Stan Hugill's Shanties of the Seven Seas gives three versions of Cheerily Man. The version in the DT is Hugill's 2nd, with the last two verses of his 1st inserted before the last verse. He says this version was used for catting the anchor, while the others were halyard shanties. There is no tune in the DT. Here are his versions 1 and 3.

He says it is "probably the most primitive, and one of the oldest of all these heaving and hauling songs of the sea. It was obscene to a degree and most versions have had to be camouflaged". This is Hugill's bowdlerised version:

CHEERILY MAN (MEN)
Oh, Nancy Dawson, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
So sez the Bosun, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
Has flannel drawers on, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
Oh, hauley aye yeo!
Cheerily man!

Oh, Sally Rackett, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
In her pea-jacket, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
Shipped in a packet, aye yeo!
Cheerily man!
Oh, hauley aye yeo!
Cheerily man!

Oh, Flora Fernanah
Slipped on a banana,
Can't play the pianner.

Oh, Susie Skinner
Sez she's a beginner,
Prefers it to dinner.

Oh, Missus Duckett,
She's kicked the bucket,
Oh, nip an' tuck it.

Oh, Polly Riddle
Has a hole in the middle
Of her new fiddle.

Oh, Betty Baker,
Kissed by a Quaker,
Oh, rock 'n' shake 'er.

Oh, Jenny Walker,
Kissed by a hawker,
He wuz a corker.

Oh, Jennifer Bell,
She drinks as well,
An' never will tell.

Oh, Katie Karson
Slept with a parson,
She's got a bar-son.

Oh, Polly Hawkins
In her white stockings
Has done some rockin's.

Oh, haughty cocks,
Oh, split the blocks,
Oh, stretch her luff.

Oh, rouse 'n' shake 'er,
Oh, shake 'n' wake 'er,
Oh, go we'll make 'er.

Avast there, avast!
Make the fall fast,
Make it well fast.


Version 3 comes from Deep Sea Shanties and also from American Sea Songs and Shanties (W W Norton & Co, N.Y.), both by Frank Shay. Presumably the bowdlerisation here is Shay's

O haul pulley, Yoe!
Cheerily men.
O long and strong, yo ho!
Cheerily men.
Yo-ho and with a will,
Cheerily men,
Cheerily, cheerily, cheerily O!

A long haul for Widow Skinner,
Kiss her well before dinner,
At her, boys, and win her.

A strong pull for Mrs. Bell,
Who likes a lark right well,
And what's more will never tell.

Oh, haul and split the blocks,
O haul and stretch her luff,
Young lovies, sweat her up.


Hugill says this was the tune for all three versions, but I personally find there seem to be too many notes for most of the verses.

MIDI file: CHEERMAN.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: F
TimeSig: 4/4 48 8
Name: Cheerily Man (Men)
Start
0000 1 65 105 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 65 080 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 080 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 65 095 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 65 080 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 65 105 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 65 080 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 62 095 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 64 080 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 65 080 0479 0 65 000 0001 1 60 105 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 64 080 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 65 080 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 095 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 70 080 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 69 105 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 67 080 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 70 095 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 080 0159 0 70 000 0001 1 69 080 0159 0 69 000 0001 1 70 080 0159 0 70 000 0001 1 65 105 0959 0 65 000 0961 1 60 105 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 65 080 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 080 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 095 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 72 080 0479 0 72 000 0001 1 70 105 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 69 080 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 70 095 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 72 080 0159 0 72 000 0001 1 70 080 0159 0 70 000 0001 1 72 080 0159 0 72 000 0001 1 74 105 1439 0 74 000 0001 1 70 080 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 69 105 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 72 080 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 69 080 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 65 080 0239 0 65 000 0001 1 67 095 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 70 080 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 67 080 0159 0 67 000 0001 1 65 080 0159 0 65 000 0001 1 64 080 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 65 105 0959 0 65 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X: 110
T:Cheerily Man (Men)
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
K:F
F2FF F2F2|F2F2 DEF2|C2EF G2B2|A2 G2 B2(3BAB|F4 z4|
C2FG A2c2|B2A2 B2(3cBc|d6B2|AcAF GB(3GFE|F4 z4||

Wassail! V