Cape Cod Girls

Cape Cod Girls   (aka Codfish Shanty)                  Traditional


 Hugill calls this South Australia, with the alternative title of The Codfish Shanty, and says it was usually sung at capstan or pumps. (He calls what we know as South Australia, “Rolling King”).  It may have been written by a Yankee sailor en route to Australia; it is sometimes also said to be Canadian.  Like many other shanties, it has been sanitised for publication – to the amusing extent that some versions have been used as a traditional resource by teachers of young children - a humorous sea shanty describing what can be done with the different parts of a codfish.


Cape Cod girls don't use no combs,
Bound away. Bound away.
They comb their hair with a catfish bone
Bound away for Australia.

Heave her up, me bully, bully boys,
Bound away, bound away.
Heave her up, now don't you make a noise.
Bound away for Australia.

 

Cape Cod girls don't wear no frills,
Bound away. Bound away.
They're plain and skinny like a codfish gills.
Bound away for Australia.

 

Heave her up, me bully, bully boys,
Bound away, bound away.
Heave her up, now don't you make a noise.
Bound away for Australia.

 

Cape Cod kids don't use no sleds,
Bound away. Bound away.
They slide down hills on whalefish heads.
Bound away for Australia.

 

Heave her up, me bully, bully boys,
Bound away, bound away.
Heave her up, now don't you make a noise.
Bound away for Australia.

 

Cape Cod folk don't get no ills,
Bound away. Bound away.
They get no ills by eating cod fish pills.

Bound away for Australia.
Heave her up, me bully, bully boys,
Bound away, bound away.
Heave her up, now don't you make a noise.
Bound away for Australia.