COLLECTED FROM GEORGE PATTISON

SALLY BROWN

Capstan
George Pattison
Cape de Couedie Lighthouse
Kangaroo island
South Australia
4 Dec 1924 (and 1941)
Clive Carey SS404

Oh Sally Brown, I love your daughter,
Weigh ho! Roll and go
Oh Sally brown, I love your daughter,
I’ll spend all my money on Sally Brown.

I’ll sail to her across the water

Sally Brown was a Creole lady

She lives by palm trees, tall and shady

Her lips were sweet, her kiss like honey

So blow fair winds I must not tarry

For Sally’s daughter I’m going to marry.

A windlass shanty, that probably came to life in the West Indies. Pattison’s text is different from Hugill. Many variants exist, such as Wallkalong You Sally Brown, Roll, Boys, Roll and Hilo Johnny Brown. When the shantyman ran out of stanzas singing for Sally he usually got on to those singing of Sally’s daughter, and on occasions these words, often obscene, were fitted to the beautiful capstan song Shenandoah, much to the disgust of some early collectors who would have liked to believe this was one song never defiled.