Digital Tradition Mirror

Leave Her, Johnny (2)

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Leave Her, Johnny (2)

I thought I heard the old man say,
  Leave her, Johnny, leave her.
You can go ashore and take your pay,
  It's time for us to leave her

The winds were foul, the work was hard,
From Liverpool Docks to Brooklyn Yard

She would neither steer nor stay,
She shipped it green both night and day,

She shipped it green and made us curse,
The mate was a devil and the old man worse,

The winds were foul, the ship was slow,
The grub was bad, the wages low,

We'll sing, oh, may we never be
On a hungry bitch the like of she,

From A Social History of Traditional Song, Nettel
Note: Usually "leave her" refers to a woman ashore. Not here. RG
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!