Outward Bound 2
To old St. Catherine's now adieu,
Likewise to Peggy, Kate, and Sue,
And Polly of Wapping Sound;
Our anchor's weigh'd, the sails unfurl'd,
And now to plough the watr'y world,
Yeo Yea, we're outward bound.
Our anchor's weigh'd, &c.
The gale blows fresh, the wind North-East,
Six knots an hour we scud at least
Huzza! the shores resound;
Our thund'ring guns again reply,
And salutations rend the sky,
Yeo Yea, we're outward bound.
Mayhap, e're far we chance to go,
Some rich galleon we'll take in tow,
And such are to be found;
Why, then each man will touch his chink,
And, damme (damn me) lads, like fishes drink,
Yeo Yea, we're outward bound.
And should we touch at Malabar,
Or veer to foreign parts (ports?) afar,
We ne'er shall lack a pound;
Our purser will our wants supply,
And while we've grog, we ne'er shall die,
Yeo Yea, we're outward bound.
Old England we shall see again,
Ne'er fear, my hearts, and sailors, then
The girls will flock around;
And we, like tars, their charms will clench,
And freely board each smiling wench,
Yeo yea, we're homeward bound.
Song in <<The London Songster; Or Musical Boquet>>. London:
Printed for W. Lane, Leaden-hall. n.d. (c 1795), p. 28, no
author, music, or tune direction.
A version of the song was found by Gale Huntington in the log
of the ship Minerva, 1845, and was given to Ewan MacColl, who
sang it as last song in the film and on the record "Whaler out of
New Bedford." It is not printed in Huntington's book, <<Songs the
Whalemen Sang>>, 1964, 1970. The latter song has only its first
verse in common with "Outward Bound," above, but the rest of its
verses are in almost all subsequent traditional versions of the
song.
Cf. Hugill's <<Shanties from the Seven Seas>>, p. 541, 1961;
Shay and Wilson, <<American Sea Songs and Shanties>>, p. 147,
1948. Some of the same additional verses appear in version I of
"Homeward Bound" given by Doerflinger, p. 87 of <<Shantymen and
Shantyboys>>, 1951, and, 2nd ed., <<Songs of the Sailor and
Lumberman>>, 1972. A text from a late broadside is given in R.
Palmer's <<Oxford Book of Sea Songs>>, no. 88, (1986).
WBO
Apr98
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!