02 Apr 25 - 09:37 PM (#4220199)
Subject: What's a 'fly girl' as in sea shanty?
From: Bill Brown
I see the Mudcat Lyrics search is still broken.
So, I can't search for this.
In the lyrics for the sea shanty "Goodby, Fare Thee Well"
It's a song about sailors anticipating a visit to a Liverpool brothel. In one line there's a reference to "fly girls." Any info on what the term means? Is it just a description of the women (which would match contemporary slang), or a job description? Flies as in fishing lures, their task was to lure men to the house? Or perhaps a sort of greeter at the door?
I learned the song from a recording of Keith Kendrick and the Anchor Men. These words are slightly different from the ones I remember.
Thank you
And when we gets to the Wallasey Gates
Goodbye, fare-ye-well! Goodbye, fare-ye-well!
Oh, Sally and Polly for their flash men do wait
Hurrah me boys! We're homeward bound!
And one to the other you'll hear them say
Goodbye, fare-ye-well! Goodbye, fare-ye-well!
Oh, here he comes Johnny with his fourteen months pay!
Hurrah me boys! We're homeward bound!
We meet with them fly girls and ring the old bell
Goodbye, fare-ye-well! Goodbye, fare-ye-well!
And with them judies, we'll raise merry hell
Hurrah me boys! We're homeward bound!
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