Recorded by Alan Lomax at L'Esterre, Carriacou I. in the Lesser Antilles, July 30, 1962. The thirteen singers are not on shipboard: instead, they are re-enacting shantying for a wake.

For some odd reason, a note describes the shanty as being sung in "French Creole."

This complete transcription shows just how repetitive a certain style of shantying could be. (There's a certain amount of non-musical shouting throughout, which I have not taken note of):



Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, where you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, we land that cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Oh, the Captain drinkin' whisky, and ye give yesel' a Pepsi
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Hey-ey, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny-O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny-O!
Shannydo, my dooly-a, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Captain drinkin' whisky, and ye give yesel' a Pepsi
        Hey-ey! Shiny-O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Captain drinkin' whisky, and ye give yesel' a Pepsi
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully boy, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Hey-ey! Shiny O!
Shannydo, my bully, you land the cyahgo!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine!

Brandy and wine, whisky and soda
        Heeeey! Shiny O!             [ritardando]

[Spoken:] 'Vast heavin' then.

Compare "Shannydo, my bully boy" with Bullen's words.

Some of the singers may be singing "Shine-dee-O!" or "Shandy O!" The song is listed as "Ride 'em Trinidad," but I seem to hear clearly "Right down..." or "Ride down..." "Dooly-a" may be just a slip of the tongue.

The same day, Lomax recorded another performance with a different leader. This time he added his own voice to the chorus:


Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

[Someone shouts:] Heave away!

(One-off tune change in first line:)
Right down Trinidad, brandy and wi-ine
        Hey-ey, Shandy O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

[Shouted rhythmically:] Oh, call a good time on that gal over there,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

[Shouted:] Heave away, man! Heave away! Heave away!
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

[Shouted:] Start out for that roll [inaudible], my boy!
       Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

[Another singer:] Brandy and wine, whisky and water
        Waaaaaay, Shiny O!
[First singer:] Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shandy O!
[Shouted:] Call a good time on that gal o'er there for me, big boy!
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

Oh, brandy and wine, whisky and soda,
        Hey-ey, Shiny O!
Oh, Shannydo, my boy, will you land that cyahgo?
        Right down Trinidad, brandy and wine.

'VAST HEAVIN'!
'Vast Heaving!
'VAST HEAVIN'!

Though the song has been kept alive in an island black community and is sung by blacks, the melody is modal and lacks blue notes – another suggestion that the "blues" is relatively recent (ca1890) and more North American than African. Harding's shanties in Hugill are similarly "non-bluesy."