There is a reference to this song in the regular C. Fox Smith poem thread but no words were provided and there was no discussion of its curious geographic title.

Here are the original words:

Poem by C. Fox Smith, 1922
From SEA SONGS AND BALLADS 1917-22, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., NY, © 1924, pp. 1-2.

SOU' SPAIN

Are you coming, Johnnie Bowline,
Have you had your fill of fun?
Are you ready, Johnnie Bowline,
Now your payroll's spent and done,
And your welcome's growing stale,
And your pals begin to fail,
And there's something seems to whisper
That it's time to sign again –
Time to hit the trail you know,
Time to pay your shot and go,
Time to heave your donkey's breakfast in
And sail Sou' Spain!

Are you coming, Johnnie Bowline,
Have you kissed your girl adieu?
There's a lofty skysail clipper,
And I think she waits for you,
And she's ready for the sea,
And the Peter's flying free,
And the wind goes through her rigging
Like a ranting old refrain: –
"Time to find a ship once more,
You've been over long ashore,
Time to hump your old sea chest aboard
And sail Sou' Spain!"

Hurry up now, Johnnie Bowline,
For she hasn't long to stay,
Get a move on, Johnnie Bowline,
If you mean to come away,
For the tide is at the flood,
And the anchor's off the mud,
And they're tramping round the capstan
In the darkness and the rain, –
And when oilskins and sea chest
Go the way of all the rest,
Oh, it's time to take the pierhead jump
And sail Sou' Spain!

Sou' Spain! Sou' Spain,
In the grey dawn breaking chill!
Sou' Spain! Sou' Spain,
Give it lip lads with a will!
Oh don't you weep for me, for me,
My lovely Liza Jane,
You'll soon forget your sailorman
That's sailed Sou' Spain!

Here are the words that William Pint, Felicia Dale, and Tom Lewis sings in Pint's adaptation of this poem:

Words by C. Fox Smith, 1922
From SEA SONGS AND BALLADS 1917-22, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., NY, © 1924, pp. 1-2.
adapted by William Pint and recorded on MAKING WAVES © 1992


SOU' SPAIN

Are you coming, Johnnie Bowline,
Have you had your fill of fun?
Are you ready, Johnnie Bowline,
Now your payroll's spent and done
And your welcome's growing stale,
And your pals begin to fail,
And there's something seems to whisper
That it's time to sign again-
Time to hit the trail you know
Time to pay your shot and go,
Time to heave your donkey's breakfast in
And sail Sou' Spain!
Sou' Spain!
In the grey dawn breaking chill
Sou' Spain!
Give it lip lads with a will
Oh don't you weep for me
My lovely Liza Jane
You'll soon forget your sailorman
That's sailed Sou' Spain!

Are you coming, Johnnie Bowline,
Have you kissed your girl adieu?
There's a lofty skysail clipper,
And I think she waits for you,
And she's ready for the sea.
And the Peter's flying free,
And the wind goes through her rigging
Like a ranting old refrain:
"Time to find a ship once more,
You've been over long ashore,
Time to hump your old sea chest aboard
And sail Sou' Spain!"

Hurry up now, Johnnie Bowline,
For she hasn't long to stay,
Get a move on, Johnnie Bowline,
If you mean to come away,
For the tide is at the flood,
And the anchor's off the mud,
And they're tramping round the capstan
In the darkness and the rain
And the oilskins and sea chest
Go the way of all the rest
Oh it's time to take the pierhead jump
And sail Sou' Spain!

Unfortunately this CD is now out of print.

But what does "Sou' Spain" refer to? Is it some reference to the Old Spanish Main, wherever that was, or some place else altogether?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble