In his book, 'Shanties From The Seven Seas', p42, author Stan Hugill wrote, "My old shipmate. Jack Birch of Plymouth, gave me a sailor version of the old song, Polly Wolly Doodle, which he said he believed had been used as a shanty- and if this is so, then not only foreigners 'invented' shanties in modern times ! Many of the words in this song- Susiana, Fare-ye-well, doodle- have a genuine shanty touch." Oh, we went up the Channel with a new main yard, Ch. Singing skiddly , winkie, doodle all the day! And it fell upon the deck an't it broke the skipper's neck, Ch.Singing skiddly, winkie, doodle all the day! Fare-ye-well, fare-ye-well, fare-ye-well my lady friend, For we're bound to Alabama for to see me Susiana, Singing skiddly, winkie, doodle all the day!
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