There's a version of the sea shanty "Serafina" in the DT attributed to Stan Hugill in his fine book SHANTIES OF THE SEVEN SEAS. Stan acknowledged that in order to publish many of the songs he'd collected he'd had to camouflage some of the more obscene words; he collected this song from an Irish sailor named Jack Connolly. Some of these words with the help of Stan and others are restored in this version as sung by The Shanty Crew (UK) on their splendid CD STAND TO YER GROUND. This sea shanty would have been used at t'gallant halyards according to The Shanty Crew's fine notes:

SERAFINA-2

(After the singing of Dominic Magog of The Shanty Crew
On CD STAND TO YER GROUND, © 1989)


In Cal-ly-o there lives a gal whose name is Serafina,
Serafina! Serafina!
She sleeps all day an' works all night in the ol' Cal-ly Marina,
Serafina! Oh, Serafina!

She's the queen, me boys, of all the gals that live in the ol' Casino,…
She used to screw for monkey nuts but now she knocks for vino…

At robbin' silly sailor boys, no gal was ever keener,…
She'll make ye pay right through the nose, that lovely Serafina…

She'll guzzle pisco, beer and gin, on rum her mum did wean 'er,…
She smokes just like a chimney stack or a P.S.N.C steamer…

Serafina's got no drawers, I've been ashore an' seen 'er,…
She's got no time to put 'em on, that hard-worked Serafina…

She likes to lay down with the boys, when in the ol' arena,…
She'll bite and scratch and kick as well, and let the boys careen 'er…

When I wuz young an' in me prime, I first met Serafina,…
In Cal-ly-o we saw the sights an' then went up to Lima…

But the finest sight I ever saw wuz little Serafina,…
But the very next day as we sailed away, I wisht I'd never seen 'er...

For I wuz broke, me clothes wuz gone, an' so wuz Serafina….
She'd done me brown, she'd sunk me down, that dirty she-hyena!…

I used to love that little gal whose name is Serafina,…
But she's gone off with a Dago man who plays a concertina…

Cheerily,
Charley Noble