The members of the Oysterband may have been inspired by the traditional Bully in the Alley chorus to write their own song; we have all advanced theories on just what the expression "I'm bully in the alley" means, and the general consensus seems to be some kind of sailor-ashore brawl.

I wrote another variation of Tom Lewis' 4th verse which may be of interest for those who can't leave traditional songs alone:

So goodbye, Sal, I'm gonna be a sailor,
Way, hey, bully in the alley,
Packed me gear and signed aboard a whaler,
Bully down in Shinbone Al.

So how many Shinbone Alleys have people found on waterfront maps? We have at least one here in Maine, in the old seaport town of Wiscasset.