MusicSmiles.com
The
Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan
|
MusicSmiles.com
|
            
| Blow the man down is an old sea shanty. It has
been There are countless versions of Blow the Man Down. This MusicSmiles arrangement of the so-called Halyard shanty (See our notes on Sea Shanties) is another very welcome addition to our repertoire. A halyard is a strong rope used to haul on the yard - a wooden extension of the mast to which sails are fastened. The halyard shanty is sung while hauling on such a halyard. The crew 'rests' while the shanty man (sometimes elected by the crew) sings the verse - then all hands join in the chorus - and haul. Blow
the Man Down Solo:
Oh, blow the man down, bullies, Solo:
Oh the rags they
were gone, Solo:
So we'll blow the
man up, Shall we Blow him down again? OR: Would you like to return to the Sea Shanties page?
|
( Click number to view statistics > > >). Scribe thanks all our 223,547 MusicSmiles visitors up to beginning of September, 2010. You may find our special effects work best with Microsoft Internet Explorer |
described as 'The most famous sea shanty of them all, and justly so'. It is
claimed that its life began in the Western Ocean sailing ships, with German
emigrants. Others state that it derived from an African-American song: Knock
the Man Down. Western Ocean law was: 'Rule with the fist, the belaying pin or
a capstan bar'. Chief Mates in these ships were known as 'Blowers'. The Second
Mates were 'Strikers' and the Third Mates were 'greasers'. A rough tough world
indeed.
