Interesting discussion.

Joan Baez recorded a version of the "dollar" version on "Folksingers Round Harvard Square," her first record (?). It was very slow and, indeed, a bit dull, much as Q describes what he heard. I used to have a copy of that LP, and I loved this chanty, slow & dull or not...

The way it's shown in the DT is not quite representative of how Joan Baez sang it, which was sort of like the below (from memory, so may not be enirely complete). This version mentions "white man's pay" but doesn't as I recall say anything about "black man's pay":


LOWLANDS

Lowlands, lowlands,
Away, my John
Five dollars a day is white man's pay
My dollar and a half a day

My old mother wrote me
She told me to come home from sea
On my dollar and a half a day

Lowlands, lowlands
Away, my John
Five dollars a day is white man's pay
My dollar and a half a day

Cheers,
C