REPERTOIRE OF MALCOLM FORBES

The following shanties come from Mr Malcolm Forbes and were taken down by Carey on 24 October 1925. Mr Forbes, being quite elderly, apart from a few lines of most songs, he did not sing many texts but did know the tunes. I will note down the items recalled even if there were no texts recalled so as to provide providence of songs sung in Australia.

MISTERSTORMALONG

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS426

RUN, LET THE BULLGINE RUN

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS427

WE’RE COMING HOME

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS429

SALLY BROWN

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS430

Sally Brown’s a nice young nigger
Weigh hey, roll and go
Sally Brown’s a nice young nigger
Weigh hey, roll and go
I’ll spend all my money on Sally Brown

This windlass shanty probably came to life in the West Indies. Many variants exist.

RUEBEN RANZO

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS431

FIRE DOWN BELOW

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS432

A ROVING SS 433
BLOW BOYS BLOW SS 434

HEAVE AWAY JOHNNIES

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS436

Then heave away for Frisco Bay
We’re all bound to go
And away, we’ll heave away
We’re all bound to go.

LEAVE HER JOLLIES SS 435

ROLL THE COTTON DOWN

Malcolm Forbes Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS437

Roll the cotton down
………………….
Oh Roll the cotton down

HAUL AWAY, JOE

Fore or Main sheet

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS438

We’re all bound for sea once more
Haul away, haul away
We’re all bound for sea once more
Away, haul away,
Haul away Joe!

HAUL WAY FOR ROSIE-O

Haul away for Rosie O
Haul away
Haul away for Rosie O
Away, haul away,
Haul away Joe!

HEAVE AWAY

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS440

Heave away, heave away
The sailor mustn’t stay
And the girls may cry, but Jack must fly,
Upon the sailing day

PADDY LAY BACK

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS445

Johnny come back
Haul in the slack
Heave around the capstan
Heave a-pawl, heave a-pawl
About ship’s stations be handy
Raise sails and sheets and mainsail haul

Walk back!
Heave in your slack!

GOOD BYE FARE YE WELL SS 441

OUTWARD BOUND SS 442

WITH THE ROYAL THREE

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS449

With the Royals Three (sic)
……………………..
with topsails up aloft
and the Royals three

 

BONEY WAS A WARRIOR

Malcolm Forbes
Adelaide
1925
Clive Carey SS453

Boney was a warrior
Boney was a warrior
Weigh hey, ho
John Franzo!

Boney was a warrior
Away, a- yah!
A warrior and a terrier
John Franzo!

Boney fought the Russians
Away, a- yah!
The Russians and the Prussians.
John Franzo!

Moscow was a-blazing
Away, a- yah!
And Boney was a-raging.
John Franzo!

Boney went to Elba
Away, a- yah!
Boney he came back again.
John Franzo!

Boney went to Waterloo
Away, a- yah!
There he got his overthrow.
John Franzo!

As well as being a halyard shanty, Boney (as it was more commonly known) was occasionally used as a sheet or short-haul song. Obviously it was born around the time (or shortly after) of Napoleon Boneparte. (John Franzo appears to be Forbes’ pronunciation of Jean Francois but is also reminiscent of Rueben Ranzo )