The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #172604   Message #4234999
Posted By: Lighter
26-Jan-26 - 08:44 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Valparaiso / Paddy Lay Back
Subject: RE: Origins: Valparaiso / Paddy Lay Back
St. Catherine's [Ont.] Standard (Dec. 20, 1923), referring to the 1890s in Western Australia:

"I will only try to give about one verse out of the 37 verses that were in the song as he used to sing it....:

Now you know there was a great demand for sailors
For India, China, America, and for France,
So I shipped aboard a vessel bound for Rio,
And went and had a spree on my advance;
Paddy lay back, take in the slack,
Heave at the capstan, heave and pawl, heave and pawl.
About ship, station boys, be handy,
A long pull, a strong pull, and warp the 'hooker' out."

"Hooker" = ship.