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Haul Away Joe #1
See also: Haul Away Joe #2

alt :

Louis was the king of France,
Before the revolut-i-on,
Away, haul away; we'll haul away, Joe
But then he got his head chopped off,
Which spoiled his constitut-i-on.
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe
To me way, haul away,
We'll heave and hang together;
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe.

Once I was in Ireland,
Digging turf and pratties,
Away, haul away; we'll haul away, Joe
And now I'm on a Yankee ship,
Hauling on sheets and braces.
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe
To me way, haul away,
We'll heave and hang together;
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe.

Now when I was a little boy,
And so me mother told me,
Away, haul away; we'll haul away, Joe
That if I didn't kiss the girls,
Me lips would all grow mouldy.
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe
To me way, haul away,
We'll heave and hang together;
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe.

First I met a Yankee girl,
She was fat and lazy,
Away, haul away; we'll haul away, Joe
Then I met a Irish girl,
She damn near drove me crazy.
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe
To me way, haul away,
We'll heave and hang together;
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe.

Way haul away,
We'll haul away the bowline,
Away, haul away; we'll haul away, Joe
Way, haul away,
The packet is a-rollin'.
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe
To me way, haul away,
We'll heave and hang together;
Away, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe.

####.... Author unknown. One of many variants of a traditional tack and sheet or short-haul shanty with many different verses. It may also have been used as a halyard shanty. Sheet shanties were usually no more than three or four verses. Sometimes the words 'pull' or 'haul' were used instead of 'Joe'. Although it is reported to have been known among early British sailors, it was not well-known on Yankee ships until the period between the War of 1812 and the American Civil War. The CSU Fresno Ballad Index notes that what appears to have been a fragment of the chorus appears in the diary of Mary Bray, probably in 1859; see A. A. Hoehling: Ships That Changed History, p.18 ....####

Most of the verses of this variant can be found in the Wareham Whalers Songbook.

The YouTube video above features a variant by Tony from Port St. Mary on the Isle of Man.

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GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador


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