New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-09
SAILORS WORK SONGS.
"cHANTIEs" THAT GO WITH VARIOUS
LABORS
BY ]. z. PATTERSON.

LABORS.
BY j. F. PATTERSON
The time was when all ocean travellers were com
PEELED TO enter into close contact with the real son
of the waters-with Jack In his proper element.
Jack at home with his fingers In the tarpot But
steam has changed all this. To-day the true sailor
is as unknown 20 the average travelled landsInan
as TO his more stay at home brother. That the
seaman as our fathers knew him is becoming
vanishing quantity Is but partial truth-true only
in the fact that he has passed from minds. be-
cause our travelling does take us into hts COM
pany-unIess we go by uncommon routes. That
Jack has changed Is a mere obvious necessity. But
while there sailing ships-"wind TANNERS, ne
terms them-the real Jack will be alive. Like the
folk songs of mountain peasantry he cannot die
while legends live The young recruit to the great
waters is moulded and trimmed by old hands. az
the latter were by true old salts who have COM
peted and passed in their logbooks for the inspec
tion OF the Samaster Of all voyages. In this they
are assisted by their peculiar environment and
by the unnoticed forces work during long dreary
passages under canvas Thus Is the sailor. not the
steamboat seaman. kept In existence: thus
does he pass the songs which belong solely to
him and are so Enthusiastically OF his life.
The English deep water sailor has song for
almost every piece of work wherein four to a
dozen men are engaged. Aboard ship these songs
are known by the name Of ''chanties''-which is In
all probability, either sailors pluralizing of
word chant a corruption Of the French
"chanson''
GETTING UNDER WAY.
We will take set OF these songs In order, as on
a voyage, and being with the crew on their turn
ing-to after joining the ship in the East India
Dock. London. The command has come to move
her TO the lockpit the mate passes It forward
the bOsun yells IL in at the forecastle doorway
and the men appear deck. The shore boatnen
pull away with the line: II Is made fast to a
bollard on the quay its inboard part taken to the
capstan; the bars shipped. and round go
sullenly. for this is the initial some egh-
teen months comparative isolation. Then the
bo'sun-that connecting link between men and Of
fcers-cries out: "A song. boys; a song! Come.
isn't there 'chanty man in the crowd% In re-
Spouse negro-he being of a IiveIer temperament
than his white shipmates. despite the fitting mel
ancholy air of his farewell-begins
We're on the plains Of Mexico.
(ChOrus) Away Santa Anna:
We're the plains Of Mexico.
Hurrah for Santa Anna
An On the plains Of Mexico:
Hurrah Santa Anna!
In the chorus all the capstan join. In
chanties proper never more than three generally
but one or two. lines sung by the soloist. As
may be expected. the airs like the words are Of a
shoddy kind. Very often the singer will introduce
lines of his own making, either out Of conceit or
because he has forgotten the acknowledged ones;
yet the chorus remains the same Rarely
OCeS IL happen that, however moody the
begin piece of work. II a song be started they do
not finish II Justify and in a better frame of mind
Now. while more OF the above has been sung
capstan and hauling chanties being usually of a
considerable length-the vessel has shortened in her
heaving line Here. the end Is taken to the LOCK
head the bars are again manned and-this time
from British throat-we move around to the old
balladlike tune OF;
'Tis Of a fash packet OF bully-boy fame.
She sails from the Mersey and the Dreadnought's /
(Chorus9 Bound away. bound away!
She sails from the Mersey where the broad waters
Then away to the west'ard oh God let her go,
Bound away. bound away, where the stormy winds |
She's Liverpool packet-oh. God let her go!
BY the time the "Dreadnought' Is concluded the /
ship Is taken in tow. her tugboat being of a large
and powerful make for clippers. unless the breeze
be a steady easterly one. are usually lowed we'll 1
down Channel We will suppose that the wind is I
fair. The lower topsails loosed and sheeted /
home. the foresail and lower staysas follow; then
all hands-coOk included-man the foretopsan hall I
yards. the "chanty man" standing up and pulling
on the downward part with the second or third |
officer. and get:
(chorus) "WR5s 5sFyeI is f f6s rs OF man.
Whiskey is the life Of man,
Whiskey for me, Johnny!
Wh rsIo;yo made de me go to sea.
Whiskey made me go to sea-
Whiskey for me, Johnny!
II the singer be OF the common order he will here
tell what he would do the ocean made Of
whiskey; how. if he had ''whIskey shop he
would hang II on a halyard block and haul the
men up to it. and more of the same kind until the
mate cries. "Belay!'
AWAY TO RIO"
After the fore the main topsan will be hoisted
and with the work shall probably hear an
other outwardbound dtty. such as:
~, Oh where are you going TO- my yaller gal?
on. where are you bound to- bully boys all?
We're bound to the Rio Grande. PULL
The above is also used as windlass chantv
when heaving up the anchor to leave home The
wording then generally runs
Oh where are you bound to. sailor boys all?
(Chorus) Heave-o Rio.
Oh. where are you bound TO, jolly Jack tars?
We're bound TO the Rio Grande!
Then it's heave-o, Rio! heave-o Rio!
And fare you WELL my bOnny young girl
For were bound to the Rio Grande,
Oh. what TO do there, my sailor boys all?
Oh. what do you there, my Jolly Jack Tars?
In that PARKWAY Rio Grande?
Then It's heave-o, Rio! etc.
After stanza on the fever this song goes on
to say what the vessel will load according TO prob
ability-how she will return home and what The /
sailor boys" will do arrival-if they live 10 I
come back: and its air is as can be that /
Of the Independent mkmaId whose face was hsr
fortune.
Thus the heavy sails set. and lighter onss
follow: the towline is cast off: Fnsla5dtS aSIts
cliffs fade away astern. the sinks below tbe
horizon ahead; night comes down, with ms vaSiis /
fear for the voyager's heart Its commoD6idca
10 do business the waters Now Javs SiS I
oy on the heels Of night: night goes uneventfuiy