Revels 2026 Chantey Sing Song Sheet
Brian O’Donovan Legacy Series:
Revels Chantey Sing with David Coffin
January 28, 2026
PADDY WEST
English Sea Chantey
REFRAIN:
Take off yer dungaree jacket, and give yerself a rest,
And we'll think of the cold nor'westers that we had at Paddy West's
FINAL REFRAIN:
Put on yer dungaree jacket, and walk out lookin' yer best,
And tell 'em that you're an old sailor man that's come from Paddy West's.
MINGULAY BOAT SONG
Hugh S. Roberton, founder of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir
Final verse by Michael O'Leary
REFRAIN:
Heel ya ho, boys; let her go, boys;
Bring her head round, into the weather,
Heel ya ho, boys, let her go, boys
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
What care we though, white the Minch is?
What care we for wind or weather?
Let her go boys; every inch is
Sailing homeward to Mingulay.
REFRAIN
Wives are waiting, by the pier head,
Or looking seaward, from the heather;
Pull her round, boys, then you’ll anchor
‘Ere the sun sets on Mingulay.
REFRAIN
Ships return now, heavy laden
Mothers holdin’ bairns a-cryin’
They’ll return, though, when the sun sets
They’ll return to Mingulay.
REFRAIN
Far behind us the hills of Quilon
Soon before us the hills of heather
And you know, boys, the candles glow, boys,
In the windows of Mingulay.
REFRAIN
HIGH BARBARY
English Sea Chantey
Look ahead look astern, look the weather and the lee.
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we.
I see a wreck to windward and a lofty ship to lee,
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
O are you a pirate or man o’war cried we.
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we.
O no I’m not a pirate but a man o’war cried he.
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
Then back up your topsails, and heave your vessel to,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
For we have got some letters to be carried home by you.
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
We’ll back up our topsails, and heave our vessel to
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
But only in some harbour and along the side of you.
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
For broadside for broadside they fought all on the main
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
Until at last the frigate shot the pirates mast away
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
“Oh quarter! Oh quarter!”, those pirates they did cry
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
But the quarter that we gave ‘em was to sink them in the sea,
Sailing down along the coasts of High Barbary.
WAYS OF MAN
by Gordon Bok
REFRAIN:
Ah the days, ah the days, ah the fine long summer days,
The fish come rolling in the bays, and he swore he'd never leave me.
CHICKEN ON A RAFT
by Cyril Tawney
REFRAIN:
Chicken on a raft on a Monday morning
Oh, what a terrible sight to see,
Dabtoes forward and the dustmen aft,
Sittin' there a'pickin' on a chicken on a raft!
Hi, yo, chicken on a raft!
Hey, yo, chicken on a raft!
Hi, yo, chicken on a raft!
Hey, yo, chicken on a raft!
GREY FUNNEL LINE
by Cyril Tawney
Don’t mind rain or the rolling sea,
The weary night never worries me.
But the hardest time in sailor’s day
Is to watch the sun as it dies away.
It’s one more day on the Grey Funnel Line.
The finest ship that sailed the sea
Is still a prison for the likes of me,
But give me wings like Noah’s dove,
I’d fly up harbour to the girl I love.
It’s one more day on the Grey Funnel Line.
There was a time my heart was free
Like a floating spar on the open sea.
But now the spar is washed ashore,
It comes to rest at my true love’s door.
It’s one more day on the Grey Funnel Line.
Every time I gaze behind the screws
Makes me long for old Peter’s shoes.
I’d walk right down that silver lane
And take my love in my arms again.
It’s one more day on the Grey Funnel Line.
Oh Lord, if dreams were only real
I’d have my hands on that wooden wheel.
And with all my heart I’d turn her round
And tell the boys that we’re homeward bound.
It’s one more day on the Grey Funnel Line.
I’ll pass the time like some machine
Until blue water turns to green.
Then I’ll dance on down that walk ashore
And sail the Grey Funnel Line no more.
And sail the Grey Funnel Line no more.
ROLLING DOWN TO OLD MAUI
Traditional Sea Chantey
It’s a damn tough life full of toil and strife we whaler men undergo.
And we don’t give a damn when the gale is done, how hard the winds do blow.
We’re homeward bound, t’is a mighty fine sound with a good ship taut and free,
And we don’t give a damn when we drink our rum with the girls of old Maui.
REFRAIN:
Rolling down to old Maui, me boys, rolling down to old Maui.
We’re homeward bound from the Arctic ground, rolling down to old Maui.
Once more we sail with the northerly gale through the ice and wind and rain.
Them coconut fronds, them tropical lands, we soon shall see again.
Six hellish months have passed away on the cold Kamchatka sea,
But now we’re bound from the Arctic ground, rolling down to old Maui.
REFRAIN
Once more we sail with a favorable gale towards our island home.
Our main mast sprung, our whaling done, and we ain’t got far to roam.
Our stun’s’l bones got carried away, what care we for that sound,
A living gale is after us, thank God we’re homeward bound.
REFRAIN
How soft the breeze in them island trees, now the ice is far astern.
Them native maids in them tropical glades is a-waiting our return.
Even now their big brown eyes look out hoping some fine day to see,
Our baggy sails running ‘fore the gale, rolling down to old Maui.
REFRAIN
YANKEE WHALERMAN
Traditional Sea Chantey
Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain
For we’ve received orders to sail from New England
And we hope in a short time to see you again
REFRAIN:
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true Yankee Whalermen
We’ll rant and we’ll roar on deck and below
Until we sight Gayhead off old Martha’s Vineyard
And straight up the channel to New Bedford we’ll go.
We hove our ship to with the wind from the sou’west, boys.
We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take
‘Twas 45 fathoms with light sandy bottom
We squared our main yard and up channel did make.
REFRAIN
I went to a dance one night in Tombaz.
There were plenty of girls there as fine as you wish.
There was one pretty maiden a chewin’ tobacco
Just like a young kitten a chewin’ fresh fish.
REFRAIN
Then the signal was sent for the grand ship to anchor
And all in the downs that night for to lie
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper
Haul up your clew garnets, let tacks and sheets fly.
REFRAIN
OLD MOKE PICKIN' ON A BANJO TRAIN
Traditional Sea Chantey
REFRAIN:
Hooraw! What the hell’s the row?
We’re all from the railroad, too-ra-loo
We’re all from the railroad, too-ra-loo
Oh, the old moke pickin’ on the banjo!
SEAMAN'S HYMN
Traditional Sea Chantey
Come all you bold seamen wherever you’re bound
And always let Nelson’s proud memory go round.
And pray that the wars and the tumult may cease.
For the greatest of gifts is a sweet lasting peace.
May the Lord put an end to these cruel old wars,
and bring peace and contentment to all our brave tars.