STORMALONG
(Pumping and Capstan Shanty)

Stormy's dead, that good old man –
To my ay, Stormalong!
Stormy he is dead and gone –
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong!

Stormy's dead and gone to rest –
To my ay, Stormalong!
Of all good skippers he was the best –
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong!

We dug his grave with a silver spade –
To my ay, Stormalong!
His shroud of softest silk was made –
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong!

I wish I was old Stormy's son –
To my ay, Stormalong!
I'd build a ship a thousand ton –
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong!

I'd load her deep with wine and rum –
To my ay, Stormalong!
And all my shellbacks should have some –
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong!


Notes by CFS, p. 62:

Originally a pumping shanty, when the wooden ships and the constant pumping that was in their time one of the chief parts of the day's work went their way, this, like most of its kind, survived as a capstan or windlass song.

A word or two on the subject of these converted pumping shanties may not be amiss here. They were not generally used as anchor songs. Many landsmen think a capstan and an anchor song are synonymous: whereas most of these were not generally used as anchor songs. The capstan was frequently used at sea in all sorts of ways – for sheets and halliards, for instance, and on such occasions a song like "Stormalong" or "Lowlands" would probably be requisitioned, especially in the later days when crews got smaller and ships bigger.

X:1
T:Stormalong
C:C.Fox Smith 'A book of Shanties' p 63
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:C
G2G2B2(A G)|c2c2G2(A3/2 B/2)|c3G c3G|E6zc|
w:Storm-ey's dead that_ good old man to_ my ay storm-a-long_
c2B2A2D2|F2A2A4|A2A2A2G F|E G3G2z2
w:Storm-ey he is dead and gone ay ay ay mis-ter storm-a-long

---

Click to play