112 - Roll The Cotton Down ( E ) - Halyard Shanty


Here halyard version of the shanty "Roll the cotton down", opens a big family of the shanties, which Stan Hugill describes as the shanty with the word 'Roll'. As a matter of fact, it vies with 'blow' and 'hilo' as the most popular word in a sailor work-song.
The versions of this great shanty are:
(a) Negro Version
(b) Cotton-Stowers' version
(c) Deep-sea version.
(d) Blackball version.
(e) Paddy and the railway.
(f) "A Long Time Ago"
This version is a "Paddy and the railway" version theme version. The book example suggests use more verses from "Blow the Man Down" shanty, I add additional five verses which gives us a reasonable length of the song.
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 155 ).



Roll The Cotton Down ( E )


Oh! in eighteen hundred an' seventy-one,
   - Roll the cotton down!
I did what many other have done.
   - We'll roll the cotton down!

                      *2*
I shipped away across the sea,
I shipped away to Amerikee.

                      *3*
In eighteen hundred and seventy-two,
I shipped away with an Irish crew.

                      *4*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-three,
I sailed away across the sea

                      *5*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-four,
I landed on Columbia's shore

                      *6*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-five,
Still Dan O'Connel he wuz alive

                      *7*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-six,
Me drink no longer I could mix

                      *8*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-seven,
Me children number jist eleven

                      *9*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-eight,
I made a fortune, not to late

                      *10*
In eighteen hundred an' seventy-nine,
I for a sight of Home did pine