I don't think I've logged this one in properly yet in this thread, so...

"Sister Susan" / "Shinbone Al"

Print:Hugill; Bullen; Harlow ("Gwine to Git a Home Bime By")
Performers: Theresa Tooley, Forebitter

Notes:

Discussed in this thread.. Summary and more, here.

Hugill learned it from "Harry Lauder" of St. Lucia.

In its "hauling" format (as Hugill has it), it actually has the form of ~three~ solo verses (each followed by a short refrain). Earlier in the SFSS, when discussing "John Kanaka," Hugill remarked that that song had this "not so common form." However, I have noted this is not so rare. "Mobile Bay," "Kanaka," "Essequibo River," "John Cherokee," and this one all share that feature.

Bullen first gives it in LOG OF A SEA-WAIF, 1899.    He observed a ship's cargo being discharged by stevedores in Demerara:

"Streaming with sweat, throwing their bodies about in sheer
wantonness of exuberant strength as they hoisted
the stuff out of the hold, they sometimes grew so
excited by the improvisations of the "chantey
man," who sat on the corner of the hatch solely
employed in leading the singing, that often, while
for a minute awaiting the next hoist, they would
fling themselves into fantastic contortions, keeping
time to the music. There was doubtless great
waste of energy; but there was no slackness of
work or need of a driver. Here is just one speci-
men of their songs; but no pen could do justice to the vigour, the intonation and the abandon of the
delivery thereof...."

He goes on to print one verse, with music. Bullen also gave the song in 1914's SONGS OF SEA LABOUR (*thanks to KathyW for the source).

Harlow also printed a version of this song, though under the title "Gwine to Get a Home Bime By." He called it a "'Badian hand-over-Hand" chantey, and it follows Bullen's version closely. Lighter (in the other thread) suggested he may possibly have lifted it from Bullen's text. Harlow's is different in having more verses and syncopation in some spots. There is enough difference I think to suggest that Harlow heard it first-hand, but it is also notable how similar the versions are.

So it has been ascribed to St. Lucia (in a way), Guyana, and Barbados. However, a minstrel song published in 1835 was called "Shinbone Alley" itself (in addition to others that might mention the place), and its first verse starts with the same structure as the chantey:

Old Miss Tuck and my aunt Sallie
Both lived down in Shinbone Alley

Forebitter recorded the song as "Gwine to Get a Home," circa 1991 (??). There's is based off of Harlow's text (a few small changes to the melody, some extra-syncopated bits, and a swing-feel read into it). I don't know on what basis they list it as a "windlass or pumping chantey" in their liner notes.   Interestingly, I suspect they had not referenced Hugill's version (filed under a different title) at the time of that recording, on the slimmest evidence -- the fact that they sing "by ME by" since Harlow spells it in dialect as "bime by" (it is clearly "by 'n' by," and Hugill's text would have made that obvious.)