1951        Doerflinger, William Main. _Shantymen and Shantyboys: Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman_. Macmillan: New York.

Here is Doerflinger's presentation of "Tommy's Gone."

His remark on "Ilo" seems to have no purpose -- unless he is drawing a connection between that and the nitrate trade. However, it is also unclear why he says it is a chanty of the nitrate trade in the first place. Did Richard Maitland, the singer, say something about this? That seems somewhat doubtful, and, as we've seen, the song certainly was not limited to that trade. Could it be that, through circular logic (Ilo = Peru = nitates = Ilo) he convinced himself that the statement about the nitrate trade was reasonable to make without citing a source?

From the nitrate trade around Cape Horn to the West Coast of South America came "Tommy's Gone to Hilo" (pronounced "high-lo"). Ilo, as the inhabitants call it, is the port in southern Peru. The name of any port could be worked into Tommy's travels by a resourceful shantyman.

Tommy's Gone To Hilo

(From the singing of Richard Maitland, Sailors' Snug Harbor, NY)

1. My Tommy's gone, what shall I do?
Away, Hilo!
My Tommy's gone, what shall I do?
Tommy's gone to Hilo!

2. My Tommy's gone to Liverpool,
My Tommy's gone to Liverpool,

3. Now, Tommy's gone and I'll go too,
My Tommy's gone and I'll go too.

4. Now, pull away and show her clew.
We'll h'ist her up and show her clew.

5. One more pull and that will do.

6. Tommy's gone to Baltimore
And where they carry the cotton shore.

7. Now, pull away, my bully boys,
Oh, pull away and make some noise.

8. Now, Tommy's gone to Mobile Bay.
Tommy's gone to Mobile Bay.

9. A-screwing cotton by the day.

10. My Tommy's gone, they sat to Bombay.
Tommy's gone, they say to Bombay.