Some variations on the "Sally" character.


Two verses from the singing of Oscar Brand:

Sally Brown, she had a baby
Way hey, roll and go
She says it's mine, but I just said maybe,
Spent my money on Sally Brown

It might be mine I do repeat
But it might belong to the whole damned fleet.

In some versions, the sailor craves both Sally and her daughter.

Some related fragments about Sally from other songs:

...from "Hilo Johnny Brown" (through Danny Spooner, Lou Killen and others) which shares some verses with other "Sally" songs
and shanties:

Sally, she is a big foot nigger (or "she's got a fine full figure")
Way, hey, Sally-O
Her bow is big, but her stern (or ass) is bigger
Hilo Johnny Brown, stand to your ground

Sally, where shall I stow my cargo
Stow some forward and stow some after

Sally also appears, with baby of course, in a Canadian Maritimes dance tune, similar to the more popular ""Lots Of Fish In Bonavist' Harbor/I'se the B'y", but sung to the tune of "Reuben & Rachael
(through Ed McCurdy):

Sally Brown she had a baby
Father said that he don't care
Must've been that feller from Fortune
That was fishin' up here last year.

(chorus)
Swing your partner diddle-um dutt-win
Swing your partner diddle-um day
Swing your partner diddle-um dutt-win
Diddle-um dutt-win, diddle-um day.

Sally goes to church on Sunday
Not to sing or pray, I fear
But to see that feller from Fortune
That was fishin' up here last year.

At least often one will consider, however briefly, actually marrying Sally. Girls named Sally Brown tend to be more desirable in these songs than those named Lulu, though, where fewer redeemable verses abound. A few might be commom to both. You might try googling Lulu, probably at both a price and a risk....