"Blow The Man Down"

Today, not many know about the ways of life of Iron men and wooden ships as those Iron men sang their sea shanties. Into today’s lighter gentler times, you can sometimes hear these shanties in movies about the sea, such as Master and Commander, Jaws and Moby Dick. But the true tradition of shanties ended with the age of sail.

A very popular ol’ shanty among many a shipmate was “Blow The Man Down.” The version sung on ships usually told about policemen accusing a sailor of being a black baller and the insulted sailor knocking the policeman down and ending up in jail. The modern version usually tells a story about a sailor meeting a pretty young damsel. The title and chorus refer to the abuse sailors endured on the ships of the Black Ball line.

Oh, blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down!

To me way-aye, blow the man down.

Oh, Blow the man down, bullies, blow him right down!

Give me some time to blow the man down!

As I was a-walking down Paradise Street,

To me way-aye, blow the man down.

A pretty young damsel I chanced for to meet.

Give me some time to blow the man down!

She was round in the counter and bluff in the bow,

So I took in all sail and cried “Way enough now.”

I hailed her in English, she answered me clear,

“I’m from the Black Arrow bound to the Shakespeare.”

So I tailed her my flipper and took her in tow,

And yardarm to yardarm away we did go.

But as we were going she said unto me,

“There’s a spanking full-rigger just ready for sea.”

That spanking full-rigger to New York was bound;

She was very well manned and very well found.

But soon as that packet was clear of the bar,

The mate knocked me down with the end of a spar,

And as soon as that packet was out on the sea,

`Twas devilish hard treatment of every degree.

So I give you fair warning before we belay;

Don’t never take heed of what pretty girls say.