Hundred Years Ago

A. L. Loyd says “English and American folklorists fail to agree whether this shanty was first made under the Stars and Stripes or the Red Ensign. It has close associations with the Baltimore clippers, yet John Masefield heard it on British ships in his seafaring days, and the singer who gave it to Cecil Sharp knew it as an English sailors' song. It may be a seaman's remake of the mid-nineteenth century minstrel song called A Long Time Ago.” Hugill also heard English and American versions.


A hundred years ago.

 

A hundred years is a very long time,
 Oh yes, oh,
 A hundred years is a very long time
 A hundred years ago.

 

They used to think that pigs could fly
 Oh yes, oh,
 I don't believe it no, not I
 A hundred years ago.

 

They thought the moon was made of cheese
 Oh yes, oh,
 You can believe it, if you please
 A hundred years ago.

 

They thought the stars was set alight
 Oh yes, oh,
 By some good angel every night
 A hundred years ago.

 

They hung a man for making steam
 Oh yes, oh,
 They cast his body in the stream
 A hundred years ago.

 

A hundred years is a very long time
 Oh yes, oh,
 A hundred years is a very long time
 A hundred years ago.

 

I thought I heard our old man say
 Oh yes, oh,
 That we were homeward bound today
 A hundred years ago.