Leave Her Johnny

Often given the full title of "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her", this is a traditional shanty turned ubiquitous folk song. Starting as a windlass or capstan shanty, the earliest known evidence of this song is found in W.B. Whall's autobiography *School and Sea Days* (1901), which places it in the 1860s. It shares verses and sometimes a tune with another song called "Across the Western Ocean".

A perennial favorite on the band's livestreams, this song was also featured in their first community project video, released on 30 Dec 2020 and featuring almost 500 participants.

## Factoids

Folklore holds that this was a shanty saved for the last duty of a voyage, after which all hands would disembark.

**Tarpaulin** is a type of heavy duty waterproof fabric, originally made from tarred canvas. Tarpaulin hats (or just "tarpaulins") were so strongly associated with sailors that the word "tarpaulin" also became slang to refer to the sailors themselves.

**Pocket rat** appears to be an alteration of "packet rat", which was slang for a sailor who worked on packet ships crossing the Atlantic.

## Lyrics

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

>
> Oh, the times were hard and the wages are low,
>
> (Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
>
> I guess it's time for us to go,
>
> (And it's time for us to leave her!) [continues throughout verses]
>
>
>
> Beware these packet ships, I say!
>
> They'll steal your stores and your clothes away
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
> Leave her, Johnny, leave her
>
> Oh leave her, Johnny, leave her
>
> For the voyage is done, and the winds don't blow
>
> and it's time for us to leave her
>
>
>
> There's Liverpool Pat in his tarpaulin hat
>
> And Yankee John the pocket rat
>
>
>
> She would not wear and she would not stay
>
> She shipped great seas both night and day
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> It's rotten beef and weevily bread
>
> It was pump or drown the old man said
>
>
>
> The sails all furled, our work is done
>
> and now ashore we'll take our rum
>
>
>
> {Chorus 2x}
>
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### YouTube videos

* Mass Choir Community Video Project
* All Shanties from AC4 Black Flag Supercut / Playlist

#### Gig Videos

* Falmouth Shanty Festival 2022 finale, w/The Barnacle Buoys, Harry Browns of Bristol, and The Severn Whalers
* Jimmy’s - Liverpool (9 Dec 2022)
* Thekla - Bristol (16 Dec 2022)
* Thekla, Bristol (Dec 2022)
* Cursus Festival 2023 with The Dreadnoughts

#### Full Band Streams

* Christmas Party with The Longest Johns!!! 19 Dec 2018)
* Surviving the first month of 2019 with The Longest Johns!!! (New donation system) (20 Jan 2019)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, March. w/Sam Brookes (22 Mar 2019)
* The Longest Johns Early Octobermas (2 Oct 2019)
* TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
* The Longest Johns In Quarantine (after failed intro + love to @El Pony Pisador ) (18 Mar 2020)
* It's a stream! A Live stream! With The Longest Johns! (13 May 2020)
* I Stream, You Stream, We all Scream for Live Stream (20 Jan 2021)
* Boulevard of Broken Streams (17 Feb 2021)
* THE SING ALONG! JINGLE JAM 2021 - DAY 6! w/ The Longest Johns (9 Dec 2021)
* It's The Most Wonderful Stream of the Year (22 Dec 2021)
* Strème de Menthe (27 Jul 2022)
* Streamship Troopers (15 Mar 2023)
* Stream Lantern (27 Sep 2023)
* Jingle Jam 2023 | Day 4 (4 Dec 2023)
* JINGLE JAM DAY 8! The Longest Johns Live Jingle Jam Concert (8 Dec 2023)

#### Chill Streams

* The Longest Johns - Andy and JD sing some folk songs and shanties! (2 Jun 2018)
* Roll on up to Chilltown with Andy and JD (30 Mar 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)
* Ocean of Larcenists! - Sailing & Singing with Jd, Andy & Dave (29 Feb 2019)
* It's sail and sing with special guest KHARITES\_! - 01/06/2020
* Sail & Sing! Lets get damp and sing shanties! - 08/06/2020
* Sea of Thieves Tall Tales Marathon for Charity : Part 2 (24 Jun 2020)
* Sea of Sings (and probably thieves) - 26/06/2020
* Sea of Sings. Tonight we hit the high C's... - 10/07/2020
* Sea of Sings. Tonight we sink to the low C's... - 13/07/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 10/08/2020
* Hoist Up The Thing! - 14/08/2020
* I like big boats and I cannot lie - 17/08/2020
* Boat! Boat! Boat! Boat! Boat! - 21/08/2020
* Sea of Sings, Arena edition! w/ KHARITES\_ & xSHUMBAx - 24/08/2020
* It's Sea of Sings! Featuring Krotukk! Huzzah! - 28/08/2020
* Tunes and Topgallant Sails - 31/08/2020
* 4 Sloops 4 Furious - 04/09/2020
* Super Monday Afternoon Singing Time On The Sea! - 07/09/2020
* \*bangs table\* boat boat dogs vaults sing boat! - 11/09/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 14/09/2020
* Sing! Sail! Support friends! - 18/09/2020
* Sea of Sings? Sea of chaos! - 25/09/2020
* Yarr harr fiddley dee and all that. Sea of Sings! - 28/09/2020
* SHANT! - 02/10/2020
* Sea of Thieves? Singing? Splendid! - 09/10/2020
* Singing you say? On the sea you say? Sea of Sings! - 12/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! Yarr and all that... - 16/10/2020
* Sailing, Wailing and Failing with Captain Falcore! - 19/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! Let's Shant! With Kharites & TeachCourage! - 23/10/2020
* DROPS! Sea of Sings! with BehavingBeardly! SHANT! - 30/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with AsylumGC8! SHANT! - 31/10/2020
* Sea of Sings! with Spammals! SHANT! - 1/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! Welcome to the Shantydome! - 6/11/2020
* Sea of Sings! - 13/11/2020
* Full Friendship followed by Battle Royale! - 23/11/2020
* Sea of Adventure with BehavingBeardly - 27/11/2020
* Sea of Joviality with KroTukk and KHARITES\_ - 28/11/2020
* Sea of Good Tidings - 30/11/2020
* Musical larceny on the big blue wet thing - 7/12/2020
* Let's do a sing and get in the sea !drops - 11/12/2020
* Let's do pirate stuff - 12/12/2020
* Music and boats and stuff - 13/12/2020
* Let's get splashy - 14/12/2020
* Jingle Drops Jingle Drops - 15/12/2020
* Sea of Sings, ye scurvy dogs! | - 4/01/2021
* Get in the sea! it's Sea of Sings! | - 6/01/2021
* Sea of Sings in the morning! - 11/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Pirate malarkey afoot! - 15/01/2021
* Virtual Pirate Concert with Krotukk - 16/01/2021
* It's yarr time! Sea of Sings! Set sails to 100% - 22/01/2021
* Sea of Sings! Yarr? - 01/02/2021
* Game Dev stream! Yarrs for everyone! - 05/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Let's get splashy! - 06/02/2021
* Sea of Sings with Teachcourage and TheSneakyBeagle - 09/02/2021
* Sea of Sings! Let's get splashy! - 12/02/2021
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream (31 Mar 2021)
* Sea of Sings! Boats and stuff! - 15/02/2021
* It's Friday Funtimes! Let's get in the sea! - 26/02/2021
* Give it away, give it away, give it away now! | Sea of Sings - 15/03/2021
* Sea of Sings with Kharites\_! Let's help her celebrate reaching 7k followers! - 19/03/2021
* Giveaway Giveaways on the Waves! - 12/04/2021
* Sea of Sings! Lets hope the internet is fixed... - 19/07/2021
* Sea of Sings LIVE | The Longest Johns Sea of Thieves Stream (11 Aug 2021)
* SING OF THIEVES! JINGLE JAM 2021 - DAY 14! - THE LONGEST JOHNS (17 Dec 2021)

1. ↑ https://www.vwml.org/record/RoudFS/S384255
2. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/San412.html
3. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Doe089.html
4. ↑ https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/tarpaulin
5. ↑ https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1098&context=studentscholarship