Lowlands Away

*Not to be confused with Lowlands Low.*

"Lowlands Away" is a traditional song that exists in multiple versions, as both a ballad and a shanty. W.B. Whall included a version in his book *Ships, Sea Songs & Shanties*, placing it at least as far back as the 1860s. Various folk song collectors have theorized that the original form may have been a longer Scottish or English ballad about a visit from a deceased love, fragments of which evolved into shorter songs and shanties, but no concrete evidence has surfaced to support this theory.

Shanty versions frequently show influence from black dockworkers in the American South. They often include verses about pay and work conditions of the dockworkers or of sailors, with "a dollar and a half a day" being a common refrain. Ballad versions, meanwhile, usually feature the narrator mourning a deceased love, either from the point of view of a sailor at sea, or of a woman left behind by her sailor (or sometimes soldier) beau. The Johns' version is in this vein.

The question of which version, if any, can be called the "original" version, though much debated, ultimately remains unclear.

## Factoids

"John" was a slang term for a sailor; the "my John" line is likely this usage rather than referring to anyone named John.

## Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their 1st April 2020 livestream. Many versions are used in their streams, however, and these are not the only lyrics.

>
> I dreamed a dream the other night
>
> (Lowlands, lowlands away, my John)
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> My love she came, all dressed in white
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> (Lowlands away) [continues throughout]
>
>
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> I dreamed my love came in my sleep
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> Her cheeks were wet, her eyes did weep
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>
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> She came to me at my bedside
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> All dressed in white, like some fair bride
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>
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> And bravely in her bosom fair
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> A red, red rose, my love did wear
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>
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> She made no sound, no word she said
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> And then I knew my love was dead
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>
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> Then I awoke to hear the cry
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> Oh watch on deck, oh, watch ahoy
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>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### YouTube Videos

* All Shanties from AC4 Black Flag Supercut / Playlist

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns and Friends, El Pony Pisador! (12 Aug 2018)
* The Longest Johns and Friends, March. w/Sam Brookes (22 Mar 2019)
* Isolation Stream 'n' Skypeathon! (1 Apr 2020)
* Welcome to the Live Stream, We've got Fun and Sings! (22 Jul 2020)
* STREAM (4 Aug 2021)
* Ghost in the Mastream (30 Aug 2023)

#### Chill Streams

* 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)
* Sea of Sings (and probably thieves) - 26/06/2020
* Sea of Sings: Sing harder! - 06/07/2020
* Sea of Sings! Let's get boaty! - 20/07/2020
* Hoist Up The Thing! - 14/08/2020
* I like big boats and I cannot lie - 17/08/2020
* Sea of Sings, Arena edition! w/ KHARITES\_ & xSHUMBAx - 24/08/2020
* Tunes and Topgallant Sails - 31/08/2020
* It's boat time! Sea of Sings! - 21/09/2020
* Yarr harr fiddley dee and all that. Sea of Sings! - 28/09/2020
* Singing you say? On the sea you say? Sea of Sings! - 12/10/2020
* Sea of Sings LIVE (31/03/2021)

1. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/PBB100.html