Old Moke’s Pickin on a Banjo

Cecil Sharp collected one verse of this, which he believed derived from traditional Irish song Shule Agra.  The only other source of this shanty is Hugill, who notes that as the railway spread rapidly across America in the mid nineteenth century, the Black and Irish work gangs created many new work songs, which ended up on deck when the railway boom was over.  The word "moke" is slang from the period for a Black man, probably a minstrel – and the phrase "Ol' moke pickin' on the banjo" may have been lifted from a minstrel tune.



Old Moke’s Pickin on a Banjo

 

He Bang She Bang Daddie Shot a Bear

He shot it in the stern me boys and he never turned a hair

 

Chorus

We’re all from the rail road tu ra loo

And the Old Moke’s Pickin on a banjo

Hooorah, what the hell’s the row

We’re all from the rail road tu ra loo

We’re all from the rail road tu ra loo

And the Old Moke’s pickin on a banjo

 

Pat get back take in the slack, Heave away me boys

Heave away me bully boys, why don’t you make some noise

 

Chorus
Roller Boys Boller Boys, give her flaming gip
Drag the anchor off the mud and let the bugger rip

 

Chorus

 

Rock a block, Chock a block, Heave the capstan round
 Fish the flamin’ anchor up, for we are outward bound

 

Chorus

 

Out Chocks, Two Blocks,  Heave away or bust
 Bend your backs me bully boys, kick up some flamin’ dust

 

Chorus

 

Whiskey Oh, Johnny Oh the mud hook is in sight,

Tis a hell of a way to the girls that wate and the old Nantuket Light

 

Chorus twice