In "Songs of American Sailor Man," Joanna C. Colcord says of the shanty Cheerly Man, "the words are too racy to reproduce without considerable editing." Here are Colcord's words. Does anybody know what they were before the cleaned them up?

CHEER'LY MAN

Oh, Nancy Dawson, Hi—oh!
She's got a notion, Hi—oh!
For our old bo'sun, Hi—oh!

Oh, Betsey Baker, Hi—oh!
Lived in Long Acre, Hi—oh!
Married a Quaker, Hi—oh!

Oh, Kitty Carson, Hi—oh!
Jilted the parson, Hi—oh!
Married a mason, Hi—oh!

Avast there, avast, Hi—oh!
Make the fall fast, Hi—oh!
Make it well fast, Hi—oh!

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Note from Joe Offer: Colcord titles this song "Cheer'ly Man." Colcord's notes: In a class by itself — neither halliard nor capstan shanty - is the so - called "runaway song,” in which the crew sang in chorus throughout, tailing on to the rope and running with it down the deck to the stamp and go of the music. It called for a big crew, and so was not much heard on American ships in the later days; but it is one of the few shanties which have crept into song collections ashore.

from Roll and Go by Joanna Colcord, page 29.