RX Shanty Men Hastings RNLI

I wish I was a cabin boy, aboard a man o'war!

Sam's gone away, aboard a man o'war!
Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o'war!

I wish I was the captain, aboard a man o'war!

I wish I was the bos'n, aboard a man o'war!

I wish I was a gunner, aboard a man o'war!

You'll never be a hero, aboard a man o'war!

I wish I was a cabin boy, aboard a man o' war
Hey! Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
I wish I was a cabin boy, aboard a man o' war
Hey! Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. (repeat)
I wish I was a sailor lad, aboard a man o' war.
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
I wish I was a gunner's mate aboard a man o' war!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
I wish I was a top-man aboard a man o' war!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. Pretty work, brave boys,
A Caribbean whaling shanty - for rowing or hauling.
Other names: Sam gone away, Sammy's gone away
Man o' war / a man of war - a Royal Navy warship or frigate from 16th to 19th century. Shanties were not sung in Royal Navy ships but there was nothing to stop the crew of a merchantman sin ging about the navy.
The job of the shantyman - to supply enough verses for the job in hand - is particularly easy in this song as a man o' war could have 700 or so crew.
The Exmouth Shantymen wrote:
This is a traditional song sung by Barouallie whalers from St Vincent on the Windward Islands.
... Edgar Mulraine, a Barouallie whaler, ... first heard it in the 1940’s when he began whaling as a young man. His father had been a harpooner and one of the first whalers in Barrouallie. Mulraine found the work hard, and sometimes dangerous. His experiences included long hot days rowing, severe squalls, and having the boat stove in by a sperm whale.
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
I wish I was a captain, aboard a man o' war!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.
I wish I was an admiral aboard a man o' war.
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war. Pretty work, brave boys,
Pretty work, I say!
Sam's gone away, aboard a man o' war.

17/7/16 Hastings RNLI