Here's a Health to the Company

## Here's a Health

Not to be confused with the other Parting Glass, though sometimes titled as such — the two songs share similar subject matter, but are otherwise unrelated. The earliest written examples date from 1875, but at least one source claims it was performed as early as 1836. The Longest Johns' version was featured as the closing track on Cures What Ails Ya, released in 2020.

The song was the subject of the fourth TLJ Community Video Project, with submissions accepted January through March 2023; the finished project was released 19 July 2023, featuring 587 submissions.

## Factoids

The song is often interpreted as the farewell of one preparing to emigrate; it was particularly popular in Ireland and Scotland in the early-to-mid 19th century, which both saw a great deal of emigration in that era due to unemployment, evictions, and famine.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams.

>
> Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
>
> Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
>
> Come lift up your voices, all grief to refrain
>
> For we may or might never all meet here again
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
> Here's a health to the company and one to my lass
>
> Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass
>
> Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
>
> For we may or might never all meet here again
>
>
>
> Here's a health to the dear lass that I love so well
>
> For her style and her beauty, sure none can excel
>
> There's a smile on her countenance as she sits on my knee
>
> There's no man in this wide world as happy as me
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> Our ship lies at anchor, she's ready to dock
>
> I wish her safe landing, without any shock
>
> If ever I should meet you by land or by sea
>
> I will always remember your kindness to me
>
>
>
> {Chorus x2}
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Amazon Music (Commodore 1864 version)
* Apple Music/iTunes (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Apple Music/iTunes (Commodore 1864)
* Bandcamp (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Deezer (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Deezer (Commodore 1864 version)
* Pandora (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Pandora (Commodore 1864 version)
* Spotify (Cures What Ails Ya version)
* Spotify (Commodore 1864 version)

#### YouTube Videos

* Community Video Project
* Music Video
* Cures What Ails Ya version
* Commodore 1864 version

#### Gig Videos

* Perranporth Shout 2017
* Teign Shanty Festival, Teignmouth (28 Sep 2019)
* Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival 2019
* Glasgow Shanty Day, Clydebuilt Festival, 2019
* Bie Daip - Appingedam (24 Aug 2019)
* Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2021
* Shrewsbury Folk Festival (28 Aug 2021)
* Old Songs (25 Feb 2022)
* Le Poisson Rouge, NYC (27 Feb 2022)
* Exeter Phoenix (26 April 2022)

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns, Album Launch gig/party (19 Jun 2018)
* Christmas Party with The Longest Johns!!! (19 Dec 2018)
* Surviving the first month of 2019 with The Longest Johns!!! (New donation system) (30 Jan 2019)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, April. w/Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith (30 Apr 2019)
* Singing Live Stream and Special Announcement... (7 Aug 2019)
* The Longest Johns Streamtember (4 Sep 2019)
* Spooktober Spectacular and Farewell to Anna Livestream (30 Oct 2019)
* TLJ & Friends! | Natalie Holmes (27 Nov 2019)
* The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
* 100k Subscriber Thank You Stream (19 Aug 2020)
* Fancy Dress Social Media Live Stream Tour (31 Oct 2020)
* I Stream, You Stream, We all Scream for Live Stream (30 Jan 2021)
* All Aboard the Stream Locomotive (2 Jun 2021)
* THE SING ALONG! JINGLE JAM 2021 - DAY 6! w/ The Longest Johns (9 Dec 2021)
* Streamage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3 May 2022)
* In Space No One Can Hear You Stream (19 Oct 2022)
* A Midsummer Nights Stream (5 Jul 2023)

#### Chill Streams

* JD & Andy Chilltime - 13/01/2020
* JD and Andy Chilltime - 03/02/2020
* Welcome to Chilltown with Andy and JD (23 Mar 2020)
* Roll on down to Chillbury Town with Andy & JD - 04/05/2020
* It's music stream time, everybody loves music stream time... - 11/05/2020

#### Gaming Streams

* The Longest Johns Play Sea of Thieves but the servers die and we sing anyway (20 Mar 2018)
* Adventures on the Sea of Thieves with Andy and JD (29 Aug 2018)
* Anyone for a Shanty? | Sea of Thieves Singing Live Stream!! (Part 2) (23 Sep 2020)
* Sing & Sail & Kegs me Skellyboys! - 15/06/2020
* Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Marathon for Charity : Part 2 (24 Jun 2020)
* GHOST SHIP! And some singing I guess... - 19/06/2020
* Sea of Sings on a Monday afternoon, oh what a splendid sight to see - 29/06/2020
* Hoist Up The Thing! - 14/08/2020
* I like big boats and I cannot lie - 17/08/2020
* Tunes and Topgallant Sails - 31/08/2020
* Super Monday Afternoon Singing Time On The Sea! - 07/09/2020
* \*bangs table\* boat boat dogs vaults sing boat! - 11/09/2020
* Sing! Sail! Support friends! - 18/09/2020
* Yarr harr fiddley dee and all that. Sea of Sings! - 28/09/2020
* Sailing, Wailing and Failing with Captain Falcore! - 19/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! 3 2 1 SHANT! - 26/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with Spammals! SHANT! - 1/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! with KroTukk! SHANT! - 3/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! Welcome to the Shantydome! - 6/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! - 13/11/2020
* Shants on the sea! - 16/11/2020
* Sea of Good Tidings - 30/11/2020
* Welcome to the Shantdome! - 4/12/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 7/12/2020
* Jingle Drops Jingle Drops - 15/12/2020
* Get in the sea! it's Sea of Sings! - 6/01/2021
* Virtual Pirate Concert with Krotukk - 16/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Yarr? - 01/02/2021
* Game Dev stream! Yarrs for everyone! - 05/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Azuki and HappyKrakenX - 08/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Teachcourage and TheSneakyBeagle - 09/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Boats and stuff! - 15/02/2021
* It's Friday Funtimes! Let's get in the sea! - 26/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! With JD, Dave, Robbie and WIREDmag! - 08/03/2021
* Singing and Sailing with BehavingBeardly and KroTukk - 21/03/2021
* Singing and Sailing in Sea of Thieves! With @RobRaven - 29/03/2021
* Giveaway Giveaways on the Waves! - 12/04/2021
* Streamy time sails with friends and song! - 23/04/2021
* Cutlass Crusades Charity Event! JD with xShumbax and KHARITES\_ - 25/04/2021
* Let's get in the sea and do a music! - 14/05/2021
* Sea of Sings! Lets hope the internet is fixed... - 19/07/2021
* Something something pirate pun - 26/07/2021
* Sing what you want 'cause a streamer is free, You Are A Streamer! - 02/08/2021
* Friday funtime happy murder party! with Kharites & Krotukk - 13/08/2021
* We're Back!! First Sing & Sail of 2022 - 10/01/2022

1. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/CrSe222.html
2. ↑ https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=49309&threadid=49309#744412
3. ↑ https://www.johngraycentre.org/about/archives/brief-history-emigration-immigration-scotland-research-guide-2/
4. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history