174 - Blow The Man Down ( IV - Doerflinger ) - Halyard Shanty

Here is one of the most favorite shanties is the tops'l halyard shanty "Blow The Man Down".
This version comes from William Doerflinger's "Shantymen And Shantyboys" (1951). Doerflinger says is that almost any simple song could be adapted to "Blow The Man Down". Les Nickerson (Doerflinger's shantyman), a Nova Scotian, uses verses from the ancient Anglo-Scottish ballad of "The Three Crowns", or "The Twa Corbies".
I would also like to thank Artur Pietrzykowski for the wonderful illustration that you can find at the beginning of the record.
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 212).


Blow The Man Down ( IV - Doerflinger )


There was there crows sat on a tree,
   - WAY, hay, BLOW the man down!
And they was black as black could be.
   - GIMME some time to BLOW the man down!

                *2*
Says one old crow unto his mate,
"Where shall we go for somethin' to eat?"

                *3*
"There is an old horse on yonder hill,
And there we can go and eat our fill.

                *4*
"There is an old horse on yonder mound.
We'll light upon to his jaw-bone."

                *5*
Says one old crow unto the other,
"We'll pick his eyes out one by one".