Blood Red Roses is an English whalerman's halyard shanty. From the liner notes for the Washington LP, "Whaling Ballads," A. L. Lloyd writes:

"Ned Close,, formrly bosun in Southern Whaling and Sealing Company ships knew this song from the old days but coild throw no light on its mysterious refrain.'It's got me mogadored. The SouthGeorgiamen who used to sing it. I reckon they had too much on their minds to bother about the sense of a song.' "

It is frequently futile to search for meanings where there are none, ie., "Go Down'" "Bring en down," way-hey" etc.

"Go Down You Murderer," is from the Ballad of Tim Evans," by Ewan MacColl.