Off to Sea

A traditional forebitter warning of the dangers of dissipation and unscrupulous boarding masters. The first known written evidence of the song appears in a London newspaper in 1896,, though it likely originated in the United States. Broadly popular as a folk song, it has been sung by numerous performers ranging from the Dubliners to the Grateful Dead.

The Longest Johns' version appears as track 7 on Between Wind and Water.

### Factoids

American versions of the song often place the onshore action in San Francisco, rather than Liverpool, and **Rapper Brown** appears to be a variation on "Dixie Brown", a notorious San Francisco boarding master. Boarding masters were people who would provide sailors with room and board while ashore in exchange for some or all of the advance pay for their next round at sea; they also earned a fee from the ship's captain for the sailors they recruited. Though some were relatively honest, others resorted to deceit and outright crime to part sailors and their money and to get men on ships. (Paddy West gives a humorous take on such shenanigans.)

According to Robert B. Waltz, Dixie "Shanghai" Brown was "noted for not only supplying sailors for the whalers (the least desirable sort of service for a sailor, since it was hard, cold, and dirty) but going so far as to lure, rob, or trick sailors into his hands. Even among San Francisco boarding masters (who in this period were little better than slavers), he stood out as a particularly bad seed."

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns on their album, Between Wind and Water. The original lyrics can be found here.

>
> {JD}
>
> When first I landed in Liverpool, I went upon the spree
>
> With money at last, I spent it fast, I got drunk as drunk could be,
>
> But when my money was all gone, it was then that I wanted more,
>
> But a man must be blind to make up his mind, to go to sea once more.
>
>
>
> {Together}
>
> Once more, once more, go to sea once more,
>
> But a man must be blind to make up his mind,
>
> To go to sea once more.
>
>
>
> {JD}
>
> And as I walked down London Road I met with a Rapper Brown,
>
> I asked him if he'd take me in and he looked at me with a frown,
>
> He said: "Last time you was paid off, to me you chalked no score,
>
> But I'll give you a chance and I'll take your advance,
>
> And I'll send you to sea once more."
>
>
>
> {Together}
>
> Once more, once more, send you to sea once more,
>
> But I'll give you a chance and I'll take your advance
>
> And I'll send you to go to sea once more.
>
>
>
> {JD}
>
> I shipped on board of a whaling barque, we were bound for the Greenland seas
>
> Where cold winds blow through frost and snow, why Jamaica rum would freeze
>
> And worst to bear, I'd no hard weather gear, as I'd spent all my money ashore
>
> It was then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more
>
>
>
> {Together}
>
> No more, no more, go to sea no more
>
> It was then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more
>
>
>
> {JD}
>
> Some times we're catching whales, me lads, some times we're catching none
>
> With a twenty-foot oar stuck in your paw, from four o'clock in the morn
>
> And as the shades of night roll on and you rest on your weary oar,
>
> It was then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more
>
>
>
> {Together}
>
> No more, no more, go to sea no more
>
> It was then that I wished that I was dead and could go to sea no more
>
>
>
> {JD}
>
> So come all of you hard weather sailing lads, who listen to my song
>
> When you get back from those long trips, I'd have you not go wrong
>
> Take my advice, drink no strong drink, don't you knock on that brothel door
>
> But get married instead and spend all night in bed, and go to sea no more.
>
>
>
> {Together, Repeat to Finish}
>
> No more, no more, go to sea no more
>
> But get married instead and spend all night in bed, and go to sea no more.
>
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music
* Apple Music/iTunes
* Bandcamp
* Deezer
* Pandora
* Spotify

#### YouTube Videos

* Music Video
* Between Wind and Water version

#### Gig Videos

* Perranporth Shout, 2018
* Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival, 2018
* Shrewsbury Folk Festival (28 Aug 2021)

#### Full Band Streams

* Christmas Party with The Longest Johns!!! (19 Dec 2018)
* Live Stream, All aboard the Good Ship Valentine(ish) with The Longest Johns (19 Feb 2020)
* Welcome to the Live Stream, We've got Fun and Sings! Full Band Live Stream!!
* 100k Subscriber Thank You Stream | Full Band Live Stream!!
* Sweet Streams are Made of This | The Longest Johns Full Band Stream (In the Studio)
* It's The Most Wonderful Stream of the Year | The Longest Johns Christmas Full Band Stream
* Strème de Menthe | The Longest Johns Band Singing Stream (27 Jul 2022)

#### Chill Streams

* JD & Andy Chilltime - 13/01/2020 Stream Full VOD
* JD & Andy Chilltime - 27/01/2020 Stream Full VOD
* JD and Andy Chilltime - 03/02/2020 Stream Full VOD
* More chilled than a sack of penguins with Andy & JD - 27/04/2020 Stream Full VOD
* It's music stream time, everybody loves music stream time... - 11/05/2020 Stream Full VOD

#### Gaming Streams

* Adventures on the Sea of Thieves with Andy and JD (29 Aug 2018)
* It's sail and sing with special guest KHARITES\_! - 01/06/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings (and probably thieves) - 26/06/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings. Tonight we sink to the low C's... - 13/07/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 10/08/2020 Stream Full VOD
* 4 Sloops 4 Furious - 04/09/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings! Let's Shant! With Kharites & TeachCourage! - 23/10/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings! with Captain\_Falcore! SHANT! - 2/11/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Adventure with BehavingBeardly - 27/11/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Let's get splashy - 18/12/2020 Stream Full VOD
* Get in the sea! it's Sea of Sings! | - 6/01/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Sea of Sings! Seasons or something! - 29/01/2021 Stream Full VOD
* We give you drops, we give pirates treasure, we give you GIVEAWAYS! - 22/03/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Giveaway Giveaways on the Waves! - 12/04/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Season Two!! New skins, new voyages, same old Kharites\_! - 16/04/2021 Stream Full VOD
* Let's get in the sea and do a music! - 14/05/2021 Stream Full VOD

1. ↑  https://www.vwml.org/record/RoudFS/S489740
2. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/LD07.html