The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125267   Message #2772898
Posted By: Charley Noble
24-Nov-09 - 04:23 PM
Thread Name: Edwin J. Brady (old sailor-poet from OZ)
Subject: LYR Add: Yankee Packet
Here's another one that I like, somewhat modeled after the traditional shanty "Congo River":

By Edwin J. Brady
From THE WAYS OF MANY WATERS, by Edwin J. Brady, published by The Bulletin Newspaper Co., Sydney, Australia, © 1899, pp. 86-90.

Yankee Packet

YANKEE packet's down the water --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Third mate loved the skipper's daughter --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Fill her up and let her go --
Wey-hey-ho! Wey-hey-ho!
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

How'd you know 'twas a Yankee packet?
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Know'd her by the awful racket --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Wey-hey-ho, the cook was jealous,
Spiled the soup and bust his bellus --
Blow, my bully boys, blow!

Once she did a bit o' tradin' --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Third mate killed the cook at Aden --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Fill her up an' let her go,
Down with coal to Callao --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Go she must, or go to blazes --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Shout the good old packet's praises --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Lively Loo from Boston sailing,
All the girls were left bewailing
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Lively Loo she took my fancy --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
So I shipped with Captain Clancy --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Wind abaft a lively breeze --
Sailed away to China seas --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Sad we left our loves behind us --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
To be true they long enjoined us --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
But we found in foreign places
Welcome smiles on fairer faces --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Oh! our skipper was a daisy --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Drove the whole fo'castle crazy --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
So we left him ruck and rumbo
In the harbour of Colombo --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Lively Loo was heard no more on --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Went one night a dark lee shore on --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Sharks, they ate the old man's nose off,
Bit his ears and then his toes off --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

'Longshore lasses came to greet us --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Bumboat men were glad to meet us
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Sold our togs to buy bad liquor,
Pawned my pants and popped the ticker --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Got another ship to sail in --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Went to Arctic Ocean whalin',
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Struck a 'berg one night and sunk it,
Freezin' cold, but couldn't funk it --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Saw a right whale busy spoutin' --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
"There she blows!" the look-out shoutin' --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
'Lower away!" and off we goes, mate.
Sticks a harpoon in her nose, mate --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Off she goes and us behind her --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Got a calf, but never mind her --
Blow, my bully boys, blow:
Down she dives, our lances shunning --
Keeps the harpoon-reel a-running,
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Up she comes, and right beside us --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Goes about; now woe betide us!
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Turned her tail gee-whoop! and thrashed us,
Into fifty pieces smashed us --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Missed the coxswain as we wallowed --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Angry whale poor chap had swallowed --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Second boat, she saw her spout then,
Killed the whale and cut him out, men --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Yankee packet's down the river --
Blow, my bully boys, blow;
Fifteen hundred bales to give her --
Blow, my bully boys, blow.
Wey-hey-ho! Wey-hey-ho!
Fill her up and let her go --
Blow, blow, my bully boys, blow!

Got to love 'em sharks!

Charley Noble