Cheerily Man
Stan Hugill
says this is "probably the most primitive, and one of the oldest of all
these heaving and hauling songs of the sea. It was obscene to a degree and most
versions have had to be camouflaged".
In "Two Years Before the Mast" Richard Henry Dana, Jr
writes"...hands were sent aloft, and a reef shaken out of the top-sails,
and the reefed foresail set. When we came to masthead the topsail yards, with
all hands at the halyards, we struck up 'Cheerily, men,' with a chorus which
might have been heard half-way to
Oh Sally Rackett, aye oh
Cheerily man
Pawned me best jacket aye oh
Cheerily man
And stole the ticket aye oh
Cheerily man
Hauly aye oh, cheerily man
Oh Kitty Carson aye oh
Jilted the parson aye oh
Married a mason aye oh
Oh Annie Duckett aye oh
Washed in a bucket aye oh
She’s an old whore, don’t you know
Oh Nancy Dawson aye oh
She’s got a notion aye oh
For our old Bosun aye oh
Oh Susie Skinner aye oh
Says she’s a beginner aye oh
Prefers it to dinner aye oh
Here comes the Captain aye oh
Bully old bastard aye oh
Over the side he must go
He’s got a daughter aye oh
Puts on a hell of a show
Some say she never says no
We went to Exmouth aye oh
Courted the women aye oh
I know they never say no