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in: Songs, Traditional, JD Songs, Community Videos

Leave Her Johnny

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Often given the full title of "Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her", this is a traditional shanty turned ubiquitous folk song. Starting as a windlass or capstan shanty, the earliest known evidence of this song is found in W.B. Whall's autobiography School and Sea Days (1901), which places it in the 1860s.[1] It shares verses and sometimes a tune with another song called "Across the Western Ocean".[2]

The song remains widely known, with covers from several popular folk artists, and was featured in the video game Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. A perennial favorite on the band's livestreams, it was also featured in their first community project video, released on 30 Dec 2020 and featuring almost 500 participants.

Factoids[]

Folklore holds that this was a shanty saved for the last duty of a voyage, after which all hands would disembark.[3]

Tarpaulin is a type of heavy duty waterproof fabric, originally made from tarred canvas. Tarpaulin hats (or just "tarpaulins") were so strongly associated with sailors that the word "tarpaulin" also became slang to refer to the sailors themselves.[4]

Pocket rat appears to be an alteration of "packet rat", which was slang for a sailor who worked on packet ships crossing the Atlantic.[5]

Lyrics[]

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns in their livestreams.

Oh, the times were hard and the wages are low,
(Leave her, Johnny, leave her!)
I guess it's time for us to go,
(And it's time for us to leave her!) [continues throughout verses]

Beware these packet ships, I say!
They'll steal your stores and your clothes away

{Chorus}
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is done, and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her

There's Liverpool Pat in his tarpaulin hat
And Yankee John the pocket rat

She would not wear and she would not stay
She shipped great seas both night and day

{Chorus}

It's rotten beef and weevily bread
It was pump or drown the old man said

The sails all furled, our work is done
and now ashore we'll take our rum

{Chorus 2x}

Recordings[]

YouTube videos[]

Gig Videos[]

Full Band Streams[]

Chill Streams[]

Gaming Streams[]

  1. ↑ https://www.vwml.org/record/RoudFS/S384255
  2. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/San412.html
  3. ↑ https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Doe089.html
  4. ↑ https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/tarpaulin
  5. ↑ https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1098&context=studentscholarship
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