HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE
(Stephen Foster)
SHANTYMAN:
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.
Chorus:
‘Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty
and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent,
their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.
Chorus:
There's a pale drooping maiden
who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry,
'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.
Chorus:
Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.
​
Chorus - 2 X
​
***
HAUL ON THE BOWLINE
(17th Century)
Haul on the bowline, homeward we are going
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, the packet she's a-rolling
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, the Captain is a-growling
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, so early in the morning
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, to Bristol we are going
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, Kitty is my darling
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, Kitty comes from Liverpool
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
Haul on the bowline, It’s far cry to pay day
Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!
***
HIGH BARBAREE
There were two lofty ships from old England came,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
One was the Prince of Luther,
and the other Prince of Wales,
Cruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.
“Aloft there, aloft!” our jolly boatswain cries,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“Look ahead, look astern, look aweather and alee,
Look along down the coast of the High Barbaree.”
There’s nought upon the stern,
there’s nought upon the lee,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
But there’s a lofty ship to windward,
and she’s sailing fast and free,
Sailing down along the coast of the High Barbaree.
“Oh, hail her, Oh, hail her,” our gallant captain cried,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“Are you a man-o’-war or a privateer,” said he,
“Cruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.”
“Oh, I am not a man-o’-war nor privateer,” said he,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“But I’m an honest merchant ship as you can plainly see
“Cruising down the coast of the High Barbaree.”
Now back up your topsails and heave our vessel to;
Blow high! Blow low! and so sailed we.
For we have got some letters to be carried home by you.
Sailing down along the coast of the High Barbaree.
We'll back up our topsails and heave our vessel to;
Blow high! Blow low! and so sailed we.
But only in some harbour and along the side of you.
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbaree.
“Oh, I am not a man-o’-war nor privateer,”
said he,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“But I’m a salt-sea pirate a-looking for my fee,
“Cruising down the coast of the High Barbaree.”
Oh, ’twas broadside to broadside a long time we lay,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
Until the Prince of Luther shot the pirate’s masts away,
Cruising down along the coast of the High Barbaree.
“Oh, quarter, Oh, quarter,” those pirates then did cry,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
But the quarter that we gave them –
we sunk them in the tide,
Coming down along the coast of the High Barbaree.
With cutlass and gun, O we fought for hours three;
Blow high! Blow low! and so sailed we.
The ship it was their coffin and their grave it was the sea.
A sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbaree
But O! It was a cruel sight, and grieved us full sore,
Blow high! Blow low! and so sailed we.
To see them all a-drowning as they tried to swim to shore.
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbaree.
***
H
HAUL AWAY JOE
When I was a little boy, so me mother told me.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
That if I did not kiss the girls,
my lips would all grow mouldy.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
Once I had a German girl but she was fat and lazy.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
But now I got an Irish girl,
she damn near drives me crazy.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
King Louis was the king of France
before the revolut-i-on.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
And then he got his head chopped off,
it spoiled his constitute-i-on.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe.
Once I was in Ireland - a ‘digging turf and tatties.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe
But now I’m on a Limey ship a’hauling on the braces.
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe.
Way haul away, I’m hauling on the bowline
Way haul away, we’ll haul away Joe.
Way haul away, the packet is a-rolling.
Way haul away, we’ll haul away Joe.
ALL 2 X: Way haul away,
we’ll haul for better weather.
Away haul away, we’ll haul away Joe.
Way haul away, we’ll haul away together.
Away haul away, we’ll haul away Joe.
​***
HEILAND LADDIE
(Same tune as Donkey Riding)
Was you ever in Quebec
Bonnie Laddie, Hieland Laddie
Stowing lumber on the deck
My bonnie heiland laddie
Chorus:
Hey ho and away we go
Bonnie Laddie, Hieland Laddie
Hey how and away we go
My bonnie Heiland Laddie
Were you ever in Call-i-o?
Where the girls are never slow.
Chorus:
Were you ever in Baltimore?
Dancing on that sanded floor.
Chorus:
Were you ever in Mobile Bay?
Screwing cotton by the day.
Chorus:
Were you ever in Dundee?
There some pretty ships you’ll see.
Chorus:
***
​
HOLY GROUND
(aka. ‘The Cobh Sea Shanty’)
​​
Fare thee well, my own true lover,
a thousand times adieu!
For we're going away from the holy ground
And the girls we love so true!
We will sail the salt seas over,
and we'll return to shore
To see again the girls we love,
and the holy ground once more!
​
Chorus:
(Shout) Fine girl you are!
You're the girl I do adore!
But still I live in hopes to see
The holy ground once more!
(Shout) Fine girl you are!
​
Now when we're out a-sailing
And you are far behind
Fine letters will I write to you
With the secrets of my mind.
The secrets of my mind, my girl
You're the girl that I adore
And still I live in hope to see
The Holy Ground once more.
Chorus
​
And now the storm is raging,
and we are far from shore
And the good old ship is tossing about
and the rigging is all tore (echo- ALL TORE)
And the secret of my life, my love,
you're the girl I do adore!
And still I live in hopes to see
the holy ground once more!
Chorus
​
And now the storm is over,
and we are safe and well.
We will go into a public house
and we'll drink and drink like hell! (echo- LIKE HELL)
We will drink strong ale and porter,
we'll make the rafters roar!
And when our money is all spent,
we will go to sea once more!
Chorus
***
HOME FROM THE SEA - Phil Coulter
On a cold winters night
With a storm at its height
The lifeboat answered the call.
They pitched and they tossed
Till we thought they were lost
As we watched from the harbor wall.
Though the night was pitch black,
There was no turning back,
For someone was waiting out there,
But each volunteer
Had to live with his fear
As they joined in a silent prayer...
​
CHORUS:
AND carry US home, home,
Home from the sea.
Angels of mercy, answer our plea,
And carry us home, home,
Home from the sea.
Carry us safely home from the sea.
​
As they battled their way
Past the mouth of the bay,
It was blowing like never before.
As they gallantly fought,
Every one of them thought
Of loved ones back on the shore.
Then a flicker of light
And they knew they were right.
There she was on the crest of a wave.
She's an old fishing boat
And she's barely afloat.
Please God, there are souls we can save…
​
CHORUS:
AND carry THEM home, home,
Home from the sea.
Angels of mercy, answer our plea,
And carry us home, home,
Home from the sea.
Carry us safely home from the sea.
​
And back in the town
In a street that runs down
To the sea and the harbor wall,
They had gathered in pairs
At the foot of the stairs
To wait for the radio call.
And just before dawn
When all hope was gone
Came a hush and a faraway sound.
'Twas the coxswain he roared
All survivors on board
Thank God and we're homeward bound…
​
CHORUS: 2 X
AND carry US home, home,
Home from the sea.
Angels of mercy, answer our plea,
And carry us home, home,
Home from the sea.
Carry us safely home from the sea.
***