Thanks William. I got the song (1 verse & a chorus - Slav Ho) about 20 yrs ago from an older recording of the Critics, Ewan said that he'd only had that 1 verse (from Colcord?). I added a few verses over the years, cause it was such a cracker of a song I couldn't bare singing 1 verse, then I ran into David Perry just before be passed on & he had the version Hugill has. I ended up keeping the original verse plus 3 that I had plus 3 from Hugill & the one you end with.

Saltpeter Shanty

For the Spanish Main we are bound away
Oh roll (Slav Ho) (2X)
We are sailing away at the break of day where the swift bonnita & dolphin do play

Grand Chorus:

Oh roll rock her bars heave her hi oh rock her roll (Slav ho slav vita brav say ya marita slav ho- thats how it sounds anyway)

To ol Callio we are bound away, oh roll (2X)
We are bound away from Liverpool Bay to the flash gals of Chili who'll take all our pay

A lashing of liquor the ol man gives, oh roll (2X)
If he keeps it up we'll bust a gut or drive this ship through hell if we must

When the order comes round for to shorten more sail, oh roll (2X)
We'll call for more ale in a full blown gale or up aloft you'll not see our tail

For 2 weary weeks we beat round the horn, oh roll (2X)
To push us on till the break of dawn salt spray we drank from night until morn

Those flash gals of Chili they're hard to beat, oh roll (2X)
They'll greet us & love us & treat us to wine but the bastards are robbing us most of the time

Ol Pedro the crimp we know him of old, Oh roll (2X)
He's priming his vino & doping his beer to the Chinchas he'll ship us if we don't steer clear

And when time comes time to sail away home, oh roll (2X)
From some old seaport town on the west coast of hell we'll sing adious & wish you all well

Barry

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See Saltpeter Shanty thread