i've been singing this fine old forebitter for nigh on forty years now, thus explaining the possible shifts a song can take on over a perriod of time I first got it from "Blow Boys Blow", MacColl and Lloyd, as pointed out by Art. But is was sung by MacColl rather than Lloyd.

However, Bert did the notes wherein he points out that this song originated with the "flying fish" sailors of the East India trade. He further asserts that the song was later taken up by Western ocean packet sailors who made it into a shanty, "Blow the Man Down." He concludes, "The present version, which pulls no punches, is from one of the best of English folk singers, Harry cox of Catfields, Norfolk."

Next, turn to The Singing Island, MacColl-Seeger. The version here printed is the same song, but with a different tune and slightly different lyrics. In the list of credits, this song is cited as, "From the singing of Sam Larner, Winterton, Norfolk - 1958."

The tune I use is the one MacColl recorded. op cit., and is an incestuously close cousin to Logie O' Buchen.

Cheer'ly Men, and Ladies too -- Tom