COLLECTED FROM GEORGE PATTISON

AWAY RIO

Capstan
George Pattison
Cape de Couedie Lighthouse
Kangaroo island
South Australia
4 Dec 1924 (and 1941)
Clive Carey SS401

A s I was a-wallking one fine summer’s day,
Away Rio!
As I was a-walking one fine summer’s day,
Oh, we’re bound for Rio Grande.

I spied a smart clipped right under me lee.

I hailed her in English, she answered quite spruce

I’m from the ‘Blue Anchor’ and bound for ‘The Goose’

I gave her hawser, she took me in tow.

Yardarm to yardarm a-sailing we go

We both jogged along so frisky and gay

Till we came to an anchor in Tiger’s Bay

Once again these appear to be rare texts. The song was used to move the capstan prior to the shout of “Up anchor!”. It has a steady march-round pace and used similarly to South Australia and then the singer would move the pace steadier and slower by singing something like Lowlands or Shenandoah. Tiger Bay was the local name for the former Butetown dock area of Cardiff, Wales, and has since been renamed Cardiff Bay.