162 - The Fishes A - Capstan Shanty

This is a great shanty, sang usually at the capstan and at the pumps "The Fishes". This particular version, Stan Hugill learned from an old seaman who sailed in the cooper ore barques of the Bristol Channel, the version will include an alternative starting verse learned from mentioned seaman. In the book, Stan Hugill gives us only two first stanzas, due to the other ones was taken from the "Blow The Man Down" shanty, so i took another 3 verses from mentioned shanty, to make this reconstruction a sensibile lenght, and bit more entertaining.
"Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 198).


The Fishes A


Oh, a ship she was rigged, and ready for sea,
And all of her sailors were fishes to be.

   - Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow,
   - Our ship she's in full sail,
   - Now steady she goes!

*2*
First came the herring sain', 'I'm King o' the seas,
He jumped on the poop, 'Oh, the Capen I'll be!'

*3*
The next was a flat-fish, they call him the skate,
"If you be the captain, why sure, I'm the mate."

*4*
The next came the hake, as black as a rook,
Says he, "I'm no sailor, I'll ship as the cook."

*5*
The next came the shark, with his two rows of teeth,
"Cook, mind the cabbage and I'll mind the beef."