-
lial, they are naturally OF the utmost d.
versity of character. but In two things
they may all be truly said to agree. 4. O.,
In their being in the minor mode. and in
their intervals agreeing with the sequence
of the pulls to be made.
This service of song Is purely voluntary.
but yet II ia of such absolute necessity
In the merchant service, where the num-
Der Of hands Is so small that misapplied
energy Is not to be thought Of that II mar
safely he said that the work of any ship
could not be carried on without It. Some
times 1t happens that some friction having
arisen between officers and crew, the lat
ter will lay hold Of rope and pull dumb
", their intention being. OF course, to an
noy the officer, first by their unusual ST.
lence, and next by the knowledge that
the work he wishes to be executed Is GER
tainly being hindered by the lack OF ef-
fective cooperation.
So strongly does this habit Of "yo-ho-
ing" lay hold Of all merchant seamen that
when recently went on board Of a man.
o'war for the naval maneuvers. although
at least sixteen years had elapsed since
left the sea, was really distressed to see
a number Of men pulling on rope without
any voice being raised to consolidate their
efforts. as II were. inquired almost pite-
ously for the reason OF this absence of
the CHEEKY, encouraging tones had been
used to hear, but could get none. I'VE
never do It," was all the answer could
get, and could only reply that It was a
great pity they didn't.
This custom of singing out when hauling
or lifting Is, as have said, universal in
the merchant service. but the singing Of
sailor songs with fixed times Is a step
higher In the scale. and Is dependent upon
the presence In the ship Of qualified sing
er. I think the origin of these songs may
- w..t ~{Ar~ AL. "a
America. who, with the primitive instincts
for tightening their labor by rhythmical
cadence. developed into the setting of
those cadences to words, have furnished
all the ships of all the world with useful
songs. The words are largely arbitrary
and nonsensical, although those belonging
to the choruses are fixed as the times.
Also each particular form of aboard ship
work requiring large number of men to
give 1t their whole united energies has its
own style of song. For instance, hoisting
the topsail yard. although heavy pulling
job. Is not too heavy to admit of two pulls
coming close together In the chorus, as in
the old favorite. whisky, Johnny" where
the chantey man sings oh, whisky is the
life of man." and all hands join in with
tremendous pull on the emphasized sylia-
bles, Whisky, John-ny," and after the
next line, whisky for me, Johnny" Or
in the peculiar song of which the words
are certainly as purely nonsense as those
of Alice in Wonderland" "A Yankee ship
come down the ribber; blow. boys. blow;
Yankee ship come down the ribb-ah;
blow. my bully boys, blow" There are
many more. OF course, for the same pur-
pose. but these two viii suffice for exam.
pies. - ada
Then come the songs for one effective
pull. such as getting the foresheet hauled
aft when that mighty sail Is exerting its
ia ,1rix,t III
through the foaming sea. All hands get
hold and brace themselves, while the
chantey man sings, Haul In the bowline;
don't ye hear the skipper grow-ow-lin',"
and all hands Join in Haul in the bow
line. the bowline HAUL" with tremen-
dous tug at the last word that usually
brings the rebellious sail down to its bear
ings at once. On one never to be forgot
ten occasion. when outward bound to New
Zealand with passengers, we mustered far
too many on the foresheet one evening
when 1t was blowing very hard. The song
was sung and the chorus rang out being
concluded by such a mighty jerk that the
big rope parted. and that long line of 'lusty
singers lay PROSTATE, as II stricken down
by lightning. The capers that the foresail
cut before the lee clew could be secured
and a new sheet rove were many, but the
sail being of the very best, 1t held, and we
had not the sorrow of bending a new one
that night.
Then comes the song of the blunt" used
when putting a harbor furl on such big
sails as mainsail or foresail. The sail be-
ing all neatly gathered up and a smooth
skin ready to cover 1t all in, one of the
men In the middle, where the bulk of the
canvas is. sings thusly. ''Away-ay-a-oo-
YAH" and all the rest join In with "We'n
pay Paddy Doyle for his boots" AT the
last word the bunt comes up into its place
and is secured
For heaving up the anchor or walking
round the capstan there are more songs
than for any other form of labor aboard
ship. Some of these are OF great beauty
and are, believe, traceable to other than
negro sources. Strange to say, most OF
them are mournful both In words and mu-
sic. Prime favorites are "Goodhy fare
you-well." "Hurrah, me boys, we're home
ward Tor outward bound" "The Rolling
River"-that is. the Missouri-"The Rio
Grande." Santa Ana" or "Ah on the
Plains of Mexico" for the windlass. while
for the capstan, or winch, Sally Brown,
the Bright Mulatto," easily holds first place.