I think this thread has all the sources of info I've seen for "Lowlands" (*except for Hugill)-- enough at least to try to say some things about it. All my opinion/interpretation, of course, but one can decide for oneself -- the evidence is here. Or else, please bring more evidence!

The field-collected versions, reproduced faithfully, are:

*Charles Rosher, in 1906.

A dollar and a half is a poor man's pay.
A dollar and a half it won't clear my way.

*John Perring, in 1908.

Five dollars a day is a white man's pay.
But a dollar and a half is a nigger's pay.
The nigger works both night and day.
But the white man, he works but a day.

*Henry Bailey, in 1914 or earlier

I'm bound away, I heard him say,
A dollar and a half is a oozer's pay,
A dollar and a half won't pay my way ;
A dollar and a half is a white-man's pay.
We're bound away to Mobile Bay ;

*John Short, in 1914 or earlier

The dollar a day is a oozier's pay
What shall we poor matelos do

*John Farr, in 1927

I thought I heard our captain say.
We're sailing straight for Mobile Bay,
I thought I heard our captain cry
A dollar and a half is a whiteman's pay.

*Richard Maitland (went to sea ca.1869/70), in the 30s or early 40s

Five dollars a day is a stevedore's pay;
A dollar a day is a nigger's pay.
I thought I heard our old man say,
That he would give us grog today,
When we are leaving Mobile Bay.
In the Virginia lowlands I was born,
I worked all day down in the corn,
I packed my bag and I'm going away;
I'll make my way to Mobile Bay.
In Mobile Bay, where they work all day,
A-screwing cotton by the day,
Five dollars a day is a white man's pay,
A dollar and a half is a colored man's pay.

*William Fender, in 1929

I thought I heard our old man say,
A dollar a day is a poor man's pay,
So shake her up from down below,
               
*Capt. James A. Delap, 1860s journal

A bully ship and bully crew,
And a bully mate to put us through,
I wish I was in Liverpool,
With the Liverpool girls I would slip round.
Oh, heave her up and away we'll go
Oh, heave her up from down below.
Oh, a dollar and a half is a shellback's pay,
But a dollar and a half is pretty good pay.
Oh, rise, old woman, and let us in,
For the night is cold and I want some gin.

All of these have the "dollar and a half" chorus. Lyrically, they are non-narrative (like most chanties), and relate to a "working for dollars/Mobile Bay" theme or have typical IMO floating verses.

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