Sailor with Banjo is a nautical folk opera by Hamish Maclaren published by The Macmillan Company back in 1930. It's not uncommon to find a copy while browsing dark dusty corners in used book stores. Several of the songs, Yangtse River Shanty and Song of the Brown Sea Rat, are irristible fodder for sea song deconstruction. There are no tunes included in my edition but one can always borrow, recombine, or otherwise adapt. I'm sure other sea shanty folks have puzzled over this book and I'm curious if they have been able to find out anything more about the author and his folk opera.

Here's an example of my reworked version of Yangtse River Shanty:

By Hamish MacLaren, Sailor with Banjo, © 1930
Capstan Shanty adapted by Charlie Ipcar
Tune: Tommy's Gone to Hilo/Congo River

YANGTSE RIVER SHANTY

Chorus:

Blow me down this Yang-tse Riv-er,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

My lo-tus lady, I'll see no more,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Since I left her on the Chi-na shore,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

When we first met, she was like a queen,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Prettiest little thing I'd ever seen,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way...(Chorus)

She'd flashing eyes and long black hair,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
All I could do was stand and stare,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

I bought her silks and a golden comb,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Trouble's over now, the anchor's home,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way...(Chorus)

I blowed my silver for to win her,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Now there's nothing left but donkey's dinner,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way!

We're outward bound, cookie's in the galley,
A-way, boys, a-way-o!
Farewell, Young Moon, of the Yangtse Valley,
A-way, boys, lift and walk a-way..

There's more gold in this book to mine.

Cheerily,
C