My enjoyment of "Leviathan" ca1970 was spoiled by the realization that some of the songs (like "Wings of a Gull") had obviously been rewritten in British style (without acknowledgment) from tuneless American material in Gale Huntington's "Songs the Whalemen Sang." quote lighter
quote Jim Carroll from facebook
Th song mentioned is one I have sung for a long time and have assumed it was from the oral tradition; Huntingdon assumed the same as he suggests it might be connected with 'The Prisoners Song'. Bert is pretty vague in his note on where it came from - he says it dates from somewhere between the 1820s and 1840s. which is more or less where Huntindon dates it. Why can't it be a version rather than samething Bert wrote. As popular as sea songs and shanties are, the published collections are somewhat sparse - Hugill's being the most comprehensive.