Snippets, from Sea Breezes magazine, 1954

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[pg226] [March 1954, queries section, "Slop Chest"]
WORDS WANTED
I am trying to find the words of a sea chanty, the chorus of which goes:-
“When Paddy comes back, heave in the slack,
Heave around the capstan, heave a-pall, heave a-pall,
‘Bout ship, stations lads, be handy,
rise tacks sheets and mainsail haul.”
Can any reader help?
W. R. Auld

[pg263]
…the local talent among us. There were mouth organ and mandolin recitals. Somehow chanties were taboo. Partly because they were considered “shop” and usually when a crowd got singing “Amsterdam” no holds were barred…

[pg 306]
CHANTY COLLECTOR
I am a collector of sea chanties…

pg 314
NOT A WORKING CHANTY
I am glad to be able to answer the query of Mr. W. R. Auld…

…for the words of the song—it was not a working chanty—of which he gave the chorus. The first verse and chorus ran:

It was a cold and frosty morning in December
When my money was all spent.
Where it had gone I didn’t remember
As to the shipping office I went.
That day there was a great demand for sailors
For Melbourne and for ‘Frisco and for France
And I shipped aboard of the “Harold”
And went to town to cash my month’s advance

Chorus: She’s all aback, heave in the slack…
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