149 - Rolling Home (W. B. Whall) - Forebitter


This time the forebitter version of the "Rolling Home", this manner this forebitter has been sung. Version mentioned by Stan Hugill comes from Sea "Songs and Shanties" - Collected by W. B. Whall (1927), which is the sixth edition of this book (19173). For more curious shanty lovers is worth noting that I have owned the second edition of the mentioned book, and by comparing I can say both descriptions and text are identical. Here is what Capitan Whall wrote about this song:
"There are numerous versions both on words and music: I have one such in an American book of sea songs dated 1876; Mr. Mansfield gives another version in his "Garland"; two other versions appeared some time back in the "Shipping Gazette", and I have still another. I have legitimately, I think -- chosen from all these the lines common to all, and for the rest have taken those that seemed to be the best. The tune I give--out of several variants--is the one familiar to me, though, as I have said, there are others".
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 188).


Rolling Home (W. B. Whall)


Call all hands to man the capstan,
See the cable run down clear,
Heave away, and with the will, boys,
For old England we will steer,

And We'll sing in joyful chorus,
In the watches of the night,
And we,ll sight the shores of England,
When the grey dawn breaks the light.

   - Rolling home, rolling home
   - Rolling home across the sea,
   - Rolling home to dear Old England,
   - Rolling home, dear land, to thee.

          *2*
Up aloft amid the rigging,
Blows the loud exulting gale;
Like a bird's wide out-stretched pinions
Spreads on high each swelling sail;

And the wild waves cleft behind us,
Seem to murmur as they flow
There are loving hearts that wait you
In the land to which you go.

          *3*
Many thousand miles behind us,
Many thousand miles before,
Ancient ocean heave to waft us
To the well-remembered shore.

Cheer up, Jack, bright smiles await you
From the fairest of the fair,
And her loving eyes will greet you
With kind welcomes everywhere.